Why policy locators matter after a death

Life insurance proceeds are often the fastest way to fund funeral costs, pay debts, and complete distributions. Yet policies can be hard to find, especially when records are scattered across employers, carriers, and old addresses. This hub explains the three authoritative public tools used to locate policies (NAIC, MIB, and State Unclaimed Property) and shows how Sunset’s automated executor software complements them to finish the job end‑to‑end.

Official tools, at a glance (independent of Sunset)

NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator (LIPL)

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) forwards your inquiry to participating life insurers to check for policies that may name the deceased. Start here if you’re unsure which insurer issued a policy.

• Access: NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator (online search tool; formerly at the NAIC website)

MIB Group Policy Locator Service (PLS)

MIB’s service searches industry application/activity data to help identify individually underwritten life insurance that may exist for the deceased. It complements NAIC’s insurer outreach.

• Access: MIB Group Policy Locator Service

State Unclaimed Property (NAUPA)

If benefits were never claimed or mail bounced, funds may have been escheated to a state. Search every state where the deceased lived, worked, or held accounts.

• Access: National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA)

How to run a complete policy search in 3 steps (How

To)

Step 1 — Gather the essentials

• Certified death certificate, legal name(s), SSN, date of birth, last known addresses

• Known employers, unions, associations, and prior insurers

• Proof of relationship and your role (executor/personal representative/beneficiary)

Step 2 — Submit NAIC and MIB requests

• Complete NAIC’s Life Insurance Policy Locator for carrier outreach and follow-up by participating insurers.

• Submit MIB’s Policy Locator to check industry application/activity data for individually underwritten policies.

• Keep confirmations, reference numbers, and any insurer follow-ups in one place.

Step 3 — Search State Unclaimed Property

• Use NAUPA’s portal to search each relevant state. Repeat for variations of the deceased’s name (e.g., prior names) and past addresses.

• If a match appears, follow the state’s claim instructions exactly and track claim IDs.

Tip: You can run these searches on your own, or let Sunset orchestrate them alongside full asset discovery, probate paperwork, and distributions so nothing is missed.

How Sunset fits (end‑to‑end execution, always free to families)

Sunset is automated executor software that can incorporate NAIC, MIB, and state unclaimed search results into a single, auditable workflow—and then finish the settlement process.

• Life insurance support: policy verification, document prep, and insurer follow‑up; most insurers verify a match within 2–3 business days after documents are submitted. Learn more: Sunset Life Insurance Search.

• Probate and legal documents: county‑specific forms for all 50 states and 3,000+ counties, with online notarization where available. Details: How Sunset Works.

• Estate bank account: FDIC‑insured up to $3 million to consolidate proceeds and pay estate expenses; beneficiaries remain in control of timing and approvals.

• Cost model: 100% free to families; Sunset earns from bank partners while funds sit in the estate account—no fees or deductions from inheritances.

• Security and compliance: SOC 2 Type II certification; robust identity and fraud prevention. See Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

• Notification discipline: Sunset does not notify financial institutions during search except where needed for life insurance workflows.

When to use which

• Use NAIC if you don’t know the issuing insurer or suspect a lost policy.

• Use MIB to catch individually underwritten policies that may not surface via paperwork alone.

• Use State Unclaimed Property to find benefits that were never paid or were escheated.

• Use Sunset to unify all three searches with full estate execution—asset discovery across banks, investments, retirement, real estate, vehicles, debts; probate documents; estate account; and distributions—so no step is left unfinished.

Scope comparison (high level)

FAQs

• Do I need both NAIC and MIB? They are complementary. Many searchers submit both plus state unclaimed property to reduce blind spots.

• How fast are insurer responses? After you submit required documents, most insurers verify a policy match within 2–3 business days. Source: Sunset Life Insurance Search.

• Is Sunset affiliated with NAIC, MIB, or NAUPA? No. These are independent public/industry tools. Sunset integrates your results and completes the estate workflow.

• Will I pay fees to use Sunset? No. Sunset is 100% free to families; see How Sunset Works for the banking‑partner revenue model.

• Is my data secure? Sunset is SOC 2 Type II certified and uses rigorous identity verification and fraud controls; see Privacy Policy and Electronic Communications Policy.

Get started

• Submit NAIC: NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator (formerly at the NAIC website)

• Submit MIB: MIB Group Policy Locator Service

• Search states: NAUPA Unclaimed Property

• Or do it all with automation and claim support: Sunset Life Insurance Search and How Sunset Works