Minnesota Commerce Department, Life Insurance Policy Locator Finds $2.4 Million in Lost Benefits for Minnesotans

ST. PAUL, Minnesota, Dec. 5 -- The Minnesota Department of Commerce issued the following news release:

The Life Insurance Policy Locator, a project of the Minnesota Commerce Department with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), has matched 262 Minnesotans with lost life insurance benefits totaling nearly $2.4 million since the service was launched two years ago.

The NAIC unveiled the free online locator service in November 2016 to make it easier to connect consumers with lost life insurance policies or annuity contracts, especially those belonging to deceased family members.

"Many people don't know where to begin when searching for a lost life insurance policy or annuity," said Commerce Commissioner Jessica Looman, whose agency regulates the insurance industry in the state. "This free online tool streamlines and simplifies the process to connect people with the benefits owed to them."

Access to the locator service is available through the NAIC at locator.naic.org or through the Commerce Department website (mn.gov/commerce).

The service allows individuals who believe they are beneficiaries, executors or legal representatives of a deceased person to submit a search request for life insurance policies and annuities. The online request is encrypted and secured for confidentiality.

Participating insurers compare a submitted request with available policyholder information. When there is a match, an insurance company directly contacts the beneficiaries or their authorized representatives. It can take up to 90 business days for a response; there is a response only if a company finds relevant information.

To ensure the timely payment of benefits, the Commerce Department recommends that Minnesotans make sure their life insurance companies have up-to-date contact information for both themselves and their beneficiaries.