Expert: Allen - 9/25/2009

Question
How do I find out about my father's pension since he died? My father died in DEC 2008. He retired from a trucking company after 35 years of service. He remarried after he retired. He often told me and my sister that if anything happened to him, he wanted us to receive his benefits. After he died, I assumed that my stepmother was getting his benefits but she recently told me that she is not receiving any money from my father's pension. His company won't give me any information.

Answer
First, while it may be painful, go through his files to see if you can find anything. If that does not work send the Plan Administrator a certified letter signed by you and your stepmother requesting the information. If that fails, contact the local office of the U.S. Dept. of Labor - Employee Benefits Security Administration. They should be able to help you.