glossary

These terms keep the site consistent across receipts, source pages, and official-route pages.

interinstitutional loss: Value that becomes hard to find, claim, transfer, or prove when a person moves between institutions.
lost value trail: The path from missing value to the office, route, record, and written proof that can verify it.
official-route-first: Checking official offices, public agencies, portals, or record custodians before paying a private finder.
paper trail: A written record of what was asked, who owns the decision, what route was used, and what happens next.
record custodian: The office, provider, servicer, plan administrator, school, agency, or company that currently holds the record.
claim window: The period during which a refund, appeal, correction, or claim can still be requested through an official route.
written confirmation: A message, portal note, letter, or statement confirming status, ownership, next steps, or denial.