Hidden Money: Find Assets Your Spouse or Partner Won’t Tell You About

Where Assets Get Stashed

Secret Bank Accounts

Most common place for hidden money:

• Banks you’ve never heard of
• Online-only institutions
• Credit unions across town
• Accounts in other states

People open accounts specifically to hide cash from you.

Real Estate You Don’t Know About

Property is popular for storing wealth:

• Investment homes
• Land purchases
• Vacation properties
• Commercial real estate

Real estate feels permanent. Makes hidden money seem secure.

Business Interests

Businesses hide wealth effectively:

• LLC memberships
• Partnership shares
• Consulting companies
• Side businesses

Business structures make assets harder to trace initially.

Cryptocurrency

Modern choice for concealing wealth:

• Bitcoin and Ethereum
• Other cryptocurrency
• Digital wallets
• NFTs and digital assets

Crypto isn’t as anonymous as people think when finding hidden money.

Physical Cash and Valuables

Old-school hiding:

• Safe deposit boxes
• Home safes
• Buried cash
• With family or friends

Cash feels untraceable. Makes people think their stash is safe.

Retirement Accounts

“Forgotten” accounts:

• Old 401(k) accounts
• IRAs at multiple institutions
• Pension plans
• Deferred compensation

People conveniently forget these when hiding hidden money.

How We Find What’s Concealed

Public Records Search

Investigation starts with public information:

Property records: Every deed is public. Can’t hide real estate investments from proper search.

Business filings: Secretary of State lists every LLC. Business structures show up.

Court records: Previous lawsuits reveal assets. Wealth surfaces in old legal proceedings.

Vehicle titles: Luxury cars and boats are registered. Converted wealth is traceable.

Public records reveal what people thought was private.

Financial Database Searches

Professional tools locate assets:

• Banking relationship databases
• Credit bureau information
• Investment account indicators
• Financial institutions

Licensed investigators access systems that find hidden money.

Tax Return Analysis

When legally obtained, tax returns expose concealed wealth:

• Interest income shows secret accounts
• Dividend payments reveal investments
• Business income proves ownership
• Reported to IRS but not to you

People tell IRS truth to avoid criminal charges.

Social Media Investigation

People expose their own wealth:

• Photos at properties they “don’t own”
• Vacation posts funded by secret accounts
• Lifestyle above claimed income
• Check-ins revealing spending

Social media contradicts claims about lacking funds.

Witness Interviews

Conversations reveal assets:

• Former partners who know
• Accountants who manage accounts
• Family members who’ve seen wealth
• Employees aware of finances
• Friends who know the truth

People talk. We listen when finding hidden money.

Surveillance

Sometimes locating assets requires watching:

• Safe deposit box visits
• Property they didn’t disclose
• Business locations
• Spending patterns

Physical observation confirms suspicions about hidden money.

Check out our asset search services to find what your spouse or partner won’t disclose.

Assets Concealed in Divorce

Your spouse suddenly claims poverty right before divorce. But wealth funded your lifestyle for years. Where’d it go?

Common Divorce Tactics

Secret accounts opened before filing: Cash slowly diverted over months or years creating hidden money.

Property titled to relatives: Real estate purchases using family members’ names.

Business undervaluation: Claiming company worth nothing while cash sits in business accounts.

Cryptocurrency purchases: Converting cash to crypto they think you can’t trace.

Transfer to family: Moving assets they’ll get back after divorce.

Why Investigation Matters

Texas is community property state. You’re entitled to half of marital assets. But can’t claim half of hidden money you don’t know exists.

Finding what’s concealed before settlement means getting what’s rightfully yours. Discovery equals better divorce outcome.

Timeline for Investigation

Investigate before filing if possible. Early in divorce process at minimum. Before settlement negotiations definitely.

Later you search for hidden money, easier it is for them to move everything again.

According to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, forensic accounting techniques successfully uncover concealed wealth in approximately 75% of cases where financial deception is suspected.

Red Flags Assets Are Concealed

Income Doesn’t Match Lifestyle

They claim poverty but clearly have hidden cash when:

• Living in expensive home
• Driving luxury vehicles
• Taking vacations regularly
• Designer clothes and accessories
• Expensive hobbies and toys

Lifestyle proves wealth exists.

