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Life insurance. Look after your policy documents. Page 2

Author: Emma Mayo

If that doesn't work - call the Mutual Societies Registration on 020 7066 4916.

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The old Register of Friendly Societies, they are a government body that has now been swallowed up by the Financial Services Authority, but they will be able to tell you what happened to the company that used to hold your policy, and who you should now contact.

If you don't even have the name of the company, but you know that you have a life policy out there somewhere - then even then all is not lost. There is a service called the Unclaimed Assets Register ( www.uar.co.uk , 0870 241 1713) that can help you. They have a huge database containing details of financial products across the board, from dividends and unit trusts to pensions and life policies. If it's a basic enquiry, then the service may be free of charge; otherwise they charge a one-off, fixed charge of £18.50 to find an answer to your query. 10% of that fee goes to charity. You can make the enquiry either over the Internet or by post, and you will need to provide a certain amount of detail such as date of birth and previous addresses.

In making any of these enquiries incidentally, you must either be the policyholder or have power of attorney over another's finances.

In an ideal world, everyone would keep all their financial documentation in one place. But the very nature of a life policy means that they sit around for years and often get forgotten. Our advice is, whether you are the policyholder or if you have power of attorney, find as much information as you can before starting your search. And don't give up - the information is accessible, it may cost you just a bit of time and effort, and possibly £18.50, to find it.

Did you Know?
When looking for low mortgage rates you're sure to face the decision between choosing a cheap rate or a higher rate mortgage but which has very low, or no up front costs.

Everyone has seen mortgages advertised with incredibly low interest rates on both the Internet and in the national press. Experience has shown the mortgage lenders that it's a low headline interest rate that pulls in the borrowers. The problem is that these ultra low rates force them to replenish their profits in other ways. A common solution is high arrangement fee.

Arrangement fee are charged to supposedly cover the cost of managing the mortgage application and reserving the advance. These fees can normally be rolled in with the mortgage advance but some lenders require them to be paid in up front. And the fees do vary enormously, not only between lenders but even between mortgage products marketed by the same lender. So keep your eyes skinned!

Did you know?
Buying your car insurance policy online guarantees you the best deals. That's why 53% of all car insurance is now bought online. And when it comes to renewal time, shop around the Internet again! Please don't accept a renewal notice automatically without first checking out prices on the ‘net – there's a good chance that you can still get it cheaper!

Did you know?
53% of all car insurance is now bought online. That's because buying online car insurance helps you find the best deals. And it's important to remember that when it comes to renewal time, you need to shop around the Internet again! Don't automatically accept a renewal notice without checking out prices first – you may still get it cheaper!

Did you Know?
The words term assurance are used by many people when what they really want is term insurance, more commonly known as life insurance.

There is no investment element within life insurance and so there's no payout if the policy reaches its termination date. A life insurance policy only pays out if the policyholder were to die (or become terminally ill and death is anticipated within 12 months of diagnosis – other conditions may apply), before the policy's termination date.