How do I report a death to the life insurance company?

It may come as a surprise, but insurance companies report that one of the common ways they find out that an insured person has passed away is when they stop receiving regular premium payments. The situation is much smoother when a family member of the deceased is able to contact the insurance company directly, which in turn speeds the settlement process to a conclusion so that the survivors can carry on without further intrusion from the insurer.

The best place to start may be with the designated funeral director. They can help you get copies of the death certificate and assist you with other forms the insurance may require. They will also be able to assist with planning the funeral, taking some of the worry out of the situation and allowing you to cope with other aspects.

With a copy of the death certificate in hand, contact your life insurance company. The company will then provide you with any additional life insurance claims forms they need to have filled out. If the proceeds of the policy pay to the deceased person's estate, you may need to contact the executor of the estate to help with the necessary forms. In most cases, there will not be additional information required, but some companies or causes of death may require additional investigation or documentation.

The death certificate and life insurance claim form are typically the only information required for the insurance company to begin the settlement process. Once they have verified the information and that you are the executor or beneficiary of the policy, a settlement should made relatively quickly. In many cases, the life insurance claim can be partially settled within a matter of days and full settlement generally completes within 30 days.