What is an insurance policy search?

An insurance policy search is conducted when the policyholder is deceased, to see if any unclaimed benefits exist in his name, notes Consumer Reports. Examples of insurance providers that offer to perform insurance searches for beneficiaries and deceased policyholders, as of 2015, include AIG, Prudential, Nationwide and John Hancock.

Missingmoney.com is an online site of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators that can be used to search for unclaimed benefits in 38 states, the District of Columbia and Canadian provinces, according to Consumer Reports. Users need to prove their claims, typically with death certificates and claim forms. Those who have the ability to do so can check the deceased individual's premium payment records and insurance bills.