Did you live in different states and did not change your address information with banks and insurance companies you used in the past? Have you years ago changed jobs and forgotten about an old retirement plan? Are you a surviving spouse who may be unaware of the deceased’s accounts?

Unclaimed or abandoned property includes retirement benefits, bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance benefits, wages, stocks, bonds, security deposits, and safe deposit box contents. 

Each state’s unclaimed property law requires banks and insurance companies to report unclaimed property to the state. Details and time periods vary by state and property type, but 3 to 5 years of no activity are common to trigger reporting requirements. Each year, states return more than $ 3 Billion.

A link to each state’s unclaimed property website is available at unclaimed.org. Most states also provide data about unclaimed property to missingmoney.com.

A database for unclaimed retirement benefits is available at the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits. Lost Pension benefits can be identified via the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. You can also contact your former employer’s HR department or the plan administrator. If your former employer filed for bankruptcy, your balance is likely still held at the investment company that administered the plan. You may be owed back wages if the U.S. Department of Labor determined that your employer violated labor laws.

In addition, you can search for unclaimed money from the U.S. Government (e.g. undelivered federal tax refunds, unclaimed veterans life insurance) or funds held for closed banks and credit unions.