Across the U.S., millions of dollars wait in old bank accounts, forgotten retirement andpension plans, andtax refundsfor their legal owners to claim them. Most frequently, money goes unclaimed because of misaddressed mail or checks, or notifications weren't forwarded after recipients moved.
Once you know where to look, you also canapply some basic methods for finding missing money and getting that money back. Below, we'll share eight places you can look.
State Departments of Taxation
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Just likefederal tax refunds,state tax refundsoften don't find their intended recipients because of name changes, moves, or an undeliverable address. Check the websiteunclaimed.org, which provides a way for you to search by clicking on a state, territory, or province from a map or drop-down box. Be sure to search in every state where you have had an address.
The Internal Revenue Service
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Each year, billions of dollars ofincome tax refundchecks are undelivered or unclaimed due to incorrect addresses, incorrect bank account information, and from taxpayers moving addresses. Contact the IRS to track downany losttax refunds or unclaimed money.
If you haven't filed a tax return for a prior year, and you have a refund coming to you, the IRS does not penalize you for filing late.
Note
However, you have only three years to claim any outstanding refund before the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.
If you believe you're owed a refund, but you have not received it, you can use the IRS Where's My Refund site.
Employer Retirement Plans
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Sometimes people change jobs, forgetting about a small balance in their previous employer's retirement plan. And sometimes, years later, that balance has grown quite pleasantly. The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits can help you locate such surprises. The registry is a free resource: a public service organization devoted to helping former employees locate lost or forgotten benefits. This site also can be useful for executors of estates who are trying to track down unclaimed money on behalf of a loved one or deceased person.
Failed Pension Plans
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If you worked for a company whose pension plan failed, don't assume all is lost. It might be that thePension Benefit Guaranty Corporation(PBGC), whichinsures pension benefits, owes you some money; it may not be the full amount due, but it would be something. Start digging for your long-lost treasure at theFind a Trusted Pension Plansection of the PBGC site.
Old Bank Accounts
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You may have unclaimed funds in old bank accounts, in the shape of insurance premium refunds, utility or phone account deposits, dividendpayments, escrow accounts, or wages owed to you by a former employer. Using a database of governmental unclaimed property records, the site missingmoney.comprovides a place to look for many of these types of errant funds all at once.
If you had funds in a bank that was closed between January 1989 and June 1993, you may be able to make a claim with the FDIC, assuming your deposits were insured and the bank remains in FDIC receivership. Since June 1993, such funds have been turned over to state agencies.
The U.S. Treasury
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The Treasury Department has a record of billions of dollars of savings bonds that no longer pay interest and yet have not been redeemed by the bond owner. If you still have these savings bonds, you'll want to cash them in or reinvest them so that your money can start working for you again. If you think you have such bonds but can't locate them, the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service offers a claim form for lost,stolen, or destroyed items.
Life Insurance Policies
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Life insurancebenefits go unclaimed more often than you might think. If you owned alife insurance policyfrom a company that demutualized, it may owe you cash or stock; if you had a relative pass away, unclaimed life insurance benefits might be waiting out there for you. In either case, the place to start your search is at demutualization-claims.com.
Note
Don't let forgotten benefits slip away—you may still be able to claim them even if you think it's been too long.
Credit Card Rewards
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If you have credit cards in your wallet that offer rewards for the points you earn, you may have some unclaimed money. Cards such as the Citi Double Cash Card and Discover it Cash Back Credit Card offer cash back rewards, which return a percentage of all purchases made on the cards.
To see if you have unclaimed cash back, log in to your account and find the rewards center. Within the rewards center, you should see what you have earned. If you are unable to locate this area, reach out to the customer service team of your credit card provider.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you claim previously unclaimed funds?
Not all types of unclaimed funds are reclaimed the same way. Check with state authorities for more information about unclaimed property processes in your area. States won't track all unclaimed property, but they'll help you track down many sources, including bank accounts, securities, uncashed checks, insurance benefits, and more. If you find any unclaimed property on the state website, you may be able to reclaim it with a simple online form.
How long do you have to get your unclaimed funds?
States typically set statutes of limitations, including in cases of unclaimed funds. For example, in Maryland, there is no statute of limitations on collecting unclaimed property.
