# The Insurance Module

The FIRM Guide (thefirmguide.com) — companion to The Recoverable Family.
Fill this in privately (any text editor or by hand), then store it in your Vault.


## Secure Guide Starter Template — Insurance

> This template belongs in The Secure Guide, stored within The Vault. It documents policy details, beneficiary designations, and access to policy documents. Login credentials for insurance portals belong in the password manager.

A life insurance policy that cannot be found is not paid out. Carriers are not required to notify beneficiaries, and billions in benefits go unclaimed every year — not because families were ineligible, but because they did not know to file. This Module is not advice on what to buy; it makes every policy findable and actionable. And the recurring theme from the Financial Accounts Module applies with full force: life insurance and annuities pass OUTSIDE the will — the beneficiary form on file with the carrier controls, regardless of what the will says. The one-line entry “beneficiary confirmed as [name] on [date]” takes thirty seconds and is the cheapest estate correction available.

Three habits turn this documentation into fraud defense. Know each carrier's legitimate change-and-claim procedure while documenting the policy — knowing the real path is what makes a shortcut request recognizable as fraud. Treat the annual beneficiary review as a fraud check as well as a currency check — it is the mechanism that catches a change the family did not make. And give carrier notices the callback treatment: a “policy lapse,” “premium problem,” or “claims requirement” — however accurate its details — is verified by calling the carrier at the number on the policy documents, never the contact the notice supplies.

### Policy Inventory

> Every policy: life, health, homeowners or renters, auto, disability, long-term care, umbrella, specialty. Not sure what you hold? Recurring premiums on the bank statements will tell you, and the agent can pull a summary.

- Policy Type: 

- Carrier Name: 

- Policy Number: 

- Coverage Amount or Limits: 

- Annual Premium: 

- Premium Due Date: 

- Autopay?: 

- Agent Name and Contact: 

- Policy Document Location: 

- Online Portal Login Location: 

- Beneficiary (if applicable): 

- Beneficiary Last Reviewed: 

- Notes: 

> Complete one entry per policy. Repeat as needed.

### Scheduled Personal Property and Specialty Coverage — endorsements or standalone policies covering items of specific value (jewelry, art, collectibles, instruments). Appraisal records live in the Other Assets Module — the same appraisals should drive these coverage limits. Note which value each policy uses: insurance is written at replacement value; estate valuation uses fair market value — for collectibles the two can diverge significantly.
| Item or Category | Carrier | Policy or Endorsement Number | Coverage Amount | Appraisal on File? | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |
|   |   |   |   |   |   |

### Cash Value Policies and Annuities

> Whole life, universal life, annuities — assets as well as coverage. A decades-old policy can hold surrender value nobody thinks of as money; make sure the CFP®, the Financial Accounts map, and the estate plan all know it exists.

- Policy or Contract Type: 

- Carrier Name: 

- Policy or Contract Number: 

- Approximate Cash Value: 

- Beneficiary: 

- Beneficiary Last Reviewed: 

- Surrender Charges or Restrictions: 

- Policy Document Location: 

- Notes: 

> Whole life, universal life, and annuity contracts carry cash surrender value and named beneficiaries, making them assets as well as coverage instruments. Ensure they are reflected in your estate planning.

- Tags: 


## Family Guide Starter Template — Insurance

> This template belongs in The Family Guide. It provides enough information for a family member or executor to locate policies, contact carriers, and file claims — without exposing policy numbers or financial details.

> In the matching Secure Guide section: per-policy detail — limits, premiums, beneficiaries with review dates.
>
> That detail is what makes recovery possible — and it is protected in the Vault, which opens with The Vault Key. The key is never written here, by design. The people listed on this page know how it is kept, and the steward's job is to keep that path current, so this page never leads to a locked door.

> Full policy documents and account details are in The Secure Guide. Contact our insurance agent before canceling, modifying, or filing a claim on any policy.

### Insurance Policies — Summary
| Policy Type | Carrier | Agent Name | Agent Phone |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
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### Primary Insurance Agent

- Name: 

- Firm: 

- Phone: 

- Email: 

- Policies Managed: 

> If you need to file a claim: (1) Locate the relevant policy in The Secure Guide for the policy number and carrier contact information. (2) Contact the carrier's claims line directly — your agent can assist if you are unsure of the process. (3) For life insurance claims, you will need a certified copy of the death certificate; the estate attorney can advise. (4) Do not cancel any policy until you have confirmed with the estate attorney that it is appropriate to do so.

> Any notice about a lapse, a premium problem, or a claims requirement — by phone, mail, or message, however accurate its details — gets verified by calling the carrier at the number on the policy documents or the agent on this page. Never the contact the notice supplies.

### Additional Guidance