How Can You Cash In Life Insurance? 
How can one `` cash in '' a life insurance policy depends on who you are in relation to the policy . If you are the Owner of the policy you can contact the issuing company and request assistance in surrendering the policy - that is if you want to terminate the policy and collect whatever cash value it might have . So it must have accumulated cash value enough to offset the surrender charges or there will be nothing to `` cash in '' on . Another option if you are the Owner is to take a policy loan or a partial surrender of the amount of cash value the policy has accumulated . This you can do without terminating the policy . If you are the Beneficiary , the Insured must have died in order for you to `` cash in '' . To do that you will need to produce the death certificate and present it to the insurance company along with proof that you are indeed the Beneficiary . Payment of the death benefit is the longest process of the options listed above . Taking a policy loan is the fastest way to get cash from your policy . And a total surrender will usually take just a little longer than a policy loan . 