Have you ever dreamed of getting a sudden financial windfall? An inheritance from a long-lost uncle, a winning lottery ticket, an unexpected bonus at work – that’s what financial fantasies are made of. What if we told you there actually might be a windfall in your future?
You could find unclaimed money you didn’t even realize you were entitled to, and that isn’t a scam. Most people don’t realize that they have missing money or property. But if you have moved across state lines, changed your name or lived in lots of places, it’s possible your money or property may have gone unclaimed because authorities were unable to track you down.
Not everyone has unclaimed money and property, of course. But it’s certainly worth the effort to see if you are among those who do. Use these tips to find missing money that may be waiting for you.
Your first stop on your quest to find unclaimed money and property should be the database maintained by the Pennsylvania Treasury Department. It helps track down the rightful recipients of some $2.3 billion in unclaimed property, and the state government claims 10 percent of Pennsylvanians have funds to be recovered.
Checking the database takes just a couple of minutes when you follow these steps:
Whether you are searching the PA database or elsewhere, be sure to use all permutations of your name. For example, if you got married and changed your name from Jane Doe to Jane Smith, do your search under both names.
Don’t just look in Pennsylvania. If you’ve ever lived out of state, you will need to search in those states as well. Keep in mind, the process of searching for unclaimed money varies from state to state.
Most states have pages similar to PA’s unclaimed property database. You can search for the state name and “how to find unclaimed money” to find those pages. Make sure the domain is a “.gov” to know you can trust it. You can also go to unclaimed.org, a site recommended by the federal treasury department, to check places where you have lived.
Missing money isn’t limited to the state level. You may also have missing funds at the federal level as well, such as an unclaimed tax return or money back from a Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgage. Other federal-level money you may be eligible for includes:
It will usually take some time to recover your unclaimed money after you have found it. State and federal databases usually offer claim forms you can print and mail in, but your information will have to be verified before any money is sent out. In some cases, you may have to have your documentation notarized before you submit it, and this service may require a fee that you pay directly to the notary.
You should also be careful to stick with government-affiliated sites as you search for missing money. Scammers do, unfortunately, target people who are looking for unclaimed funds. They set up websites that will ask you to send them money before your “funds” are released. You will never find that request on a legitimate website. Don’t submit your Social Security number to a non-.gov site, either, as it could be a scammer who will try to steal your identity.
If you have missing money, you deserve to find it. Take a few minutes today to see whether you have some unexpected money coming your way. And for more money management tips and resources, check out our WalletWorks page.