Life insurance benefits are not paid automatically. If you are the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, you must file a claim in order to receive any money. Often, this is as simple as contacting your insurance agent and the deceased’s employer and filling out some paperwork. You will need to provide each insurance company with a certified copy of the death certificate.

However, if this is the only step you take, you may be missing out on other life insurance benefits to which you are entitled if you fail to locate all of the life insurance benefits that the deceased was entitled to. If you spend time uncovering these hidden policies, you may end up with a great deal more money from life insurance than you expected. If you missed part one of this article you can read it here.

Credit life insurance

Banks and finance companies routinely offer credit life insurance when someone takes out a loan or is issued a line of credit. This insurance will pay off the outstanding balance of a loan or account if the insured individual dies. A few extra dollars are added to the monthly loan payments to pay the premiums. Because this type of policy is so profitable for the bank or finance company, most institutions try to sell it when someone finances a purchase or signs up for a line of credit, and occasionally they add it to a contract before the individual signs the contract. So, it’s likely that you won’t find out that your spouse or family member owned such a policy unless you check with credit card companies, banks, or any lenders to whom your spouse or family member owed money at the time of his or her death.

How do you file a life insurance benefit claim?

  • Notify the insurance company that the policyholder has died: You should contact the insurance company as soon as possible. Call the policyholder services department directly. Or, if the life insurance policy was issued through an agent or an employer, ask them to notify the company for you to begin the claims process.
  • File a claim form: You’ll begin the claims process by filling out and signing a claimant’s statement, and then attaching to it an original or certified copy of the policyholder’s death certificate. If you are too distraught to fill out the form yourself, your insurance agent may fill it out for you, although you’ll still have to sign it. If another beneficiary is named on the policy, that person must also fill out a claim form. You may also have to fill out IRS Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification), which will enable the insurance company to notify the IRS of any interest it has paid to you on the value of the policy. To expedite your claim, follow the insurance company’s instructions carefully.
  • Wait for the company to process the claim: Life insurance claims are usually paid quickly, often within a few days. First, however, the insurance company will ensure that you are the beneficiary of the policy, that the policy is current and in force, and that all conditions of the policy have been met. This is usually a simple matter and does not delay the claims process. Claims are more often delayed because the insurance company has not received a valid death certificate. The insurance company also has a right to contest (and perhaps deny) a claim if the insured died within two years following the purchase of the policy and the insurance company believes that there was fraud or a material misstatement made on the application.

How should you receive the life insurance proceeds?

Life insurance proceeds are often paid as lump-sum cash payments. Most people elect this form of payment because it enables them to control how the insurance money is invested or spent. In addition, if you elect to receive a lump-sum payment, you will not owe income tax on the life insurance proceeds.

Another way of receiving the proceeds of a life insurance policy is through a settlement option. Many types of settlement options are available for a beneficiary who is unable or unwilling to manage a lump sum of cash. Either the policyowner chooses the settlement option at the time he or she purchases the policy, or the beneficiary chooses the option at the time the benefit becomes payable (unless the policyowner had chosen an irrevocable option). You will find the available settlement options in the insurance policy.

Note: Some settlement option choices, such as payment as a life annuity, are irreversible. It may be best to take a lump-sum cash payment, put the money in the bank, and contact a qualified financial advisor.