Tip - Claiming Life Insurance Benefits

A beneficiary must file a claim before receiving any benefits from a life insurance policy. To locate all policies, contact your agent or your spouse's or family member's employers for policies they may have issued. In each case, you'll have to notify the insurance company that the policyholder has died. You start the claims process by filling out and signing a claimant's statement and providing a certified copy of the death certificate. Claims are usually paid quickly, most often as lump-sum payments.