Looking A Gift Horse In The Mouth



So in January I get this letter informing me that a financial institution is holding some unclaimed funds for me which will be turned over to Missouri if the don't hear from me soon (there was a specific date all that much closer because it had taken some time for the letter to reach me.)

 As a child of the Nigeria hoaxes I approached it very cautiously. First I called the number on the letter. They answered appropriately. Then I looked up the company on the internet. Highly respected and having the same number as on the letter. I called back with my questions. They were going to give me information before I gave them any.

 To this point all was in a prior name at a prior addresses in regard to pension funds with a company I used to work for. They seemed to have more past information on me than I did. I just had to verify I was that person. Do not ever throw your old passports away. I got reacquainted with the box which holds "important" documents.

I do not know how their unclaimed funds department got from Bernhart in Lee's Summit, MO. To Binford-Bell in Ocate, NM. The route would take me through four states, a marriage, two divorces, and the death of an ex-husband, not necessarily in that order. And several long expired mail forwarding orders not to mention at least one move with no forwarding. And the company which funded the annuity has been sold and name changed. 

 A friend and I were discussing yesterday how much information is available on the internet. Before I ever had a blog or a Facebook page I googled my "new" name and was shocked at the number of entries for me. Google informs me I am the only Jacqui Binford-Bell in the world. I googled Bernhart since this whole thing began and was rather stunned because that incarnation never was on the internet. 

 So for those of you who stay off the internet platforms because of information you will "give away" let me say you already have. Not to worry. There are times all that "public" information can work in your favor.

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