1Account One
One Master List
If You Can't List It, It's Already Lost
Brooks Stahlnecker
"Over the years I've watched people genuinely lose track of their own money. An old 401(k) from a job they left in 2009. An IRA they rolled over and forgot. There are billions of dollars sitting in forgotten retirement accounts in this country — real money, belonging to real people who simply lost the thread."
"And here's the kicker: if you can't keep track of all your accounts, there's no chance your family will find them in an emergency. So we do the unglamorous, powerful thing — we make one master list. Every account, where it lives, and how to get into it. This is the backbone of your whole financial picture."
This module builds your master account inventory — retirement accounts, investments, and bank accounts — so nothing is forgotten and everything is findable. It closes out Phase One: you'll have a complete map of what you have and where it lives.
Scattered accounts are lost accounts.
What to Capture
Round Up Every Account
Tap each card.
Current 401(k) or 403(b), IRAs and Roth IRAs, pensions, and — critically — old employer plans you never rolled over. These are the most commonly lost. Note the custodian (the company holding it), the type, and how to access it.
Brokerage accounts, mutual funds, CDs, savings and checking, and any HSA. Anywhere money is held in your name. Capturing the custodian and login path means your family won't have to play detective.
An account nobody can get into is barely better than one nobody knows about. Note how each is accessed — which username, which institution's website — and where the login lives (ideally a password manager, covered in Module 11). Never write raw passwords in an unsecured place.
Your Workbook
Master Account Inventory
List each account. Enter approximate values as numbers to see your total. Note access paths, not raw passwords. Saves automatically and privately.
2Account Two
3Account Three (old/forgotten?)
Total Listed So Far
$0
Enter values to total your accounts. Don't worry about precision — round numbers are fine.
Can't find an old account? You can search for unclaimed retirement funds and property at the U.S. Department of Labor and your state's unclaimed-property site.
Think Fast
The Drill
One account call.
What Would You Do?
As you build your list, you remember a 401(k) from a job you left 12 years ago. You're not even sure it still exists or who holds it now. What's the right move?
Hands-On Drill
Account Checklist
Check off each once it's on your master list. Open boxes are accounts to locate or document.
- Current retirement plan401(k)/403(b) listed with access
- All IRAs & Roth IRAsIncluding any rollovers
- Old employer plans tracked downThe commonly forgotten ones
- Brokerage & bank accountsInvestments, savings, checking, CDs, HSA
- Access paths notedHow to get into each (securely)
- One master list existsEverything in a single, findable place
Account drill: 0 of 6 complete
Brooks Stahlnecker
"This master list is the single most useful document in your whole drill. It's the thing your spouse or executor would reach for first. Build it once, keep it current, and tell one trusted person where it lives. That one page can save your family weeks of detective work."
Knowledge Check
Run the Account Drill
1. The most commonly lost or forgotten accounts are:
Old workplace retirement plans are the classic lost accounts. They don't vanish — but they get forgotten unless you track and consolidate them.
2. When noting how to access each account, you should:
An account no one can get into is nearly useless. Note the path; store actual credentials securely (more in Module 11).
3. If you find a forgotten old account, a smart follow-up is to:
Consolidating scattered accounts makes them easier to manage and far less likely to be lost a second time.
4. This module closes Phase One by giving you:
Phase One is "Identify the Gaps." With your accounts mapped alongside your documents and contacts, the full picture is now visible.
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✍️ Your Drill Notes
Did you uncover any forgotten accounts? And now that Phase One is done, what does your full picture look like — clearer, messier than expected, or both?
Phase One Complete — You've Identified the Gaps
Documents, contacts, policies, and accounts — all mapped and findable. Now we move to Phase Two: assessing the risks hiding in your structure, starting with income protection.
If you can list it, you can protect it. — Let's Start the Conversation.