Well I'm in a bit of a bind. I was just told that I had an IRA opened for me about 16 years ago by my father. He put money in it and fostered it for a while. But through his moving out west he can't find any of the info on it. And with his current age he can't remember what firm he was with. I have looked everywhere and can't find a lead. Is there any way to find a lost Roth IRA?

If this is truly a Roth IRA, then it wasn't established 16 years ago, because Roths have only been around for about 10 years (I think they started in 1998)--unless taxes were paid and it converted to a Roth after 1997. But, whether it's a Roth or a traditional IRA, if there's been no activity for a period of time (hopefully not for too long), then the IRA might be subject to escheat and sitting with the state in its escheat division, or as missing property. Most states offer access to escheated property listings on their websites (unless, of course, the annual removal of fees prevents the IRA from every escheating).

Otherwise, I don't know what else will work other than writing all the banks in the general location of where it might have been set up.

You are right, my dad does know that he converted it and did some other stuff but hasn't touched it in years. It hasn't been long enough though for it to appear on missing property.

A very simple solution.

Just call the IRS service line and request all tax info they have on record. They can typically go back 7 years. You will see who is reporting every year to the IRS. They will typically report an account balance for the year, if nothing else.

Good suggestion, -nut. In your experience, how effective is the IRS in locating and forwarding such info?

Much better. I ran into the same situation earlier this year. It worked out great. The person on the line mailed me all years going back to 2000. Had it within a week, since he pulled the info while I was still on the phone.

Impressive. But, I don't know if I can deal with efficiency and IRS in the same sentence--it will turn my world upside down . . .

Thanks guys I spent an hour on hold, but I sure hope that it leads somewhere.

Let me caveat that by saying, once you get them on the line, they will not let you go until your problem is solved. That is the tradeoff. The long wait time is likely due to others with situations that are just as pressing, but they are being taken care of now that they have gotten through.

I was so impressed with my situation, I actually forgot about the wait time. But, it is an issue; until they solve your problem.

Please let us know how it works out.

Confirming - - Roths created in 1998. No conversions could have been done before that time. Your own tax returns might have some of the info you are looking for at this point. Each custodian mails a summary statement out at year end. Often folks keep that with their tax returns. The IRS should also have this information I believe.

I hope you do not have issues with your earned income in the year the IRA was created and each year it was funded. You had to have "earned income" to be eligible for an IRA...typically some kind of payroll income, although newspaper routes and other self employed income might qualify if you or your dad filed a tax return.

So I found the info out through the IRS. But now I can't find the company, they gave me the name the FIN and a P.O. Box. I have searched the internet and have come up with nothing. Is there a way to look up a phone # with the FIN?
Here is the info if anyone could help that would be great.

Frontier Trust Company
PO Box 786003
San Antonio TX 78278
FIN: 456074693

I found a company in North Dakota but that is not it. Any help is welcomed.

Thanks

There is a Frontier Trust Co in Connecticut:
Frontier Trust Company, FSB
90 State House Square
Hartford, Connecticut 06103

I don't know what an FIN is, but that EIN (Employer Identification Number) is registered to the office of a real estate agent/broker in SC, so that probably does not help you.

Wonder if the below mentioned Frontier is the same company.

13JUL07: BISYS Retirement Services, a division of The BISYS Group which is in the process of being sold to JC Flowers, has completed the acquisition of Frontier Trust Company from AXA Financial, Inc. With assets under management exceeding USD12bn, Frontier Trust has business lines consisting primarily of trustee and custodial services for qualified retirement plans. Existing employees of Frontier Trust, along with the current management team, will remain with the business and operate as a separate division within the retirement services business.

I did a search. It may take some calling around to these companies that once owned Frontier Trust to see if the accounts are there. Does your father ever remember doing business with a representative from AXA Financial?

Thanks for all your help, I'll keep looking. My dad currently doesn't remember much about it so that is the problem.

And the FIN is the federal identification number I believe.

The number won't always help. Looks like Frontier Trust was acquired by BISYS who was acquired by Citi.

Have you looked into possibiliyt the account was escheated ? If you dad set it up and moved around a lot the custodian may have lost track of him. Normally afer so much time passes the funds are escheated to the state.