Finding and Recovering Unclaimed Money

Unclaimed money is money left behind in the form of forgotten bank accounts, utility deposits, wages, tax refunds, pensions, life insurance policies and more. In most cases, unclaimed money can be recovered by the rightful owners.   Both the state and federal governments may be holding unclaimed money and both provide resources for finding and recovering it. You Might Have Unclaimed Property If†¦ You have moved -- with or without—leaving a forwarding address. (Moving is the main source of abandoned utility deposits and bank account balances.)You have retired, been reassigned, or laid off from a job.You have not made a transaction on your checking or savings account for over three years.You have stopped payments on an insurance policy.You have an uncashed check made out to you more than 3 years agoYou regularly throw away your mail without reading it.You have noticed that regular dividend, interest, or royalty checks have stopped coming.You have settled a deceased family members estate. State Unclaimed Money Resources States are the best place to look for unclaimed money. Each state handles the reporting and collection of unclaimed property and each state has its own laws and methods for recovering unclaimed property. All 50 states have secure online unclaimed money and property search applications on their websites, along with information on how to claim and recover it. Unclaimed money most often held by the states comes in the form of: Utility deposits (very common), credit balances, store refunds State income tax refundsUncashed checksStock certificates or accounts, bonds, mutual fund accountsLife insurance policy proceedsUndistributed wagesChecking and savings accountsGift certificatesTravelers ChecksSafe deposit boxesRoyalty paymentsCourt awards or deposits Federal Unclaimed Money Resources Unlike the states, no single agency of the U.S. federal government can or will help people recover their unclaimed property. â€Å"There is no government-wide, centralized information service or database from which information on unclaimed government assets may be obtained. Each individual Federal agency maintains its own records and would need to research and release that data on a case-by-case basis,† states the United States Treasury Department. However, some individual federal agencies can help. Back Wages If you think you may be owed back wages from your employer, search the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division’s online database of workers for whom it has money waiting to be claimed. Veteran’s Life Insurance Funds The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) maintains a searchable database of unclaimed insurance funds that are owed to certain current or former policyholders or their beneficiaries. However, the VA notes that the database does not include funds from Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) policies from 1965 to the present.   Pensions from Former Employers While it no longer offers a searchable database, the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation offers information on companies that have gone out of business or ended a defined retirement plan without paying outstanding benefits. They also offer a list of non-government resources for finding unclaimed pensions. Federal Income Tax Refunds The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may have unclaimed property in the form of unclaimed or undeliverable tax refunds. For example, the IRS may have refund money for persons who did have enough income in a given year to file returns. In addition, the IRS has millions of dollars in checks that are returned each year as undeliverable due to out-of-date address information. The IRS’ â€Å"Where’s My Refund† web service can be used to look for unclaimed tax refunds. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may owe you money if your refund was unclaimed or undelivered. Banking, Investments, and Currency Bank Failures: Unclaimed funds from failed financial institutions can be recovered from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Credit Union Failures: Unclaimed funds from failed credit unions can be found through the National Credit Union Administration. SEC Claims Funds: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lists enforcement cases in which a company or person owes investors money. Damaged Money: The U.S. Treasury Department will in most cases exchange mutilated or damaged U.S. currency. Mortgages Persons had an FHA-insured mortgage may be eligible for a refund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). To search the HUD mortgage refund database, you will need your FHA case number (three digits, a dash, and the next six digits—for example, 051-456789). US Savings Bonds The Treasury Department’s â€Å"Treasury Hunt† service allows people to search for forgotten savings bonds issued since 1974 that have matured and are no longer earning interest. In addition, the â€Å"Treasury Direct† service can be used to replace lost, stolen, or destroyed paper savings bonds. Unclaimed Money Scams Where there is money, there will be scams. Beware of anybody – including people claiming to work for the government – who promise to send you unclaimed money for a fee. Scammers use a variety of tricks to get your attention, but their goal is the same: to get you to send them money. Government agencies will not call you about unclaimed money or assets and as illustrated here, there are plenty of ways to get your money yourself. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides tips on how you can avoid government imposter scams.