Ask the company. If there is an investor relations department in the company's home office, it can give you more information on the bankruptcy proceeding, including the name, address, and phone number of the court handling the bankruptcy.

Ask your broker. If you can't find information in the newspaper or the library, or you haven't received any correspondence from the company, call the person who sold you the investment.

Ask the Bankruptcy Court. If the company is in Chapter 7 bankruptcy, and has not filed reports with the SEC, or you need more information, the bankruptcy court itself is another source. This court is usually located where the company has its main place of business or where the company is incorporated.

Ask the U.S. Trustee at the Department of Justice. The U.S. Trustee has broad administrative responsibilities in bankruptcy cases. Check in your local telephone book, and contact it for information on the status of the bankruptcy.

Ask a Securities or Bankruptcy Attorney. You should talk to an attorney, especially if the amount of money you have invested is substantial OR you believe that the company or its agents defrauded you and you want to know your legal options. Even if the company is totally insolvent, under some conditions the broker who sold you the stock or bonds, the company’s officers, directors, accountants, and the company’s affiliates or others may have to share at least some of the responsibility for the loss.

If you want to see court filings, you can access them through the PACER system (a web-based index of filings in federal courts) for a nominal fee. To do so, you need to set up an account. You can find the details at the PACER website.

(Reviewed 11.10.08)