Where to find lost loot

Thanks to a wealth of databases, it's easier to find forgotten property.

To search for property held by states

Go to www.missingmoney.com, affiliated with the National Association of State Treasurers. It has records from at least 35 states. Try searching all of the states in which you or your relative has ever lived. There's no time limit for claiming those assets.

To search for matured savings bonds

For bonds dating from 1974 or for missed payments from U.S. Treasury securities, go to www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/indiv.htm. Click on "Search for Your Securities in Treasury Hunt." For older bonds or those still drawing interest, go to www.treasurydirect.gov; click on the "Forms" tab, then download 1048, used for lost, stolen, or destroyed savings bonds.

To find a lost 401(k) plan

Start at www.unclaimedretirementbenefits.com, where plan sponsors, administrators, and custodians register missing participants who have unclaimed retirement funds. If that doesn't work and you've lost track of your old company, see the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.'s booklet "Finding a Lost Pension." To look for an abandoned plan, go to the Department of Labor's database at www.askebsa.dol.gov/abandonedplansearch.

If you think a deceased loved one had a life-insurance policy

Go to www.missingmoney.com. For more tips, go to the American Council of Life Insurers' website, at www.acli.com, and click on "Missing Policy Tips" under "Tools."

If you're waiting for a refund from the current tax year

Go to www.irs.gov; click on "Where's My Refund?"

If you find funds that are yours

The fiduciary that holds them will provide specific instructions on how to claim them. You'll need proof of your identity. If the property belonged to a deceased relative or friend, you'll also have to prove that you're the executor of the estate or the rightful heir.