ByA Guide to Checking Your Old Bank Accounts for Unclaimed Money
Finding money in the pockets of your old clothes can make your day! Imagine how you would feel if you found out that you have money in a bank account you used years ago. The sum in your bank account may well exceed the one you usually find in your pockets! This is why you should learn how to get your unclaimed money.
What’s Unclaimed Money?
People are often unaware of the money they inherited from a deceased relative or funds in old bank accounts and insurance policies. Banks and financial institutions have to try to find the owner of dormant assets, and if they fail, they declare the property unclaimed. After that, the dormancy period of usually five years has to pass before the government declares the property abandoned and takes it over.
Federal and state agencies hold billions of dollars of unclaimed money. Most people don’t know that some lost money awaits them in state treasuries. If you find any missing money under your name, you will have to file a claim to get it.
What Are Different Types of Unclaimed Money?
State depositories store various types of unclaimed property, including:
- Stocks
- Mutual funds
- Insurance money
- Traveler’s checks
- Forgotten refunds
- Inheritance money
- Scholarship money
- Unclaimed pensions
- Uncashed dividends
- Safe-deposit box contents
- Positive bank account balances
Some of this property might still be in your bank, or it may have been transferred to the state treasury. Either way, you can search for your lost property and claim it.
How Does Money From Bank Accounts Get Lost?
You might be unaware that you have some property in a bank because of the following:
|
Account Dormancy |
Your account will go dormant if you don’t make any deposits or withdrawals for some time |
|
Unknown Inheritance |
You may have unclaimed money in the old bank account of your deceased relatives |
|
Personal Information Change |
Your former bank may not be aware that you changed your name or address |
|
Bank Failure |
Your money might stay unclaimed when your bank stops operating or changes its owner or name |
How To Find Unclaimed Money From Bank Accounts on Your Own
If you want to check whether you have any unclaimed money from old bank accounts, you can do it in several ways:
- Through the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
- Via National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA)
- With MissingMoney.com
How To Find Lost Money in Bank Accounts With the FDIC
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has a large database with the history of institutions insured by them. You can search the database to get the contact information of your bank or see whether it’s still operating. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the FDIC database
- Type in the bank’s name
- Fill out the form
- Click on Search
If the bank is still open, you can use the contact information to get in touch with it and inquire about your unclaimed assets. If you are searching for an old account of your deceased relative, be prepared to provide documentation, such as the death certificate.
In case the bank is closed, the FDIC might have your unclaimed money. The FDIC will usually hand over the unclaimed property to the state depository after some time.
If you want to inquire about your lost money in old bank accounts, you can get more information from:
- FDIC’s Unclaimed Funds page
- FDIC specialist by calling 1-888-206-4662
- Consumer Assistance form
Look for Your Unclaimed Money in Banks With NAUPA
If you want to find any unclaimed money under your name that is held by the government, you can do it through the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) by following these steps:
- Go to the organization’s Search page
- Choose the state you lived in and had a bank account
- Fill out the form when you get redirected to the treasury office of the state you choose
NAUPA provides the search for unclaimed money service for free.
Search for Your Unclaimed Money From Banks via MissingMoney.com
MissingMoney.com is a website sponsored by NAUPA, and you can use it to find your unclaimed property without paying any fees. Using this website might suit you better if you have lost property in several states. The search results will list any states where you have unclaimed assets as well as the information about the government institutions where you need to make your claim.
Why Don’t People Claim Their Money?
It often happens that people find thousands of dollars of unclaimed money under their name, and the question is why they left it unclaimed in the first place. The reasons why people don’t claim their money are manifold:
- They are not aware that they have unclaimed funds
- They can’t find a way to track unclaimed money
- They think the process of finding and claiming a lost property is complicated
Use DoNotPay To Find Unclaimed Money From Bank Accounts Fast
Searching your lost property from old bank accounts doesn’t have to be complicated! You can find your unclaimed money in a matter of minutes with DoNotPay!
With our app, you don’t have to call banks to inquire about your property or visit numerous websites to look for your lost money. We will search through federal and state databases in your stead!
To find unclaimed money under your name via DoNotPay, do the following:
- Log in to DoNotPay in any
- Select the Missing Money option
- Provide your basic personal information, including your middle name and previous addresses
In case the results show that you are entitled to any unclaimed money, you can use DoNotPay’s Claim My Property feature, and we will claim the assets on your behalf.
DoNotPay is a AI Consumer Champion that has helped many people solve their administrative and small issues. Our efforts were recognized by the American Bar Association, which gave us the Louis M. Brown Award for Access.
DoNotPay Has a Treasure of Other Helpful Features
With DoNotPay, you can search for your lost property in any state, including Texas, Oregon, Alabama, Missouri, California, Oklahoma, Maryland, and more. You can also use DoNotPay to learn how to search for unclaimed money by Social Security number.
Apart from dealing with unclaimed assets, DoNotPay can help you with a plethora of other tasks. You can use our app to cancel subscriptions or memberships, request refunds from companies, or start free trials without the risk of being charged after they expire.
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