Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, AugusT 14, 2026 Sa Sa a Say y Senior enior Sen by Jim Miller How Families Can Find Lost Money After a Loved One Dies Dear Savvy Senior, After my mom passed away, we discovered a few small accounts and an old insurance policy we didn’t know she still had. It made me wonder how often families uncover forgotten or unclaimed money like this after a parent dies. Is it common, and where should I start looking? --Searching Sarah Dear Sarah, It’s actually quite common. After a parent or spouse dies, families often come across small, forgotten accounts, uncashed checks, or old insurance policies that slipped through the cracks over the years. In many cases, paperwork was misplaced, accounts were opened decades ago, or loved ones simply weren’t aware the assets existed. According to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, billions of dollars in unclaimed assets are currently being held by state governments and federal agencies, waiting to be claimed by rightful owners or heirs. Unclaimed property usually comes from fi nancial accounts or benefi ts that became inactive because the owner moved, changed names or died. In many cases, heirs were never aware the money existed or did not know where to look. These assets can include savings or checking accounts, uncashed dividend checks, utility security deposits, life insurance proceeds, pension benefi ts, tax refunds, matured savings bonds and unpaid wages. By law, banks, employers, insurance companies and other institutions must turn these assets over to the state if they cannot locate the owner or next of kin after a set period, usually two to fi ve years. Once turned over, the money is held indefi nitely, so there is no deadline for families to fi le a claim. Where to start A good place to begin is MissingMoney.com, a free site endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators and the National Association of State Treasurers. It allows users to search for unclaimed property in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico at once. Hawaii is not included but can be searched through a link on the site. When searching, check every state where your mother lived, worked or did business. Be sure to search under maiden names, married names and common misspellings. Using just a fi rst initial and last name can also uncover accounts that do not appear under a full name search. Each state’s site will indicate whether property is listed and explain how to fi le a claim. Other places to check State treasuries are only part of the picture. Families should also check several other common sources of forgotten money. Pensions and 401(k)s: To search for lost or forgotten retirement benefi ts your mom may have left behind with an old employer, use the U.S. Department of Labor’s Retirement Savings Lost & Found Database at lostandfound. dol.gov and the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefi ts at unclaimedretirementbenefits. com. Or to search for unclaimed retirement benefits from private-sector plans that have closed down, use the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation search tool at pbgc.gov/workers-retirees. Savings bonds: It’s very common for people to lose track of U.S. Saving Bonds because they are often given to children as gifts, then forgotten before the bonds reach maturity. To fi nd out if your mom had a Savings Bond or other Treasury security visit your state’s unclaimed property offi ce using unclaimed.org. Search the state of residence at the time of the securities purchase or last known address. Lost life insurance: To track down a lost or forgotten life insurance policy, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, an insurance regulatory support organization, off ers a free policy locator service at eapps.naic.org/ life-policy-locator. Other refunds: To search for money left at an FDIC insured bank or credit union that has gone out of business, visit closedbanks. fdic.gov/funds. Federal tax refunds can be checked at irs.gov/refunds or by calling 800-829-1954. FHA mortgage refunds can be checked at entp.hud.gov/dsrs/refunds. And unpaid wages are listed at dol.gov/agencies/whd/wow. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. nr ior BEACON | FROM PAGE 14 for patients at a lower cost. It invests in the care that keeps people healthy and prevents disease, it strengthens our primary care workforce to make sure every resident of the commonwealth can access a primary care provider and it ensures that pharmaceuticals remain accessible and aff ordable.” “For many Massachusetts residents, an unsustainable rise in health care costs has made it increasingly diffi cult to access and afford basic health care services,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “That’s why this legislation is so important, as it makes critical investments in primary care and lowers out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes CANCER SCREENINGS FOR FIREFIGHTERS (H 5631) House 153-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill mandating free insurance coverage of cancer screenings for fi refi ghters. The fi refi ghters would not be subject to co-payment, deductible, coinsurance or any out-of-pocket expenses. The screenings would cover colon, lung, bladder, oral, thyroid, skin, blood, breast, cervical, testicular and prostate cancers. The measure provides that the fi rst screening would be conducted no later than three years after the fi refi ghter starts the job, with subsequent screenings happening - LEGAL NOTICE - every three years. Supporters said that firefi ghters are more likely to get cancer than the general public and argued that these heroes need and must have early and regular access to life-saving cancer screenings. They noted that the Occupational Cancer Research Centre attributes higher rates of sickness to greater exposure to cancer-causing hazards through inhalation of smoke, combustion by-productions and forever chemicals (PFAS) used in fi re protection gear. Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown), House chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing and the sponsor of the original version of the proposal, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him why he sponsored the measure. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL IMMIGRANTS (H5620) - COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS LAND COURT DEPARTMENT OF THE TRIAL COURT DOCKET NO. 26 SM 002559 ORDER OF NOTICE TO: Thomas A. Maloney Linda A. Maloney and to all persons entitled to the benefit of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. c. 50 § 3901 (et seq) Aura Mortgage Advisors, LLC claiming to have an interest in a Mortgage covering real property in Everett, numbered 65 Central Avenue, given by John Mackey, as Trustee of the 65 Central Avenue Realty Trust to Aura Mortgage Advisors, LLC, dated January 20, 2017, and recorded in Middlesex County (Southern District) Registry of Deeds in Book 68795, Page 355, has/have filed with this court a complaint for determination of Defendant’s/Defendants’ Servicemembers status. If you now are, or recently have been, in the active military service of the United States of America, then you may be entitled to the benefits of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. If you object to a foreclosure of the above mentioned property on that basis, then you or your attorney must file a written appearance and answer in this court at Three Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 on or before 09/21/2026 or you may lose the opportunity to challenge the foreclosure on the ground of noncompliance with the Act. Witness, Gordon H. Piper, Chief Justice of this Court on 8/10/2026 Attest: Deborah J. Patterson Recorder August 14, 2026 Gov. Healey signed into law the PROTECT Act that supporters said would establish statewide standards governing interactions between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. They said the measure would create among the strongest protections in the nation for residents who have immigrated to their communities; strengthen due process protections; limit civil immigration enforcement in courthouses, public school grounds, hospitals and other sensitive locations; expand protections for victims of crime; and increase transparency, accountability and clarity for correctional facilities and law enforcement relative to civil immigration enforcement. Provisions bar Massachusetts law enforcement agencies from signing new deputization agreements with federal immigration authorities, except in narrow, criminal-law-focused arrangements that meet additional safeguards; prohibit civil immigration arrests without a judicial warrant at schools, childcare centers, medical faBEACON | SEE PAGE 17
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