Finding Bank, Retirement, and Life Insurance Accounts
Overview
When you sign up for Sunset, you'll specify which types of accounts you'd like us to search for - bank accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, or all of the above. We then run an in-depth discovery process across thousands of financial institutions and databases to locate accounts and assets belonging to the deceased.
Sunset uses the most comprehensive search methods available, combining database queries, credit bureau information, institutional outreach, and other discovery techniques to find accounts that families often don't know exist. While no search system is perfect, Sunset is the best tool available online for discovering financial accounts after a death.
What Types of Accounts Sunset Searches For
When you begin your search, you'll select which account types to include:
Bank Accounts:
Checking accounts
Savings accounts
Money market accounts
Certificates of deposit (CDs)
Accounts at national banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, etc.)
Regional and community banks
Credit unions
Online banks (Ally, Marcus, Discover, Capital One 360, etc.)
Retirement Accounts:
401(k) plans (current and former employers)
Traditional IRAs
Roth IRAs
SEP IRAs
SIMPLE IRAs
Pension plans
403(b) accounts (common for teachers and nonprofit employees)
457 plans (government employees)
Thrift Savings Plans (federal employees)
Annuities
Profit-sharing plans
Life Insurance Policies:
Term life insurance
Whole life insurance
Universal life insurance
Variable life insurance
Employer-provided group life insurance
Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) policies
Final expense insurance
Mortgage protection insurance
Policies from decades ago that may have been forgotten
You can search for all three types, or select only the categories most relevant to your situation.
How the Search Process Works
The discovery process varies by account type, with different timelines and methods:
Bank Account Discovery
Bank accounts can be found through multiple methods with varying timelines:
Instant results (within minutes to hours):
Accounts that appear in immediate credit bureau queries
Accounts with very recent activity
Major banks where the deceased had checking or savings accounts
Accounts linked to known addresses or Social Security Numbers
Example: Within an hour of verification completing, you might see results showing checking accounts at Chase and Wells Fargo that had recent activity.
Standard results (1-2 days):
Accounts requiring database cross-referencing
Credit union accounts
Smaller regional banks
Accounts with less recent activity
CDs or savings accounts without regular transactions
Example: Two days after your search begins, additional results appear showing a credit union savings account and a CD at a regional bank.
Extended bank search (optional, additional 3-5 days): For thorough discovery, Sunset can run an expanded bank search that:
Queries additional databases and sources
Contacts institutions directly for confirmation
Verifies account balances when approximate values were initially unclear
Searches for accounts at smaller institutions not in primary databases
Follows up on partial matches or uncertain results
This extended search finds accounts that might otherwise be missed and provides more complete information about accounts that were tentatively identified.
Example: The extended search discovers a forgotten savings account at a small community bank in a state where the deceased lived 20 years ago, plus confirms that the Wells Fargo account actually has two sub-accounts (checking and savings).
Retirement Account Discovery
Retirement accounts typically surface within a specific timeframe:
Standard timeline (1-2 days): Most retirement accounts are discovered within the first couple of days after verification completes. This includes:
Current employer 401(k) or 403(b) plans
IRA accounts at major financial institutions
Pension plans from known employers
Accounts at major investment firms (Fidelity, Vanguard, Charles Schwab, etc.)
The search queries retirement account databases, pension registries, and institutional records to identify these accounts.
What we find:
Account type (401(k), IRA, pension, etc.)
Institution holding the account
Approximate value (when available from databases)
Last known activity or contribution dates
Example: Sarah's father worked for three different companies during his career. Sunset discovered his current employer's 401(k) within hours, and within two days found an old 401(k) from a previous employer and an IRA he'd opened 15 years ago. The search located all three accounts without Sarah needing to contact each former employer individually.
Why retirement accounts are usually faster:
Retirement accounts are tracked in specialized registries
Most employers report 401(k) and pension data to central databases
IRAs are held at financial institutions already in our search scope
These accounts tend to have clearer data trails than other account types
Life Insurance Policy Discovery
Life insurance searches follow a unique process with variable timelines:
Important difference - Death notification required:
Unlike bank and retirement searches, searching for life insurance policies requires notifying insurance carriers of the death. This is because:
Insurance companies maintain a national database (MIB Group) that can only be queried when a death is reported
Carriers need death notification to begin checking their records
This is an industry requirement, not a Sunset policy
When you select life insurance in your search, you're authorizing Sunset to notify carriers of the death on your behalf as part of the discovery process.
Timeline for life insurance results:
Fast results (within hours to 1 day):
Policies that appear in immediate database queries
Large national carriers with automated systems
Recently active policies with current premiums
Employer-provided group life insurance (if employer information is known)
Example: Within 12 hours, results show a term life policy with Northwestern Mutual and a group life insurance policy through the deceased's employer.
Standard results (2-4 days):
Most individual life insurance policies
Policies from mid-sized insurance carriers
Whole life policies purchased years or decades ago
Policies where the carrier needs to manually search their records
Example: Three days after the search begins, additional results reveal a whole life policy purchased 25 years ago with a smaller regional insurance company that the family had completely forgotten about.
