Most Americans were affected financially by the Corona virus pandemic, which makes now the best time to scour for any extra cash. We are not talking about searching your coat pockets in the hope of seeing $10. There are ways to search for money that you forgot. In the course of this article, we will be covering a practical guide on how to look for unclaimed money.
How To Prepare To Find Unclaimed Money
First off, it is important to note that each state in the USA has its own process for reclaiming unclaimed money. But for whichever state it is, you should be ready to show proof of ownership of the money you wish to reclaim.
A person that is ready to find their unclaimed money should be ready with their proof of identity, utility bill, social security number, driver’s license, or pay stub. Also worth noting is that the time it takes to process the reclaim varies between all the states in America. Plus processing time takes less than 30 days.
Where Can You Find Your Unclaimed Money?
There are some tangible brick-and-mortar offices, or online platforms that can be used to recover unclaimed money. Your first stop should be the website of NUPA ( National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators): Unclaimed.Org
This government website features a national record of unclaimed money from all 50 states in America. From Unclaimed.Org, you can find links to the website to each state in America for their official unclaimed property program.
It is important to note that all these NUAPA-provided links on the website are from vetted sources. On the NUPA website, when you click the link to a State’s website, you will be redirected to its official website, then go on to search for your unclaimed money.
In your search on the NUAPA-provided sites, you can use different search inquiries to get the best results. However, be sure to at least use the first initial of your name plus your full last name in your search attempts.
If you wish to search for multiple USA States at once, you can make use of MissingMoney.Com. This website is recommended by NAUPA. It is a free website that allows you to search through all the states that you have lived in.
The NUAPA government platform is not the only place where you can look for your unclaimed money. Other interesting online sources of unclaimed money include;
The IRS website, where you can look for undeliverable tax refunds.
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation for unclaimed pension money.
The U.S. Treasury hunt is where you can look for savings bonds that are unclaimed, registered treasury notes, or treasury bonds that are registered.
What Scenarios Make You Eligible For Unclaimed Money
There are several different scenarios that can make you eligible for unclaimed money:
1. Federal Housing Administration-Insured Mortgage
A person that has a Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgage might be eligible for a refund through the aid of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. To be able to do this, you need to head to the HUD website to look for your unclaimed money.
2. When Expecting A Tax Refund
If you were expecting a tax refund and never received it, it might have been sent to the wrong bank account or address. When you file for tax returns and don’t get your money back, you can check the IRS website to claim your missing refund. In addition to a tax refund, you can also check out savings bonds that you never cashed in on the IRS website.
3. If Your Bank Or Credit Union Was Liquidated
Another scenario where you could be eligible for unclaimed money is when your government-issued financial institution gets liquidated. In this scenario, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, or National Credit Union Administration would refund your deposits.
If it was your bank that was liquidated, the FDIC would do the refunding. For credit unions, it would be the job of the NCUA to refund you.