How To Find Unclaimed Money in Iowa

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help.

Wondering if You Have Unclaimed Money in Iowa? Find It With DoNotPay!

There are billions of dollars of unclaimed property currently in possession of federal and state treasuries, and some of it could be yours! Plenty of people who own unclaimed money don't even know they're entitled to it.

It can happen because they weren’t aware their deceased relative had money saved, some life insurance can be cashed in, or something else entirely. If you aren't sure how to check for unclaimed money or are scared of scammers, don't despair! You can find and claim property securely by using DoNotPay’s Missing Money feature.

What Is Unclaimed Money and How Does It Go Missing?

Companies or financial institutions declare assets abandoned when nobody claims them for some time. If the owner moved to another state or became otherwise hard to find and contact, the property goes to the government.

It seems unlikely that people forget about their property, but it isn't as uncommon as you might think. The most common ways for money to go unclaimed are:

  • Bank failures when customers don't know their bank closed or don't know how to collect their money
  • Death of the owner who didn't appoint any heirs
  • Unclaimed pensions when a company shuts down, and there is no available information on employees
  • Relocation to another state without cashing in the last paycheck or not providing a forwarding address
  • Forgotten accounts and life insurance policies

What Can Become Unclaimed Money in Iowa?

Various assets can fall into the government's hands as unclaimed money. The types of abandoned property include:

  • Savings accounts
  • Safe-deposit box contents
  • Life insurance
  • Stocks
  • Payroll checks
  • Overpayments from customers
  • Court funds

It's not hard to imagine how someone could forget about a deposit box after a while, but often people weren't even aware they had a claim over the property in the first place. It’s why we advise every American to check for lost money occasionally. You can avoid missing out on cash that could prove useful for paying bills.

Jump Over All Bureaucratic Obstacles and Find Unclaimed Money in Iowa With DoNotPay

If you're one of those people who shiver at the thought of doing formalities like filing claims, you're in luck. DoNotPay is a simpler way to find and reclaim all your missing money fast. The process only takes seconds of your time:

  1. Open DoNotPay and look for the Missing Money feature
  2. Answer a few quick questions to provide us with enough information
  3. Let DoNotPay find any property that is connected to your name
  4. Use the Claim My Property feature

DoNotPay will then file a claim in your name, so you don't have to do the work. If you moved between states, you can give us all your previous addresses, and we'll search for lost assets in all states you lived in. All you have to do to get our help is search for DoNotPay in your and set up an account. We won’t even ask you for your Social Security number like many government websites do!

How Can I Search for Unclaimed Money in Iowa on My Own?

Finding lost property on your own is possible, but it might take some work. The process is more complicated for people who moved between several states, mostly because the federal government doesn't provide a way to search for properties nationwide. You have to search for each state on their separate websites. If you want to find properties in Iowa, here's how you can do it by yourself:

  1. Go to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt website
  2. Look for the Search for Unclaimed Property option from the menu
  3. Provide your information, including last and first name
  4. Enter the name of the city if you have a more specific idea of what you're looking for (optional)
  5. Enter the property ID
  6. Hit Search
  7. Click File Your Claim on your property

If you want to file a claim, you will need to provide some extra information. You will need to enter the last known mailing address, your relation to the owner of the property, or whatever else applies in your case.

I'm Scared of Scammers, How Do I Recognize a Hoax?

Anything that involves money is sure to attract scammers. Claiming property is no exception. How do you recognize when a con-artist is targeting you? There aren't any foolproof ways to know, especially since some states work with third-party companies to track people down. You can remember these guidelines to stay as safe as possible:

Secure ways to find your propertyRisky ways to find your property
  • Using DoNotPay to track down unclaimed money
  • Searching for the property using an official government website such as Great Iowa Treasure Hunt
  • Phone calls from people claiming they found your property
  • Emails from sketchy companies that have no proof they're working with the government
  • Documents you receive in the mail that seem suspicious

In general, the state will rarely contact owners of unclaimed properties. You should expect to do all the work, so don't fall for phone calls that promise you heaps of money for a small fee. If they ask for your payment information, it’s most likely a scam.

What if a Private Investigation Business Informs Me of Unclaimed Iowa Money?

There is one exception to the rule of not trusting third-party companies—investigation firms. Iowa Code allows private investigation firms to contact individuals and help them recover unclaimed property for a fee. If you signed a contract with such a firm, you can void it under certain conditions:

  • The investigation firm doesn't have a proper license
  • The state treasury registered the property as unclaimed less than 24 months ago
  • The fee is worth more than 15% of the property’s value
  • The third-party company has provided false information to the state treasury or claimant

These firms can help people find unclaimed property when they aren’t aware of its existence. Even if they do contact you, the safest way is to check DoNotPay for unclaimed property and claim it yourself.

Need More Help? Check Out What Else DoNotPay Can Do

Use DoNotPay to locate unclaimed property in Rhode Island, Hawaii, Montana, or any other state in the U.S.

Is it time to ditch our app after you find your unclaimed property? Not yet—we still have plenty of features for you to try. DoNotPay is a powerful ally in everyday troubles you might find yourself in. From getting a refund from a company which doesn’t offer compensation to disputing your parking ticket in any city—we cover it all. To recruit our help, you only have to open our app in your and set up an account.

Still on the fence? Here's a list of other helpful features we have to offer you:

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