Slower results (1-2 weeks):
Some insurance carriers have slower response times
Very old policies requiring deep archive searches
Policies from carriers that have been acquired or merged with other companies
Policies where the deceased's information needs manual verification by the carrier
Example: Ten days after the search began, a result appears for a small policy from 1985 that required the carrier to search through paper records in their archives.
Why life insurance varies so much:
Different carriers have different search capabilities and response times
Older policies may be in archived systems requiring manual research
Some carriers prioritize these searches differently
Industry consolidation means some policies are held by companies that have changed names or merged
Understanding Search Results
When accounts are discovered, they appear in your Sunset dashboard:
What you'll see:
Institution name (Chase, Fidelity, MetLife, etc.)
Account type (checking, 401(k), term life insurance, etc.)
Status (newly discovered, verification pending, closure in progress, etc.)
Approximate value or death benefit (when available)
Date discovered
What you won't always see immediately:
Exact account balances (these often require direct institution contact)
Beneficiary information (institutions typically don't share this until authorized requests are made)
Complete policy details (initial results are often partial information)
Results Are Available Only After Verification
This is important: You won't see any search results until your account verification is complete.
Why verification comes first:
We need to confirm your identity and authority before conducting the search
Financial institutions require proof of identity before releasing any information
This protects the deceased's privacy and prevents unauthorized searches
Legal and regulatory requirements mandate verification before account discovery
Timeline:
You complete onboarding and upload death certificate
Verification processes (1-3 business days)
You receive email: "Verification Complete - Search Starting"
Search begins and results start appearing
You receive notifications as accounts are discovered
If your dashboard appears empty after completing onboarding, this is normal - you're likely still in the verification phase. Check your email for verification status updates.
Initial Results Are Clues, Not Final Confirmations
It's important to understand that the initial search results are strong leads and clues toward full verification, but aren't yet 100% confirmed account details:
What initial results tell you:
An account very likely exists at this institution
The account type (checking, retirement, insurance)
Approximate value or benefit amount (when databases provide this)
Enough information to pursue the account further
What requires full verification:
Exact account numbers
Precise balances
Beneficiary designations
Whether the account is still active or was already closed
Specific policy terms and conditions
The Full Verification Process
When you request that Sunset close an account and transfer funds, a more detailed verification begins:
What happens:
You click "Request Closure" on a discovered account
Sunset contacts the institution directly with your authorization
We submit death certificate and proof of authority documents
The institution conducts their own verification process
They confirm exact account details, balances, and requirements
Once verified by the institution, the closure and transfer process begins
This full verification occasionally reveals:
The account was closed before death
The balance differs from initial estimates
There are beneficiary designations that affect distribution
Additional documentation is required by that specific institution
Multiple accounts exist where we initially thought there was one
Example: Initial search results showed "IRA account at Fidelity, approximate value $45,000." After requesting closure and full verification, Fidelity confirmed the exact balance is $47,350, provided the specific account number, and indicated that it's a Roth IRA with beneficiary designations that will affect how distribution works.
What Does "Not Always Perfect" Mean?
Sunset is the best tool available for finding accounts after death, but it's important to set realistic expectations about what's possible:
Sometimes we find accounts that are old or out of date:
An account that appeared in databases but was actually closed years ago
A retirement account that was rolled over to another institution (we find the old record)
A life insurance policy that lapsed due to non-payment of premiums
A bank account that had been drained to zero and closed
When this happens:
The initial result appears in your dashboard
During full verification, the institution confirms the account no longer exists or has no value
We update your results to show the account is closed or inactive
While this can be disappointing, it's still useful information (at least you know you haven't missed anything)
Sometimes we don't find accounts that do exist:
Despite our comprehensive search, some accounts can be missed:
Reasons an account might not be found:
Very small institutions not included in major databases
Accounts at international or foreign banks
Extremely old accounts with no recent activity or reporting
Accounts under a name variation we didn't search (nickname, previous married name, etc.)
New accounts opened shortly before death that haven't appeared in systems yet
Accounts with incorrect or outdated information in databases
Cash-value life insurance policies at carriers that don't participate in search systems
What you can do:
Review the deceased's mail, email, and financial records for any account statements we didn't find
Check old tax returns for interest income or retirement distributions from institutions we didn't identify
Contact Sunset with specific institutions you want us to query: "Can you specifically check if there's an account at [Bank Name]?"
We can run targeted searches when you provide specific leads
Even with these limitations, Sunset finds accounts that families would otherwise never discover. The accounts we do find typically far outweigh any that might be missed.
Why Sunset Is Still the Best Option
While not perfect, Sunset remains the most comprehensive tool available because:
We search more sources:
Thousands of financial institutions simultaneously
National databases that individuals can't access
Credit bureau information
Institutional direct outreach
Unclaimed property registries
Insurance policy locator services
We save enormous time: Instead of you calling hundreds of banks, investment firms, and insurance companies individually (which would take weeks or months), Sunset queries all of them simultaneously.
