With most insurance policies, you are asked to list both primary and secondary beneficiary(ies). If your primary beneficiary(ies) dies or cannot be located, benefits are paid to your secondary beneficiary(ies) in the same manner. If there are no such beneficiaries, then typically it defaults to a widow or widower; then to a child or children; next to parents; to the executor or administrator of your estate; and finally next of kin as determined under the laws of the State where you lived. Some form of court proceedings will probably take place. It is important that you keep your designated beneficiaries' addresses current. Failure to do so could mean that your beneficiary cannot be located and therefore benefits will not be paid to that person.
You should contact the legal department of the insurance company and ask for its advice. The company may initiate a search for the beneficiary with the resources at its disposal.
Not if they found out.
This would be very tricky and probably involve legal issues. A "new form" found after death changing beneficiary would always bring about suspicions. Did the owner intend to change the policy or not? They did not complete the transaction by filing the change with the insurance carrier. It is my opinion that the court would rule in favor of the beneficiary currently listed on the policy at the time of death. You could never prove the intent of the policy owner to change the beneficiary if they did not file the change of beneficiary form which is a very easy process to do.
Normally, when one buys an insurance policy a primary beneficiary is designated, as is a "contingent" beneficiary. The latter is second in line to get the proceeds if the primary beneficiary predeceases the insured and the insured does not name a new primary beneficiary. Another circumstance for the contingent beneficiary to get the proceeds is when the primary beneficiary cannot be found. The beneficiary designation(s) on the policy may also provide in addition to, or instead of, a contingent beneficiary that the proceeds get paid to the estate of the deceased insured. If that is the case, the proceeds become a part of the cash assets of the estate and are distributed to heirs in accordance with the Will. If there is no Will, the estate is distributed according to the laws of descent and distribution of the state in which the insured died. If none of the foregoing applies, and after having made a diligent search for the beneficiary(ies), the insurer pays the proceeds to the unclaimed property authorities of the state in which the insured last lived. This is a government agency, or bureau within an agency, and is often annexed to a department of insurance or the chief financial officer of the state. There exists a national organization of unclaimed property offices.
If you have "Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist" coverage on your policy, then your insurance will cover it at no cost to you.
We need to check about who took over National Burial Ins. Co. We need to check about a burial policy on my dad. My dad passed in April 09. We have just now found the key to his fire proof box with this policy. The papers we have found also states my mother had a policy, she passed in 2005. I need to know who I should contact to cash in this policy. Thanks you for your assistance. Suealan.1@comcast.net
If the primary or secondary beneficiaries cannot be located, and there is no residuary clause (the safety net), then it is as if there were no will at all, and the local laws of intestacy would apply. If none of the relatives listed (spouse, children, parents, grandparents, cousins, etc) can be found, or if they have pre-deceased the testator, then the estate escheats to the state treasury. This could take years; making certain nobody else can be found.
Nope. They purchased it when they had the ability to contract and they determine the beneficiaries. You can always purchase your own life insurance with your own money and name your own beneficiaries.
Not enough information is disclosed in order to offer an answer. Was the company ever notified of the insured's death? Who has been paying the premiums for this policy for the past 17 years? Are you sure it hasn't lapsed? What were the original terms of the policy? Too many un-answered questions - you really need to contact the insurance company for assistance.
It might be and most likely is. You found the policy, contact the claims department of the carrying insurance company.
That depends upon the type of policy it is. Term insurance has no value once the term expires. Whole life insurance has value, and can be cashed in. Read the terms of the policy. Given that the policy in question was found, and therefore was probably forgotten before it was found, I doubt that is has value - but check and see.
The specific terms of the insurance contract need to be followed. If it addresses what happens if the beneficiary is deceased, (most due as part of the template...gotta read it). It normally says it reverts to the owner (which is frequently but certainly not always the same as the insured), which in this case means his estate. His estate is divided according to his will, or the laws of decent of the State he died in. If it isn't addressed at all, that doesn't mean someone else just steps in - it would actually go to the heirs of the now deceased beneficiary.