Finding Money You Didn't Know Was Lost
Remember that time when you lost $100? It was in your pocket, and somewhere along the way, it must have fallen out when you went into your pocket for something else. Memories like those are painful. You likely have a memory of money you've lost gambling, investing, and so forth. Losing cash is more painful than the joy of winning (based on a concept called Loss Aversion). Life can be chaotic. Occasionally you forget things you had, accounts you opened, deposits you made, and other balances due. Let's talk about finding the money you lost or didn't realize was missing. There are a few ways you can locate this money.
Unclaimed Funds - Treasury Hunt
One place you could check is Treasury Hunt. Treasury hunt allows you to search for matured savings bonds or missing interest.
With Treasury Hunt, you can see if:
- You had a savings bond or treasury security that's no longer earning interest but uncashed.
- A loved one who passed had matured bonds that stopped earning interest but were uncashed.
- You're missing interest or other payments on HH savings bonds or other securities.
- You're missing payments for securities in a legacy Treasury Direct account.
How do I search?
To use Treasury Hunt, visit https://treasuryhunt.gov. Enter your details, and the system will search for matches and provide instructions. No match? No worries. The site updates monthly, so try again at a different time.
Treasury Hunt is one way to find funds out there waiting for you. Treasury Hunt is for government or treasury funds you may have, but there are some other places you can also check.
Unclaimed Money from the Government
A place to continue the search is on a site for Unclaimed Money from the Government (https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money).
On the site, you can find links to search for the following missing or unclaimed funds:
- In Your State
- Find money businesses may have sent to the state-run unclaimed offices when unable to locate you.
- It may include unclaimed funds from bank accounts, insurance policies, or the state government.
- From Employers
- Check for unpaid wages from a former employer.
- Search for unclaimed pensions from companies that went out of business or ended a defined pension plan.
- From Insurance
- Search the VA database for unclaimed insurance funds owed to current or former policyholders or their beneficiaries.
- If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, check to see if you're eligible for a refund.
- From Tax Refunds
- Check if the IRS owes you an unclaimed or undelivered refund.
- From Banking and Investments
- Search for unclaimed funds from bank or credit union failures.
- Check SEC Claims Funds for cases in which a company or person owes investors.
- From a Bankruptcy
- Check to see if you have undistributed funds from a person or business which declared bankruptcy.
- International Unclaimed Funds
- Check for unclaimed funds from foreign governments after losing property.
As you can see, there are a lot of places where you might have unclaimed funds. When you have some free time, visit the websites mentioned and see what you can find. Today may be your lucky day!
✨Managing Money Like a Boss means not leaving money on the table. But life happens! When you did so unintentionally, going back and finding what you left behind is key✨.
Sources and Helpful Links
Treasury Hunt: https://treasuryhunt.gov/
Unclaimed Money from the Government - https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money
Missing Money - https://www.missingmoney.com
National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators - https://unclaimed.org