Life can change in an instant and when it does, your life insurance and estate planning documents should reflect those changes.
At Hermann Sons Life, we want to remind all members how important it is to review your coverage and beneficiary designations regularly. Life-changing events such as a birth, marriage, divorce, or the loss of a loved one are all important times to make updates. Your life insurance is a vital tool to protect those you care about, but it’s only as effective as the information on file.
Insurance companies, including Hermann Sons Life, are required by law to pay benefits to the named beneficiary on a policy. Once a claim is submitted, we must honor the designation provided by the insured. That’s why it is so important to make sure your beneficiary choices truly reflect your current intentions.
Beyond life insurance, your final wishes should be clearly documented. Whether it’s your preference for funeral arrangements, financial matters, or guardianship of loved ones, your voice should be heard. We strongly encourage you to consult with an estate planning attorney to create or update a will, trust, directives, POAs, etc. to ensure your affairs are in order.
To help you with this process, Hermann Sons Life offers a free Estate Planning Organizer available online or as a printed booklet. This simple tool can make a world of difference to your loved ones during a difficult time.
Our team is always here to help. If you’d like to review your policies, update your beneficiaries, or request a printed copy of our FREE Estate Planning Organizer, please contact us. Your peace of mind matters to us and making your wishes clear is one of the best gifts you can give your family.
Reporting a claim:
We know losing a loved one can be a difficult and overwhelming experience and we want to make your part of that journey as easy as possible.
The first step is to let us know either by calling the Home Office during regular business hours, excluding holidays, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and select phone menu option 3 or via the Report a Member Death option on our website.
Our claims staff are here to help you during this difficult time and will guide you through the process.
Claims are smoothest and require the least amount of documentation when the insured has routinely kept their beneficiary designations up to date. If you are an insured/annuitant and would like to update your beneficiary designation to ensure a smooth claim process for your family, we encourage you to call our Home Office or visit the Contact Us section of our website for Self-Service Forms options.
While individual circumstances may vary, some of the types of items you will need to provide to complete the claim process are as follows:
If the beneficiary designation is current and listed as an individual(s): *
- One original, certified Death Certificate for the insured/annuitant.
- Original policy or a Lost Certificate Request Form as provided by our Home Office.
- Mailing address of where to send each check.
- Date of birth or social security number for each beneficiary.
If the beneficiary designation is current and listed a non-individual (*Estate, Trust, etc.): *
- One original, certified Death Certificate for the insured/annuitant.
- Original policy or a Lost Certificate Request Form as provided by our Home Office.
- Mailing address of where to send each check.
- Letters Testamentary/Administration (for Estate beneficiaries), Trust document and any amendments thereto (for trust beneficiaries), etc.
*Additional forms required for claims on annuities or if the beneficiary designation is not valid, for example a named beneficiary has passed away or a revocable trust has been dissolved. Other exceptions apply.
