The first step in this process is to take stock of what you have right now. You may have any number of accounts with banks, former employers, insurance companies and more; now it’s time to track them all down and make a list of them. If your records are up to date, this will be easy. But if they happen to be old, incomplete or apparently lost, finding the documentation may involve some detective work, so be prepared to devote time and effort when you start this project. Here are some of the possible methods you can use to find lost or misplaced assets.

Life Insurance

You vaguely remember purchasing a policy for yourself in the past, but you can’t seem to locate any paperwork for it. All is not lost: If you remember the name of your carrier, an internet search followed by either a phone call or online inquiry should quickly get you a replacement copy of your policy. If it is permanent life insurance, find out how much cash value is in the policy (term life insurance generally doesn’t accrue a cash value; see Intro to Insurance: Types of Life Insurance to learn more). Also inquire as to the amount of the death benefit, whether the policy is still in force and, if it has lapsed, whether it can be reinstated – provided you pay whatever premium is due.

If a relative purchased life insurance when you were a child, naming you as the beneficiary, and the paperwork that he or she gave you when you graduated from high school has long since disappeared, then a polite inquiry may be necessary. If you are simply unable to recall the company that holds the policy, you can use a search service. For a fee, this site will search through a vast database of insurance policies in just a few minutes. There are billions of dollars of unclaimed death benefits waiting for their beneficiaries to collect them.

Savings Bonds

The first step in this process is to take stock of what you have right now. You may have any number of accounts with banks, former employers, insurance companies and more; now it’s time to track them all down and make a list of them. If your records are up to date, this will be easy. But if they happen to be old, incomplete or apparently lost, finding the documentation may involve some detective work, so be prepared to devote time and effort when you start this project. Here are some of the possible methods you can use to find lost or misplaced assets.

Life Insurance

You vaguely remember purchasing a policy for yourself in the past, but you can’t seem to locate any paperwork for it. All is not lost: If you remember the name of your carrier, an internet search followed by either a phone call or online inquiry should quickly get you a replacement copy of your policy. If it is permanent life insurance, find out how much cash value is in the policy (term life insurance generally doesn’t accrue a cash value; see Intro to Insurance: Types of Life Insurance to learn more). Also inquire as to the amount of the death benefit, whether the policy is still in force and, if it has lapsed, whether it can be reinstated – provided you pay whatever premium is due.

If a relative purchased life insurance when you were a child, naming you as the beneficiary, and the paperwork that he or she gave you when you graduated from high school has long since disappeared, then a polite inquiry may be necessary. If you are simply unable to recall the company that holds the policy, you can use a search service. For a fee, this site will search through a vast database of insurance policies in just a few minutes. There are billions of dollars of unclaimed death benefits waiting for their beneficiaries to collect them.

Savings Bonds