DISB, NAIC Launch Nationwide Life Insurance Policy Locator Tool to Help Consumers Find Lost Life Insurance Policies, Annuities

Contact: Chanda Washington
chanda.washington@dc.gov                                                                              

Washington, DC – The District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) today announced a national service that provides consumers with search capabilities to help find a deceased person’s lost life insurance policies and annuities.

The NAIC’s Life Insurance Policy Locator provides nationwide access for assistance with finding life insurance policies and annuities. An estimated $1 billion in benefits from life insurance policies are unclaimed, according to Consumer Reports. The new tool builds on the life insurance policy locator programs developed separately in a number of states before this launch.

“There are many people who don’t know where to begin when searching for a lost life insurance policy or annuity,” said DISB Commissioner Stephen C. Taylor. “The life insurance policy locator streamlines and simplifies the process for consumers and insurance companies.”

Consumer requests are encrypted and secured to maintain confidentiality. Participating insurers will compare submitted requests with available policyholder information and report all matches to state insurance departments through the locator. Companies will then contact beneficiaries or their authorized representatives.

In 2015, life insurers paid more than $74 billion in insurance policy benefits to consumers nationwide. Since 2010, state insurance regulators have investigated unclaimed life insurance benefits. To date, nearly 23 regulatory actions have resulted in returning more than $6.75 billion life insurance proceeds to U.S. consumers. In the District of Columbia, regulatory actions resulted in more than $18 million being returned to District residents.