We all have that dream of getting notification of a sudden financial windfall. It's been the stuff that Hollywood movies have been made on for years but it's not really fiction. It can happen and best of all if you live in the state of Louisiana it could happen to you.

Louisiana State Treasurer John Kennedy told reporters with the Louisiana Radio Network that his office is looking to find a home some $35 million in unpaid life insurance benefits. These benefits usually come about because those that are listed as beneficiaries are not aware there was even a policy in which they were named.

We have found 600 instances in which the deceased beneficiary was not paid and we've made the life insurance companies turn that money over to us.

How did the amount get to be so large? Well despite what you've heard about "good neighbors", "good hands","pieces of the rock", and "meeting life" the insurance companies don't feel the need to actually pursue the beneficiaries of their policy holders once they have died. Can you believe some of these companies actually choose to hold on to the money that is owed to someone else? I know I was just as shocked as you are.

Secretary Kennedy told reporters that because of the audits his office has been doing since 2009 almost $2.6 million has been returned to the rightful heirs of the deceased. Sometimes the amount returned is small other times it can be quite large.

We've returned on average about $80,000, usually to widows.  We did one the other day, I think it was in Houma, an elderly widow, we returned about $81,000 to her.

How can you check and see if you're owed any money from a long lost relative or friend that named you as beneficiary in their life insurance policy? You just need to visit the State Treasurers website and put in your information.  There could be a financial windfall waiting for you at the click of mouse.

 

 

 

More From 99.9 KTDY