What Is Unclaimed Money?

If the government owes you money and you do not collect it, then it’s unclaimed. This can also happen with banks, credit unions, pensions, and other sources.

Beware of unclaimed money scams. There are people who pretend to be the government and offer to send you unclaimed money for a fee. Government agencies will not call you about unclaimed money or assets. Learn how to spot these types of scams.

Where to Look for Unclaimed Money

Currently, the government does not have one website for finding unclaimed money by name, Social Security number, or state. To find it, you’ll need to visit each site separately and perform a search.

States’ Unclaimed Money

• Search by State  – Search your state’s listing of unclaimed funds and property.

Retirement

• Pensions from Former Employers  – Search for unclaimed pension money from companies that went out of business or ended a defined plan.

Taxes

• Tax Refunds  – The IRS may owe you money if your refund was unclaimed or undelivered.
• Check the Status of Your Federal Tax Refund  – If you filed a federal tax return and expect a refund, you can check the status online.

Banking, Investments, and Currency

• Bank Failures  – Search the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for unclaimed funds from failed financial institutions.
• Credit Union Failures  – Find unclaimed deposits from credit unions.
• SEC Claims Funds  – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lists enforcement cases where a company or person owes investors money.
• Damaged Money  – The Treasury Department will exchange mutilated or damaged U.S. currency.

Mortgages

• FHA-Insurance Refunds  – If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be eligible for a refund from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Savings Bonds

• Search for Savings Bonds That Stopped Earning Interest  – Treasury Hunt allows you to search for bonds issued since 1974 that have matured and are no longer earning interest.
• Calculate the Value  – Find the value of your paper savings bond.
• Replace a Savings Bond  – Replace lost, stolen, or destroyed paper savings bonds.

International

• Foreign Claims  – U.S. nationals can find money owed to them from foreign governments after loss of property.

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