We're sorry. There's no good time to deal with paperwork, and this is one of the worst. Here's exactly what happens, in the order it happens, and what we'll handle for you.
Call (386) 999-1534 and we'll walk you through it. You don't have to work this out alone.
Nothing here is urgent today. There's no deadline in the first days, and no benefit is lost by taking a week. Look after yourself and the people around you first — this will still be here.
Four things, and we do most of them with you.
One phone call or email. You don't need the policy number, the paperwork, or anything else to start. We'll find the policy.
Order several — usually five to ten. The funeral home normally arranges these. Each carrier and bank will want their own certified copy, and getting more later is slower.
We complete the carrier's forms with you and submit them. Each beneficiary usually signs their own form.
Once they have everything, life insurance claims are often paid within a few weeks. We chase them so you don't have to.
Bring what you have. Missing pieces are normal and we can usually track them down.
Before closing accounts or cancelling policies, let us look first. Some policies have benefits that are easy to lose by accident — and an annuity may have a death benefit or a continuation option for a surviving spouse that's worth more than cashing it out.
Once the carrier has a complete claim, life insurance is commonly paid within a few weeks. It can take longer if the policy was recently issued, if the death occurred outside the country, or if the paperwork is incomplete. We'll tell you honestly where yours sits rather than guessing.
Life insurance death benefits are generally not subject to federal income tax for beneficiaries. Annuity death benefits are treated differently and some of it can be taxable. Estate tax is a separate question again. We'll tell you what we know and where you need a tax professional — and we'll say plainly when it's the latter.
Common, and solvable. We can search the carriers we work with. There are also national policy locator services run by the NAIC and by state insurance departments. Bank statements showing regular premium payments are often the fastest clue.
The benefit usually passes to any contingent beneficiary named on the policy. If there isn't one, it typically goes to the estate, which means probate and a slower process. This is exactly why beneficiary designations are worth reviewing while everyone is alive.
Usually not, for a straightforward claim with a named beneficiary. You may want one if the estate is the beneficiary, if there's a dispute, or if the wider estate is complicated. We'll say when we think you need advice we can't give.
Yes. Call us anyway. We can usually tell you who to contact and what to ask for, even where we earn nothing from it. It costs us a phone call and it's the right thing to do.
No forms to fill in first, no policy number needed. One phone call and we'll start finding out what's there.
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