There is a stress, anger and sadness after the death of a loved one. Often the finance paperwork such as an insurance policy, has been misplaced or hidden. If so, it can be difficult to find out who to contact in order to make a claim or send a death certificate. The below will help you to locate the life insurance policy information:

• Contact the previous employers for records. The employer may have issued a group life insurance policy, and the insured may haveconverted it to a private policy later. They also may have kept this info in case of an emergency.
• Contact the life insurance broker, who is often was a coworker, family member or a friend. Someone the insured trusted.
• Go through bank statements and canceled checks. You may have to order these and there could be a cost, as well as proof that you are entitled to the info. If you recognize an insurance company name, contact them, contact us, or google the name and see who they were sold to. Insurance companies are constantly merging, spinning off, changing brands, etc.
• Go through letters, bills or other financial communications. You might find a policy renewal letter or statements.
• For $75, you can search MIB to see if the deceased made an application for life insurance. Download MIB's form, pay and they will search over 170 million records representing submisions for individually underwritten life insurance applications processed the last 14 years. Customers using the Policy Locator Service experience response rates of nearly 30%, even finding multiple applications.
• Contact the department of insurance in the insured's state to see if they bought insurance or have records of their insurance policies. The DOI may be able to can look these policies up with your relative's name, Social Security number and date of birth.
• Go to the NAIC Life Insurance Company Location System and follow the prompts. They will show you who to contact at which department of insurance.

Warning: If you try and access your relative's personal financial records without legal permission, you could face criminal charges and a privacy lawsuit.