A few keystrokes online could match you up with a life insurance payout you did not even know you were due.

Georgia leads the nation when it comes to matching people with misplaced life insurance.

This is thanks in part to a service launched a year ago by the State Insurance Commissioner and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

The ‘Life Insurance Policy Locator’ is a free service that “streamlines and simplifies the process for consumers,” State Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said in a statement.

The Commissioner’s office said that with the new service, Georgian’s requests are encrypted and secured to maintain confidentiality. “Participating insurers will compare submitted requests with available policyholder information and report all matches to state insurance departments through the locator,” the statement read, “Companies will then contact beneficiaries or their authorized representatives.”

State Deputy Insurance Commissioner Jay Florence tells WSB the service is invaluable.

“People thought that it was worthwhile during their life to spend this money to give you a benefit upon their death,” Florence says, adding, “Whether it’s large or small, obviously they had something in mind – a need that they wanted to fill.

“If you’re talking about a widowed spouse, a life insurance benefit can mean all the difference in the world.”

In the year since it has launched, one out of every six Georgians using it found something a loved one left for them.

According to Consumer Reports, an estimated $1 billion in benefits from life insurance policies are unclaimed.

“The largest life insurance policy that we’ve seen come back has been over $640,000,” says Florence.

Since the service went live last December, 589 Georgians have received more than $6.6 million in policy payouts.

For a link to the Locator, located on the front page of the state insurance commissioner's website, click here.