18 Apr Mom died. How can I check if she had a retirement plan?

Q. My mother recently passed away and I think she had a retirement plan of some sort. Is there a way to find it?
— Perplexed

A. We’re sorry to hear about your mother.

There are several ways you can try to track it down, so put on your detective hat.

We’re going to assume you’ve gone through her paperwork and you haven’t found any statements about a retirement account. Similarly, if she used a computer that you can access, you can check for downloaded statements, bookmarks for investment company websites and other clues.

If that’s a failure, take a look at her tax returns. You may find evidence of distributions from a retirement plan, and you can follow that paper trail to see if there are any accounts still existing.

Also check her bank account statements for distributions or her checkbook for contributions to a plan.

If she used to work, see if you can find any pay stubs that show contributions to a retirement plan. Or, contact her former employers to see what companies they use for retirement plans, and then reach out to those companies.

Many people open IRA accounts with the same bank where they do their checking and other savings. Check with those institutions to see if there are other accounts using her Social Security number.

Check with any financial professionals, including tax preparers or estate planning attorneys, that she may have worked with to see if they can provide any clues.

And worst case scenario, if you can’t find anything, keep an eye on the unclaimed property office in the state where she lived. Custodians who lost track of their investors, generally after five years, turn over the funds to the state, which holds the money in perpetuity. You can check — maybe once a year — to see if any accounts show up in your mom’s name.

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This story was originally published in April 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.