AboutLee Horner Expertise Our practice focuses on final event planning and impaired risk life insurance for those age 50 to 84; our companies can underwrite anyone so long as they're not in a medical facility. I do not answer questions about stock markets, mutual funds nor variable life contracts. I will advise you of your options and make recommendations as appropriate. Questions regarding USA residents only. Let me know as much as you can about your situation for best results. If in doubt, ask anyway. If I don't have the answer, chances are I can point you in the right direction and am happy to do so.
Experience Estate Planning Attorney since 1985; practicing in California and Arizona, and independent life insurance agent specializing in the senior market and also tax free retirement planning.
Organizations AHEPA and Freedom Equity Group
Publications Stop Sitting on your Assets, paperback version (co-author).
Education/Credentials BBA in Business Management from Univ of New Mexico; Juris Doctorate in Law, Lincoln Law School of Sacramento, CA; admitted to practice before the Ninth Circuit court of appeals, and all courts in Arizona and California.
Awards and Honors Graduated in the top 5 of my law school class.
Question What options are available to the family where an insured dies, but the survivors have no details regarding the life insurance policy. All they know is that there was a policy in force, but no idea with what company, for how much, who the agent was, etc. My only thoughts are to pour through bank records for poremiums payments or wait up to 12 months for the annual privacy disclosure (assuming the company has the correct address). You can't just call up a company and say "Hey, my Grandfather died. Did he have coverage with you?", can you?
Answer Good question Michael. It is a detective game and the starting point is as you suggest bank records; also is mail to the decedent's address being forwarded to a family member? If the premium notices are sent in the mail that would help but it may be a paid up policy. You can call any ins co and with the d/o/b and ssn of the decedent inquire whether they have an active policy, nothing wrong with that. Try former employer group providers that may have converted; the agent that insures the home & or car; New England Financial as they bought Met Life that did a lot of door to door business; then I'd start calling the biggies, State Farm, Farmers, Prudential, NY Life, you can google life companies and get pretty much all of the companies in the US this way; and most if not all have an on line ability to contact them.
You might want to contact the Medical Information Bureau in Boston as they're a central clearing house for insurance company medical records, and see if they will release any info to you of company identities that reported anything on the decedent.
In fact, try the MIB first. They claim to keep records back only 20 years but I understand they keep records longer than that.
