Get reunited with your accounts that are unclaimed.

Unclaimed property programs returned $4.49 billion dollars to rightful owners from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024.

Many people have unclaimed assets because they were not aware of them, have forgotten about them, or they have relatives with property that has been left to them.  Anyone can search for assets for free. If a business, financial institution, or government owes you money that you did not collect, it is considered unclaimed money or property. Anyone can file for unclaimed money owed to them, or that was owed to a deceased relative if they are their legal heir. Unclaimed assets can be uncashed checks, old, forgotten bank accounts, life insurance policies and safe deposit boxes.

How does an asset become unclaimed?

• Neglecting to update an account when moving or changing addresses.
• Forgetting accounts closed years ago.
• Not cashing a check, cashier’s check, money order, or collecting on a matured insurance policy or a dividend.
• Estate distribution to an heir who was unaware of it.
• A relative with a medical condition may have forgotten about certain accounts.
• Forgetting about mineral interests, royalty payments, stocks, mutual funds, or bonds.

There is no one place to look for all unclaimed assets.  State governments hold most unclaimed money, but there are other databases that should be searched as well.  The best place to start is to search for unclaimed money from your state’s unclaimed property office. If you have lived in other states, check those as well.  Here are some of the various databases available to search for each type of unclaimed assets.

Missingmoney.com  provides links to your state’s unclaimed property office and allows you to search multiple state databases for free.

ChexSystems.com: Request a free copy of your ChexSystems report, which provides information about your past bank account history and can help you find forgotten accounts.

www.unclaimed.org  is the website of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). This is a legitimate site created by state officials to help people search for funds that may belong to you or your relatives. Searches are free.

The USA.gov/unclaimed-money website has the following information chart broken down by category of asset:

To find money from:	Check this database:
Employers	Unpaid wages – Search the Department of Labor’s database for back pay an employer might owe you. Pensions from former employers – Use the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) search tool to find an unclaimed pension. The non-profit Pension Rights Center, at pensonrights.org can connect you with free help depending on what state your company is located in. Missing retirement funds go to https://lostandfound.dol.gov/.
Unclaimed insurance	VA life insurance funds – Search the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) database for unclaimed insurance funds for veterans. FHA insurance refunds – If you had a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), search the HUD database to see if you are eligible for a refund.
Taxes	Tax refunds – Use the IRS Where’s My Refund? search tool if you have not received your tax refund. Stimulus checks – The period to claim unpaid Economic Impact Payments has ended. In December 2024, the IRS sent payments to people who didn’t receive them or claim the Recovery Rebate credit by April 2025.  Read about the IRS’ payments of the recovery rebate credit.
Investments	SEC enforcement funds – Search the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) database for money from an investment enforcement case.
Bank failures	Bank failures – Search the FDIC database for unclaimed funds from closed financial institutions. Credit union failures – Find unclaimed deposits from closed credit unions.
Savings bonds	Use TreasuryHunt.gov to find matured savings bonds that have stopped earning interest. You can also learn how to replace a lost or destroyed savings bond.
Bankruptcies	Use the U.S. Courts Unclaimed Funds Locator to search for money you may be owed after a person or business declared bankruptcy.
Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts	The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA) manages Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts for Native American and Alaska Native beneficiaries. Check the Whereabouts Unknown search tool to see if you have an unclaimed account.

 

Two things to note:

Be cautious of services that charge fees for finding unclaimed property; you can often search these databases for free.

When claiming lost funds, you will typically need to provide proof of identity and possibly documentation to establish ownership or your right to the assets.

We know you’re disappointed you were not a winner of the recent $1.9 billion Powerball Lottery, we feel the same way. We wish you good luck in finding a forgotten asset.

 

 

 

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