Unclaimed Money Tracer: Find Money That's Yours

Unclaimed-money search: self + estate · lived/worked in Ohio, Illinois, Colorado

Where to look: dormant bank and brokerage accounts (every state you've banked in) · uncashed payroll or refund cheques from the 5 employers · security deposits from old rentals · the 2009 employer's pension or 401k (plans of bankrupt employers are often transferred to a successor or a federal pension guarantee body) · life insurance and annuities in your mother's name · dividends and stock from either of you · state and federal tax refunds never delivered.

Search (free, official):

1. Each state's unclaimed-property registry for Ohio, Illinois, and Colorado — search your current name, any former names, and every past address. Then the national aggregator that links state registries.
2. For the 2009 employer: the federal pension guarantee agency's unclaimed-pension search, plus the retirement-plan lookup that lists abandoned 401k plans. Search the employer's legal name, not the brand.
3. For your mother: Illinois unclaimed-property registry under her married and maiden name (Kowalski), the life-insurance policy locator run by state insurance regulators, and any state she lived in before Illinois.
4. Federal: the tax authority's undelivered-refund tool; the savings-bond search if either of you held bonds.

To claim: your own: government ID + proof of the old address (statement, lease, tax return). Estate: death certificate + letters testamentary or executor appointment + your ID + proof of her addresses. Claims are typically free and paid within weeks to a few months.

Scam guard: official free searches only · never pay a "finder" up front (some jurisdictions cap finder fees precisely because of this) · ignore "you're owed money, click here" messages · registries never ask for a fee to release funds.

Not financial advice. Reclaiming your own unclaimed property is free through official channels.