1Policy One
The Promise Nobody Can Claim
A Policy They Don't Know About Pays Nothing
Brooks Stahlnecker
"Here's something that genuinely keeps me up at night: billions of dollars in life insurance benefits go unclaimed because families never knew the policy existed. The money was sitting there, paid for, meant for them — and it never got claimed because nobody knew to ask."
"Life insurance is a promise to take care of the people you love when you're gone. But it's a promise they have to claim. If your spouse doesn't know which company holds the policy, what it's worth, or how to file — that promise can quietly evaporate. So we inventory every policy, down to the agent's phone number."
This module builds your life insurance inventory — every policy, its coverage, beneficiaries, and contacts — and does a quick check of whether your total coverage roughly fits your family's need.
Insurance is a promise. Make sure it can be claimed.
What to Capture
Know Your Coverage
Tap each card.
Don't forget the easy-to-miss ones: individual policies you bought, group coverage through your employer, coverage attached to a mortgage or loan, and policies from a union or association. People often have more coverage than they remember — and some they've completely forgotten.
For each policy: the insurance company, the type (term, whole, universal), the face amount (the death benefit), the beneficiary, and the agent or contact. Note where the policy document is kept — your family needs the policy number to file, and that's on the document.
A common rule of thumb is coverage roughly equal to 10× your income, plus enough to clear major debts and final expenses — but your real number depends on your situation. Life changes (a new child, a paid-off mortgage, grown kids) can leave you over- or under-insured. Reviewing it is part of the drill.
Your Workbook
Policy Inventory
List each policy. Enter the face amount as a number so we can total your coverage. Saves automatically and privately.
2Policy Two
Quick Coverage Check
A rough gauge of need vs. what you have
Total Coverage You Listed
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Rough Coverage Guideline
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Enter your policies and income for a rough comparison.
The guideline (10× income + debts) is a starting point only, not advice. Your real need depends on your family, savings, and goals — a fiduciary can model it precisely.
Think Fast
The Drill
One coverage call.
What Would You Do?
You have a solid life insurance policy through your employer and figure that's your coverage handled. You're thinking about changing jobs next year. Any concern?
Hands-On Drill
Coverage Checklist
Check off each item once confirmed. Open boxes are follow-ups.
- All policies inventoriedIndividual, group, mortgage, and association coverage
- Beneficiaries confirmed currentOn every policy (we'll audit these in Module 10)
- Face amounts knownYou know what each policy actually pays
- Agent / contact recordedSo a claim can actually be filed
- Coverage roughly fits the needNot badly over- or under-insured
- Your family knows the policies existAnd where to find them
Coverage drill: 0 of 6 complete
Brooks Stahlnecker
"The single most important thing here isn't the dollar amount — it's that your spouse can name the company and find the policy. Tell them tonight: 'If anything ever happens to me, here are our life insurance policies and here's how to claim them.' That one conversation makes the whole promise real."
Knowledge Check
Run the Insurance Drill
1. A major reason life insurance benefits go unclaimed is:
Benefits must be claimed. If no one knows a policy exists or how to file, the money can sit unclaimed — which is exactly what the inventory prevents.
2. Employer group life insurance typically:
Group coverage usually isn't portable. If your family relies on it, an individual policy you own provides protection independent of any job.
3. The "face amount" of a policy is:
Face amount = the death benefit. Knowing it for each policy tells you your true total coverage.
4. The most valuable outcome of this module is that:
A documented, findable inventory turns the promise of life insurance into something your family can actually collect.
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✍️ Your Drill Notes
Did your coverage check surprise you — too little, too much, or about right? And who needs to be told these policies exist?
The Promise Is Documented
Every policy is inventoried and claimable. Next, we capture your retirement and investment accounts.
Make the promise claimable. — Let's Start the Conversation.