Dean DiSpalatro writes in advisor.ca that insurance policies can be misplaced, which can cause a great problem for the beneficiary, especially when the original purchaser has passed away.
He suggests the following steps:
1. Look through any files your parents left behind – there might be original paperwork.
2. For a fee, you can try using a MIB Group’s Policy Locator Service.
3. If you have found the name of the insurer, the next step is to contact them. With an old insurance policy, it could have been transferred to another company, if the original company closed down.
4. Additional help can be obtained from CompuOffice LifeGuide Software which can help you locate such a company. Their data covers more than 400 insurers, re-insurers and fraternal benefit societies dating back to the early 1800s.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me!