This could be a Mississippian’s ticket to a financial windfall. How to find the money

Mississippi residents might be missing out on major money that they can find through a national website.

Almost 1,700 Mississippians located a total of $37 million last year through the Life Insurance Policy Locator, the Mississippi Insurance Department says in a news release. Since the association started the program in 2016, more than $135 million has been located for Mississippians.

The tool is free and is maintained by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

“Each year, millions of dollars in life insurance benefits go unclaimed by beneficiaries who can’t find their loved ones’ policies or in some cases may not even know the policies exist,” the state Insurance Department says in the release.

The national association’s website shows that users can put in their name, address and personal details about the deceased, including Social Security number. The information is encrypted. The user receives an email confirming their information was received.

Life insurance companies access the information and contact only those beneficiaries of unclaimed policies.

Mississippians who need assistance locating a policy can contact the state Insurance Department at 601-359-2453 or through the email address consumer@mid.ms.gov.