Vague Financial Answers

Ask about accounts and they’re evasive:

• Can’t name all their accounts
• Unclear about income sources
• Defensive about questions
• Story changes each time
• Won’t provide documentation

Evasiveness means hidden money exists somewhere.

Sudden Financial Changes

Warning indicators:

• Transferred property unexpectedly
• Closed accounts suddenly
• Cash moved around
• New business formed quickly
• Spending patterns shifted

Suspicious timing reveals movement of money.

Previous Dishonesty

History predicts current behavior:

• Lied about finances before
• Concealed wealth in previous relationships
• Cheated business partners
• Pattern of financial deception

Past behavior means likely hiding hidden money now.

Large Cash Withdrawals

Regular ATM withdrawals suggest accumulation:

• Taking out maximum daily amounts
• Pattern of cash removal
• Can’t explain where cash goes
• Building reserves physically

Strange withdrawal patterns reveal hidden cash building.

What Happens After Discovery

Comprehensive Documentation

We provide evidence:

• Account statements
• Property records
• Business ownership proof
• Cryptocurrency holdings
• Complete documentation

Everything about their finances in detailed report showing hidden money locations.

Legal Strategy

Your attorney uses evidence to:

• Demand full disclosure
• Challenge false statements
• Negotiate better settlement
• Present in court
• Seek sanctions for hiding

Evidence of hidden money provides leverage in negotiations.

Asset Recovery

Once discovered:

• Seize accounts
• Place liens on property
• Garnish income sources
• Reverse fraudulent transfers
• Recover your share

Discovery makes collection of hidden money possible.

Investigation Timeline

Simple cases—3 to 5 days: Straightforward finances. Minimal concealment. Quick discovery of hidden money.

Standard cases—1 to 2 weeks: Multiple accounts. Some complexity. Typical investigation timeline to find hidden money.

Complex cases—3 to 4 weeks: Sophisticated concealment. Multiple states. Crypto involved. Thorough search for hidden money.

Proper investigation takes time. But we work efficiently.

What to Tell Your Investigator

Provide Accurate Information

Give us details about suspected hidden assets :

• Income history
• Lifestyle observations
• Suspicious behaviors
• Financial changes you’ve noticed
• Properties or accounts you know about

Better information helps us locate money faster.

Share Suspicions

Tell us why you think there’s concealment:

• Vague answers about finances
• Defensive behavior
• Lifestyle doesn’t match claimed poverty
• Recent transfers or changes

Your instincts about hidden money are usually right.

Document Everything

Before investigation, gather:

• Tax returns if accessible
• Bank statements you have
• Credit card bills
• Property records
• Business documents

Documentation helps track money trails.

Common Hiding Tactics We Uncover

The Family Transfer

Moving assets before investigation:

• “Selling” property to parents
• Transferring accounts to siblings
• Giving vehicles to relatives
• Using nominees for ownership

We trace suspicious transfers of  money.

Business Shell Games

Hiding wealth in companies:

• Understating revenue
• Inflating fake expenses
• Creating multiple entities
• Off-book transactions

Forensic accounting reveals hidden cash in businesses.

Offshore Accounts

International concealment:

• Foreign bank accounts
• Overseas investments
• Tax haven holdings
• International transfers

We investigate offshore hidden money through transaction trails.

Real Talk

Your spouse claims you’re broke. Your partner says there’s nothing. Someone owing you pleads poverty.

But you know there’s wealth. You saw them earn it. Watched them spend it. Know it exists.

Investigation proves what you already know. Bank accounts don’t lie. Property records don’t lie. Business filings don’t lie.

Don’t let someone keep hidden money that’s rightfully yours. Don’t accept poverty claims when lifestyle proves otherwise.

Get investigation done. Find what’s concealed. Protect yourself.

Because you know it’s there. We prove it.

We Find What You’re Owed

At Terrance Private Investigators and Associates, we’ve located concealed wealth throughout Austin , Dallas , Houston and Texas for fifteen years.

We’ve found millions. Secret accounts. Properties. Businesses. Cryptocurrency. All of it.

When someone’s stashing hidden money, we find it.