Reclaim lost assets for free discussion

snootyfox

I have a Life Assurance Policy, taken out during the 1940s, by my Grandmother for her second son. After returning from the war he disappeared to Canada. Grandmother died during the war. My Grandfather lived his later life, alternating between his two daughters. He died in 1965. When he died his papers were left with the daughter he was living with when he died. This daughter died in the 1970s. Her husband, my uncle, died last year and my Grandfathers papers came to me. In these papers was the Life Assurance Policy. How can I find out if this policy was paid up, whether it has any value and who should receive the proceeds of this 70 year old policy?

[Deleted User]

I have just received a letter from Santander, (after I completed the lost account process), and they are asking me to visit a local branch with both a card or passbook relative to the account and my passport.

How on earth am I supposed to take the card/passbook with me when it's a lost account?

suzie246

could I find help here? my mother has died leaving an acct in Spain open with no instructions for me her next of kin and executive. I have dealt with her English bank that was straight forward and no probate has been necessary but, I have no idea where to start to close her Spanish acct and retrieve the monies to divide between her grandchildren . Many thanks in advance for any advice.

ahs1953

Don't forget old Armed Forces pensions. Got mine in March - £6000 lump sum and £180 per month for 5 years service 75-80. You have to apply for it. They don't come looking for you! It's payable from age 60 after filling in a simple form. Google 'forces pensions' for all the info.

rhuallan

I was delighted to see this post as I have a bank book of my late Mother's from a bank that no longer exists, and have had no luck finding! Yea! I thought! But when I clicked onto the link for "Bereaved customers" the help was only for England & Wales! What about us Scots????

starlingsnest

It seems the website that your link takes me to is not what it seems. I get so far through the process when it it demands that I enter which bank the account was held at which is not applicable to premium bonds. Perhaps you ought to have another look at this service before recommending it.

dottyw

Hi does anyone know about how to try and reclaim mis sold investments from a bank. My late father was mis sold pension investments and lost a lot of money and the bank refused to agree. We found out some time late the the investment chap was sent to prison for fraud but the bank didnt tell anyone. Could my mother be entitled to claim money for misselling?:)

wet_shoulder

I had a letter from a company telling me I had money sitting.... they had bought over a company that I had a shareholder pension with over 20 years ago. they asked me if I wanted the money or wanted it frozen... with a broken computer, a broken car and a wedding in the USA - I took the money.... it was just over £900 and did not seem to be a lot to be freezing. I now have a new computer, a fixed car and the wedding was brilliant.... so, it looks like some of them get it right some of the time...

DanArmour

I recently discovered an old pension document and contacted the company concerned to see if it had any value. The original company had been absorbed into another company but they were very helpful and after several phone conversations I was eventually sent a letter informing me that I had a pension pot which amounted to a considerable amount of money. I was told that I could cash in up to 25% of the value of the pension and then reinvest the remainder to provide a pension. Obviously I was delighted at this somewhat unexpected windfall and told members of my family that they would shortly be receiving some cash as a result of this fortunate turn of events. The amounts were not specified but I suggested that they would each receive several hundred pounds. I then filled in and returned all of the relevant forms. A few weeks later I received a further letter from the pension company stating that they had made a mistake and that the actual value of the pot was considerably less than they had first stated...in fact it was about a third of the originally stated amount. This obviously massively reduced the amount that I would receive if I cash in the allowed 25% and means that I cannot be as generous to my family as I had at first hoped.
I decided to complain to the company about their poor performance in this instance and they have subsequently upheld my complaint but insist that they cannot do anything about the error other than to offer me a compensatory cheque for £200.
Am I stuck with this offer from the company or should I continue to complain and perhaps involve the Financial Ombudsman

-taff

The Ombudsman is unlikely to find they owe you more money. They rectified their mistake as soon as they could, and uphled your complaint. It's not their fault you promised money to people before the money was actually in your hands.