Tips to Locate Your Portion of Billions of Unclaimed Money
- Author: Jeffrey Simmons
- Posted: 2026-02-07
The rising cost of living, from mortgages and groceries to electricity and gasoline, is putting a strain on American families' finances. As a result, now is a fantastic opportunity to claim money you may not even be aware is owed to you.
Billions of dollars in unclaimed monies have accumulated, ranging from old savings accounts and stocks to abandoned bonds, tax refunds, and forgotten retirement funds.
What exactly is unclaimed property?
These are old savings accounts, safe deposit box contents, uncashed cheques, insurance policies, CDs, trust money, utility deposits, stocks and bonds, paychecks, and escrow accounts that belonged to you or a deceased relative.
The best thing is that it is completely free. And it's all yours. One of the roles of the United States Treasury Department is to assist ordinary Americans in claiming lost money. You have a right to this cash.
You don't have to pay a shady business or spend cash to get what is rightfully yours. If someone offers you money to assist you to discover the unclaimed property, ignore them. You may simply accomplish it on your own.
Start in Your State
Finding money is quite easy, but the process starts where you reside. Each state has a separate treasury website with a dedicated search tool for overdue fees. Do not just Google the website. Internet fraudsters exist, and fake websites are undoubtedly a possibility.
The websites vary slightly depending on the state, but you may submit your information by following the step-by-step instructions, and the database will handle the rest. These pages frequently contain the documentation you need to fill out in order to collect your money.
Additionally, you'll need to present identification documentation and probably get your signatures notarized. Each government agency determines how long it will take to collect; it may take a few weeks or longer, but it is effective.
National search
Your state search may direct you to MissingMoney.com, a nationwide database site. This website will direct you to the appropriate treasury agencies if you've lived or worked in multiple states.
MissingMoney is a no-cost government search engine. The site only requires your name and state of residence (s). Because living in many locations complicates your search, you may have to comb through the results.
MissingMoney compiles this financial information in one location. Don't make the mistake of thinking your search is over.
Search for VA Life Coverage Benefits
A search for unclaimed insurance monies owed to current and previous policyholders or beneficiaries is available on the website of the Department of Veteran Affairs. Funds from Servicemembers' and Veterans' Group Life Insurance plans from 1965 to the present are not included in the search. However, it's absolutely worth a try.
Simply enter your or your vet's last name into the VA.gov search bar.
Look for Unused Retirement Savings
As you advance in your profession, it is your responsibility to determine whether former perks or retirement funds may be transferred or paid out. You might have money in an old 401(k) fund that you forgot about.
The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits will assist you in locating funds held by previous employers. You will be required to provide your SSN in order to search. The site is safe, as it claims to encrypt personal data and conduct regular security checks. It appears to be secure to me.
Don't overlook investments and shuttered banks
Like other companies, banks also shut down. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation provides a customized search to determine whether money in your name is still in any bankrupt financial institution.
On the Federal Credit Union Administration website, you may search similarly for funds left in credit unions.
You may search for any matured investment bonds that have ceased paying interest at TreasuryHunt.gov.
Take a moment to remove yourself from this database broker website that gathers your name, address, employment, and other information while you're looking for your information online.
Look for Any Unclaimed Tax Refunds
You may owe money to the Internal Revenue Service. Every year, the IRS receives millions in unclaimed tax refunds.
If you believe the IRS owes you cash, you can submit a claim with the IRS to notify them of your new location. Furthermore, if your employer withholds cash from you, you have a maximum of three years to file a claim with the IRS to recover your money.
Make looking for unclaimed money a yearly ritual. Do it on a particular day that you will remember every year, like your birthday or an anniversary.
