Cash reward for help retrieving my 0.5 bitcoin Mainly due to utter curiosity I purchased 0.5 bitcoin in 2013 and I have a piece of paper with 3 different passwords on. however, I've recently opened the wallet I had the coin in, but nothing shows up! Neither does it ask me for a password?  I've searched around for knowledgeable individuals who can guide me - in very layman terms - as to what process I need to go through in attempting to retrieve this 1/2 coin. As I'm very much in need of getting rid of the 1/2 coin I shall be more than happy to financially reward any person who can successfully retrieve it.
First off: DO NOT send those exact passwords to anyone offering help. Having those passwords may allow them to access and steal your coins. 

If you open your wallet and see a zero balance, that is probably not a good sign if you haven't moved the coins yourself. Look at the history of transactions, and see if there are any that moved the coins to a new address. You need to figure out if the bitcoin has been moved to an address that you no longer control.