Over the years, it’s surprisingly easy to lose track of certain financial assets—especially things like old 401(k) plans from past jobs or forgotten Treasury securities (T-Bills). The good news is that tracking them down is usually easier than you’d expect.
Here’s how you can start:
🔍 Searching for a Left Behind 401(k)
If you left a job years ago and think you might have left your 401(k) behind too, you can take a few simple steps to track it down:
Start with the Department of Labor’s Retirement Savings Lost & Found
This is a new and very helpful government resource for locating missing retirement accounts.
👉 https://lostandfound.dol.gov/Try the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits
This service helps locate plan balances you may have left behind.
👉 https://www.unclaimedretirementbenefits.comSearch the Abandoned Plan Database
If your former employer no longer exists, this Department of Labor tool can help identify the custodian.
👉 https://www.askebsa.dol.gov/AbandonedPlanSearch/- Contact Your Old Employer (or Plan Provider)
If you know who managed the plan (like Fidelity or Vanguard), give them a call directly with your Social Security number and dates of employment.
💵 Looking for Unclaimed U.S. Treasury Bonds or T-Bills
If you or a family member purchased U.S. Savings Bonds or Treasury Bills and can’t find the paperwork, there’s still a way to locate them.
Use the Treasury Hunt Tool
This official site helps you search for matured (and unpaid) bonds issued after 1974.
👉 https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/treasury-hunt/If You Find Something…
You’ll be guided through a claims process to verify your identity and receive any owed funds. It's a bit of paperwork, but it's well worth the effort.
If you do discover any forgotten funds, feel free to reach out to us. We're happy to walk you through your next steps—whether that’s rolling over an old 401(k), reinvesting matured T-Bills, or simply making sure the money is working in line with your financial goals.