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How much of life insurance company profit results from beneficiaries not knowing that a company sold a policy?

I have seen many questions here along the lines of either (a) a person died and had life insurance, but I do not have the policy and do not know what company sold the policy, or (b) a person died and I do not know if that person had life insurance. How much of the profit that life insurance companies make is because the company does not receive a claim when an insured person dies, either because the beneficiary did not know that there was a life insurance policy, or because the beneficiary does not know what company issued the policy?

Public Comments

1. Most of those people, are just HOPING to find life insurance money sitting around now that their relative has died. 70% of Americans die WITHOUT active life insurance in place. 95% of policies sold - not any particular type, but all types, across the board - stay in force less than five years, and don't pay out because they cancel first. So the insurance companies make very very little profit off of insurance policies that never get claimed. The vast majority of their profits, are off the reserves. But it's a good reminder - it's very, very important for everyone who HAS life insurance, to tell at LEAST two different people where to find it - and their will, and where their bank accounts are. It's ALSO pretty easy to track DOWN life insurance once someone dies - as active policies send out a statement every year, even if they ARE paid in full. And if they're not, they will send out BILLS.
2. Many of those postings are people just HOPING someone had life insurance. It's up to the policy OWNER to notify his/her family and survivors of the existence of policies.