We find forgotten accounts: The accounts families don't know about are often the most valuable part of our service. If you already knew about an account, you'd contact that institution yourself. Sunset shines in discovering the unexpected.
We're free: Other asset search services often charge hundreds or thousands of dollars, or take a percentage of found assets. Sunset costs nothing - we're paid by our banking partner, not by you.
Example: David thought his mother only had a checking account worth about $5,000. Sunset's search found that account plus a forgotten IRA ($38,000), a paid-up life insurance policy ($15,000), and unclaimed property ($800). Even if Sunset had missed one small account somewhere, David still benefited enormously from the $53,800 that was discovered - none of which he would have found on his own.
Death Notification and Privacy
An important distinction in how different account types are searched:
Banks and retirement accounts - No death notification: When searching for bank and retirement accounts:
Financial institutions are NOT notified of the death by Sunset during the search phase
We query databases and records without alerting institutions
The deceased's accounts remain private and undisturbed during discovery
Death notification only happens later, when you request account closure
This protects privacy and prevents premature account freezing
Life insurance - Death notification required: When searching for life insurance:
Insurance carriers MUST be notified of the death to search their records
This is an industry requirement through the MIB Group and insurance regulations
By selecting life insurance search, you authorize Sunset to notify carriers on your behalf
This death notification is necessary to query insurance databases and trigger carrier searches
Carriers use this notification to begin their internal search for any policies
Why this difference exists:
Life insurance policies only pay out upon death, so notification is inherent to the search
Banks and retirement accounts exist for living people and shouldn't be disrupted during discovery
Different regulatory frameworks govern different account types
Sunset Is 100% Free
It's worth emphasizing: Sunset costs you absolutely nothing.
How we're paid:
Our banking partner (the institution that provides estate bank accounts) pays Sunset a fee
This fee is for referring clients who open estate accounts
The fee comes from the bank, not from you or the estate funds
It's similar to how many financial services earn revenue from business partnerships
What this means:
No upfront cost to start a search
No fees for finding accounts
No percentage taken from discovered assets
No charges for using our platform
100% of found assets go to the estate
The only "cost" is opening an estate account with our banking partner if you want to use our account closure and fund transfer services - and that account itself is also free to open and maintain.
Timeline Summary
To help set expectations, here's a quick reference for discovery timelines:
Verification (before any results): 1-3 business days
Bank accounts:
Instant to 2 hours: Major banks, recent activity
1-2 days: Most banks and credit unions
3-5 days: Extended search for additional accounts
Retirement accounts:
1-2 days: Most 401(k), IRA, and pension accounts
Life insurance:
Few hours to 1 day: Fast-responding carriers, recent policies
2-4 days: Most insurance companies
1-2 weeks: Slower carriers, very old policies
Overall search completion: Most results appear within 1-2 weeks, though some life insurance results can take longer.
What Happens After Accounts Are Found
Once search results appear:
Review the results in your Sunset dashboard
Click on each institution to see details about what was found
Decide which accounts to pursue (some may not be worth the effort if very small)
Request closure for accounts you want to close and transfer
Full verification begins for requested closures
Provide any additional documentation that specific institutions require
Funds transfer to your estate bank account as closures complete
Throughout this process, Sunset coordinates with institutions on your behalf, tracks progress, and updates you on status.
Common Questions About the Search
"How will I know when results are ready?"
You'll receive email notifications as accounts are discovered. You can also log in to your Sunset dashboard at any time to see current results.
"Do I have to act on every account that's found?"
No. Some discovered accounts might be old, closed, or have minimal value. You can choose which accounts to pursue for closure and which to ignore.
"What if I know about an account but Sunset doesn't find it?"
Email [email protected] with the institution name and any details you have. We can run a targeted search for that specific institution and add it to your results.
"Can I search for bank accounts but not life insurance?"
Yes. During setup, you select which account types to search for. You can choose all three types or only specific categories.
"What if an account shows up as 'out of date' or closed?"
This is helpful information - at least you know you didn't miss anything. The account existed at some point (which is why it appeared in our search), but has since been closed or transferred.
"Why does an account show 'approximate value' instead of exact balance?"
Initial search results often come from databases that have estimated values or last-reported balances. Exact balances require direct institution contact, which happens during the full verification process when you request closure.
"I found an account on my own. Should I tell Sunset about it?"
Yes! Email us with the details and we can add it to your Sunset dashboard, help you with closure, and include it in the estate account consolidation process.
Need Help Understanding Your Results?
If you receive search results and aren't sure what they mean, what to do next, or have questions about specific accounts that were found:
Email [email protected] with:
The deceased's name
Which institution or account you have questions about
Your specific question or confusion
We'll explain the results, walk you through next steps, and clarify anything that's unclear about what was discovered.
For more information about how Sunset's search process works and what to expect, visit hellosunset.com.