Helpful Tips to Find Unclaimed Money Yourself

There are many reasons why businesses, schools, and other organizations are required to turnover funds to the state. One of the most common reasons is because a person moved or cannot be contacted with the information the organization has on file. When this happens, any funds due are passed to the state. The state keeps these funds until the funds are claimed and can be turned over to who the funds are due to be paid.

State By State Search Feature

A lot of people don't even realize that they have unclaimed money. Things like an overpaid utility bill or a refund for services are easy to lose track of. To find unclaimed money, you don't need to know why the money was turned over. You just need your name and the state(s) you live in to do a search. Here's how it works:

Search for unclaimed money

MissingMoney.com

The website MissingMoney.com is connected with all of the state databases that have unclaimed money. Despite its name seeming a little sketchy, MissingMoney.com is a legitimate website. If you put in your information and find that you have unclaimed property, MissingMoney.com will link you to the appropriate government website or resource for you to get a claim form. Some states may require you to get a claim form notarized. Others require different forms of identification. Regardless, the sites MissingMoney.com provides are trustworthy government websites. If you're able to complete the claim form online, you'll receive your unclaimed funds shortly.

Unclaimed.org

Another resource for finding unclaimed money is Unclaimed.org. This website requires that you search by state, whereas MissingMoney.com will do a national search by name. Unclaimed.org is the National Associate of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) website. However, it's important to know that NAUPA endorses MissingMoney.com as a search partner. It's best to try MissingMoney.com first, then double check with Unclaimed.org to see if any funds are due to you.

Why can't the state just find me?

Since state resources are limited, after whoever owed you money attempted to contact you the funds end up in holding. It's your responsibility to find and claim these funds. But rest assured that the state is keeping any money due to you safe and will return it promptly once you verify with a claim form or by the necessary process.

Find missing savings bonds

Government savings and treasury bonds or notes

If you've misplaced a savings bond, you must fill out this form. There used to be an online search feature at TreasuryHunt.gov, but it is gone now. But if you fill out the form and send it in someone will contact you.

Life insurance claims

Each state has an insurance department that keeps track of policies. If you don't know who owns your policy or if you want to claim a policy, you can look up your state's insurance department and find a record of where the policy is being held.

Unclaimed tax returns

If you file taxes each year, you may be wondering how a tax return could go unclaimed. However, if there were years during which your income was lower than necessary to file, you may have a tax return due to you. The IRS can help you locate your unclaimed tax return. Note that there is no penalty for an unclaimed tax return; no matter how long it's been, you can still get your tax return.

Retirement or pension funds

Many companies merge with other businesses or acquire other companies. When this happens, things like retirement or pension funds can get lost in the shuffle. If you have a pension, the pension is likely guaranteed by the U.S. government. The Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation is the U.S. government agency that does this. Their website has a search function so you can locate any unclaimed pensions and make sure you are able to claim your funds.

Unclaimed funds from banks and credit unions

The FDIC insures bank accounts, and you can contact them for any bank-related fund issues. For credit unions, the National Credit Union Association (NCUA) is who to contact for missing funds. It's good to check in with the FDIC and the NCUA if your bank or credit union closes and you think you may have had money in an account.

Visit This State by State Guide to Search for Unclaimed Assets