Life is all about juggling different things at one time. That is why it should come as no surprise that some things can slip through the cracks. What may be surprising though is that some of the things that slip through could actually be valuable. This includes unclaimed money or other assets that are waiting to be claimed. The exact way to get your funds will vary depending on your state. Besides money, there may also be other types of unclaimed assets waiting for you! That is why it’s important to always stay in the loop.
What is Unclaimed Money?
A lot of people have some form of unclaimed money waiting for them. In fact, about one in seven people across America have something that is rightfully theirs waiting to be reclaimed. This number comes from the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). There are two main types of unclaimed properties. There is tangible, and intangible. When it comes to tangible unclaimed property, that basically means anything touchable. When looking for what’s yours, you may come across different types of properties such as:
- Employment Checks That are Uncashed
- Stocks
- Annuities
- Certificates of Deposit
- Checking Accounts or Savings Accounts
- Security Deposits
- Customer Overpayments
- Insurance Payments
- Contents of Safe Deposit Boxes
- Mineral Royalty Payments
- Refunds
- Traveler’s Checks
- Insurance Refunds
- Trust Distributions
- Uncashed Dividends
Basically unclaimed money is the result of assets being returned to the state after a certain period of dormancy. This just refers to a period where the unclaimed property experiences no activity. After this period is over and the funds are handed to the state, they remain there until they are reclaimed.
How to Get Unclaimed Money?
There is a tool on the NAUPA website that shows the unclaimed money search engine for each state. However, you can also look up information online. Generally, the website you will use will be run by the treasury department of your state. However, this isn’t the only source. People may be able to find unclaimed properties at places like outreach events, data sources, specific tools from certain agencies, and more.
Are There Ways to Avoid Money Becoming Unclaimed in the First Place?
While being able to reclaim assets that are legally yours is nice, it would be even nicer to never have to go through the process of getting them. Some tips to achieve this include keeping accounts active, maintaining proper contact information, and having your records in order. Regardless, it may not be avoidable in certain cases! So even if you can’t prevent unclaimed property, at least knowing how to get it back is a good plan B.
Overall
It can be a shock to people that they need to reclaim something that was once theirs. However, it’s quite common and easy to handle the process. Each state has its own search engine for people to use to see if they are due anything. The process is free and can help you reclaim what’s yours. If you want to use the search engine for your state, you can check out the NAUPA website. There, they will be able to point you to their map of state search engines. However, you can also look for unclaimed property in other ways. This can include outreach events, data sources, specific tools from certain agencies, and more. If you have any questions you will want to get in touch with your state’s treasury office. They will likely be able to answer questions you have or at least point you in the right direction! Unclaimed property may be waiting for you, make sure you reclaim what’s yours!
