Every day I get calls of distress because some insurance carrier has 
changed its name, 
been bought out, 
gone out of business, 
or has lost its license.  

In many cases these companies go right on charging your account for the premiums, but somehow fail to keep you updated on THEIR current address.  That's a strange way of doing business, but seems to be standard operating procedure.

.  

Then when YOU want to collect, or your heirs are in need of the financial assistance you have bought and paid for -- you are left wondering 
WHERE IS THAT COMPANY THAT LOST ME?  
Who has it now?  
How much of my money is available?  
When can I get it?

Click HERE for the answer to THESE questions.

Click on the questions below for those answers

Do you have a health insurance 
contract complaint?

Do you Need Advice
on finding an old life policy?

Does an old life policy
still owe money to you?

One widow didn't even realize she had anything coming until she wrote to the insurance company to ask if she could quit paying the premiums now; since her husband had died there was no need for further coverage.

When The Is
NO POLICY!

 Are you looking through the records of a deceased friend or relative for their life insurance policy?  Are you sure there was a policy, or not sure you have ALL the policies?  

I'm sorry to say about the only way of finding out is to keep working on the records left behind. Also, keep a sharp eye out for NEW letters from insurance companies, especially any bills. Contact close relatives and friends and ask if your parents (or loved ones) ever made any references to insurance. 

Next,  try to discover WHERE your friend or relative was finding these insurance companies, for example, mail order solicitations, magazines, fraternal organizations, television ads, phone solicitations, then write or call companies doing similar solicitations.  One isolating criteria would be the relative size you think the policy would be.  Low income, I would suggest going through the companies listed at our LOST page.  If the income level was such that a policy of $100,000 or more is expected, then scoot over to the stable carriers.  If we are talking over $250,000 then you would start with the very top companies in the business.    What do I mean by start?  I mean:  START CALLING.  All you need is the name and a social security number that goes with it and you have unlocked the vault to knowledge, and the rest is easy.

One more caution:  Carriers expect their premiums to keep coming in.  If those premiums stop, heirs may well lose all rights to a settlement.  Now, the good news is that most companies will write to find out WHY the premiums are no longer being paid.  So again, Go through those bills.  

Check with the deceased's banker, or the home insurer, to see if a life policy was mentioned to them, or better yet, see if it was listed as an asset.

Check with the former employer to see if perhaps there was group life insurance benefits to be collected.

Check the deceased's bank books and canceled checks for the last few years to see if any checks may have been written to pay life insurance premiums.

Go through any left over mail for a year after death for premium notices, which usually are sent annually. Naturally, if a policy has been paid up, there won't be any notice of premium payments due. However, the company may still send an annual notice regarding the status of the policy or it may pay or send notice of a dividend.

Review the income tax returns for the past two years looking for interest income from and interest expenses paid to life insurance companies.

Go through the yellow pages looking for insurance companies which have been marked.

Please note:  The best advice I can give for finding an OLD insurance company or old policy is still to contact the state insurance commissioner of origin... on my Resources page.  Why? because after (from two to seven) years the insurance company will turn over any monies due to the heirs to the state that person lived in, and you CAN STILL CLAIM THE MONEY -- if you can prove you are an heir!

What do you say to a company 
(after you find it) 
that may owe you money?

Dear (Insurance Company) My name is Barbara D and my email address is Gabbiebucks@aol.com My parents gave me an "Infantile Twenty-year Endowment policy" they have had for me since 1958. Could you could put me in touch with the department I should begin talking to, or even give me a web site to start off looking in?
I sure would be ever so very grateful. 
Thank you 
Barbara D 

What happens to life insurance benefits that go unclaimed? Life Insurance companies will not pay benefits until they are notified of the death and a claim is made. It is estimated that more than 25% of all policy benefits go unpaid upon the death of the insured.

Don't suffer in silence 
Don't buy insurance uninformed.

"I need advice on dealing with an insurance company that is not representing me as the contract stipulates," has been a request thrown at me fairly often.

Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization that serves as an active liaison between the patient and their insurer, employer and/or creditors to resolve insurance, job discrimination and/or debt crisis matters relative to their diagnosis through case managers, doctors and attorneys. 

I (Marleen K. Roberts) am not a lawyer; my advice doesn't cost 2¢ and is worth less than 90% of that amount on the open market.  Furthermore, all my own suggestions below are predicated on an assumption that you are one of the good guys in a white cap, not one of those still strapped up in a white strait jacket.

First, file an official complaint with your state insurance commissioner. Click HERE for the page where the address and phone number is found.  Hint:  Near the bottom.  Hint 2:  Insurance regulators are bound by law to investigate all consumer complaints that fall under their jurisdiction.

Second: Write some good op-ed articles on the subject for publication on your statewide papers.  Hint:  Op-Eds are simply letters to the editors.

Third, get your state district attorney involved, complaining about the treatment given to you, and (if necessary) about the lack of action on the part of the state insurance commissioner. That last effort works best if they are of different political persuasions.

Fourth, invite all of your friends to write the company with one of two messages: a) "I'm canceling my policy because of the way you have treated Joy in this situation." 
or, b) "I'm sure glad I didn't listen to Joy when s/he suggested that I sign up for protection with your company." 

Either way, add that the (writer of the letter) fully intends to make all acquaintances well aware of the conduct of said company.

Fifth, go to the FREE ADVERTISING opportunities. Use them to post ads all over the web and tell your side of the affair.

Sixth, get on the newsgroups and use your signature file to assure the whole wide world that you are willing to give your testimony to anyone else needing to address bad treatment from said company.

Seventh,  Start a massive class action lawsuit that asks the courts to force the insurer to repay all the money they have gained from their obscene practices.

Eighth ASK everyone you talk to how you can persecute this company or embarrass them any further.