03 Sep How can I track down an old retirement account?

Q. My 96-year-old mother-in-law passed away recently. My husband is going through her papers and found this document about a retirement plan that he knew nothing about. I couldn’t find much about the company, which was based in Union. I assume my mother-in-law forgot all about this, and it makes me sad because she could’ve used this money in her long retirement. Do you have any suggestions on how we should handle this?
— Still working

A. There are several good sources to track a company’s history.

You said you couldn’t find much about the company. Still, start with an online search, which may give you hints on whether the company went belly up, was bought by another company, and other fates.

When businesses are established, they need to register with the state where they were formed. You can search for New Jersey companies here.

You can also research the company with the Library of Congress.

But the easiest way to see if there was a retirement account in your mother-in-law’s name is to search with New Jersey’s Unclaimed Property Division, said Michael Cocco, a certified financial planner with Beacon Wealth Partners in Nutley.

The division acts as a custodian for property that has, for whatever reason, been unclaimed by its rightful owner. You’ll have to submit documentation, but before you do, you’d simply enter her name into the system and you’ll see if anything comes up.

Good luck.

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This story was originally published in September 2024.

NJMoneyHelp.com presents certain general financial planning principles and advice, but should never be viewed as a substitute for obtaining advice from a personal professional advisor who understands your unique individual circumstances.