How can we find all of Mother's life insurance policies, stocks, bonds and CD's?

Also check periodically over the next few years for "unclaimed property" with each state she may have lived in. This is usually with the Secretary of state for each state. You can turn up the unexpected. I met someone who claimed over $8000 in stocks that grandma had owned. Everyone should do this.

Life insurance policies, contact the major ones. They can tell you yea or nea regarding if there is a policy(ies) on file with them.

I'm sorry for your loss.

This is not a criticism, but I get the impression that you weren't handling any of her affairs during her life, so you will have to be thorough in your search to inventory all assets.

For investment assets, search their records for quarterly statements. Depending on the type of investment product, they may arrive at the end of each quarter or about 15 days after the end of each quarter. The third quarter asset summaries have probably all been sent (we've received all of ours). You may have to wait until the end of the year to ensure that you get statement summaries from all her investments.

In the meantime, provide a certified copy of the Testamentary Letter to the post office so first class mail can be forwarded to your address. Then you'll get the December/January end of year investment statements.

Also check her bank accounts to see if there are automatic deposits.

IamJan, first my heartfelt sympathy to you and family for the recent passing ofr your Mother.

For my parents when I took over their financials, I gathered up all the paperwork they had at home and sorted through it. I found some life insurance policies but found out they had cashed them all in. I found monthly statements for the stocks which some were with a broker, that was a relief. Then I found some that were stored on-line with a brokerage where one could do their own selling and buying. I found all their blank checks and matched bank statements.

Now some elders will have stock from decades ago that are paper stock that could be in a safe deposit box somewhere, or in a lock box in their home.

Call your insurance carrier and ask him/her if there is any way one could find out if a parent had life insurance policies. Maybe the insurance carrier has a way to trace this down.

Look for your Mother's past income tax returns. Usually capital gains or dividends have to be declared as "income".