Mellody Hobson: Locate and Reclaim Your Lost Money

The IRS provides specific information on its Web site, www.irs.gov, on how to obtain a past refund. You can also call the agency's toll-free number, (800) 829-1040.

Neglected Bonds:

More than $9 billion worth of matured savings bonds have never been cashed. You can bring your uncashed savings bonds to your local bank, which will cash them in for you. If you think you have lost a savings bond and have record of the serial numbers, the Bureau of Public Debt, www.publicdebt.treas.gov, can look up their status. Also, bonds that are lost, stolen, mutilated or destroyed can be replaced free of charge as long as the bureau can establish that the bonds have not been cashed.

A Hidden Pension

If you participated in a pension plan of a company that went out of business or closed its plan and subsequently forgot about your investment, your money is likely under the watchful care of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., a U.S. government agency that protects the retirement incomes of about 44 million American workers in about 32,500 private defined benefit pension plans. PBGC is currently holding unclaimed money for approximately 22,000 people, with the average amount being $3,774. Similar to the Bureau of Public Debt, the PBGC offers a pension search directory on its Web site, www.pbgc.gov, which enables you to determine if you are owed your retirement income.

Keeping Track of Your Assets in the Future:

The best way to ensure your assets do not go unclaimed is to do the following:
Keep accurate and current records of bank accounts, insurance policies, stock certificates, utility and rent deposits, and safe deposit box locations.

Keep accounts active through customer-initiated contact with the holders of your property through activity on your account (not merely the accrual of interest).

Notify a family member or trusted adviser of the location of your records.

Notify all institutions every time you move.

Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management (arielmutualfunds.com) in Chicago, is "Good Morning America's" personal finance expert. Ariel associates Matthew Yale and Aimee Daley contributed to this report.