Hawaii families who may be owed life insurance money now have a free way to find out, which is good news for anyone who lost a relative and never knew about a policy.

• Hawaii's Insurance Commissioner, Scott Saiki, set up a free online portal where people can register themselves and a deceased relative to check for a matching life insurance policy.
• Policies often go unclaimed because people die without telling family they were named as beneficiaries, and tracking one down among thousands of insurers is nearly impossible on your own.
• The tool has already matched 400 Hawaii residents with policies worth a combined $11 million.
• Not every insurer participates, so a search is not guaranteed to find everything, but it gives families a strong head start.
• To use it, you need a death certificate plus basic identifying details for the deceased and the possible beneficiary, such as address, birth date, and Social Security number.

Outlook: More families are likely to recover forgotten payouts as awareness spreads, and the state is urging everyone to keep a written inventory of bank accounts, policies, and benefits so loved ones are not left searching later.