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Claim Your Unclaimed Money Now

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Congratulations! You might have unclaimed money that might be owed to you, and you might not know it! This unclaimed money might be owed from taxes, old layaway account, and such.

If you don't believe me, read on, my friends. One out of ten people is owed money. The IRS owes millions of dollars that go unclaimed. Your state has cash that has not been claimed as well.

You are going to learn what site to go to claim cash that is owed to you. Then, of course, if money is owed to you, you must follow the guidelines to claim your money. This is another task on its own, and each site is different. The goal of this post is to show you where to find unclaimed money.

little girl holding a twenty dollar bill.

Tips to Claim Your Unclaimed Money For Free

The government owns not all unclaimed money in the USA, and sometimes when retailers owe you money from either rebates or layaways refund money, that money may be found on the sites I will provide.

More about that later, but first, let's learn more about this money and where this money is coming from. You see, this unclaimed money comes from places you might not remember.

  • Banks – Many of these come from failed financial institutions, unclaimed deposits, and such.
  • Unpaid wages – Think you are owed money from previous employers? Head over here to check and see if you have unpaid wages.
  • Pensions
  • Taxes
  • International
  • Retailers

To find out by state, head over to NAUPA (National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators) to determine if money is owed to you.

women holding cash in front of her face.

How do I claim unclaimed money?

First, you need to choose where to look for unclaimed money. There are four different areas where you can search. The first is your state. You can claim state funds through the state's treasury website.

Follow the directions on the website and provide the needed documents to claim your money. The second area you can look at is national. The website MissingMoney can help you find unclaimed money throughout the country. All you'll need to do is supply your name and residence.

If you are owed money from the IRS, you have three years to claim it and can do so through the IRS. Lastly, you can claim unclaimed money through The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits. The website can help you find the money you may have left behind in your retirement accounts when you switched jobs.

Can you claim unclaimed money from deceased relatives?

Yes. There are divisions in each state where unclaimed money is held. It's also important to note that there are no statutes of limitations on claiming unclaimed money.

Do note that you will need to prove that the person is deceased and that you were his relative.

Money may be from various sources, including utility refunds, unclaimed items from safe deposit boxes, bank account balances, life insurance policies, and more.

Where can I find unclaimed money?

There are four main areas to look at: state treasury departments, the MissingMoney website for national funds, the IRS, and The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits for retirement funds. Some websites claim to do all the work for you but do note that you'll have to pay for those services.

Do unclaimed funds expire?

When it comes to those alive, there may be a time frame depending on where you live.

In some states, the property is considered abandoned after a specific time. For example, in North Carolina, property is deemed to be abandoned if no word from the owner within 1 to 5 years. The exact time frame will depend on the type of property.

How can I get free money from the government without paying it back?

There are several grants you can receive from the government to help in several situations. For example, the government offers educational grants.

You may also qualify for grants to help make updates to your home if you've become disabled. Grants.gov provides a wealth of information on the grants available.

Why do I have unclaimed funds?

There are many reasons why unclaimed money may be available. For example, some people switch jobs and either forget to transfer retirement funds or don't know they have funds available.

Another reason may be refunds owed to you by utility companies you used to use. You may also have a state or federal tax refund that you haven't claimed. There are many reasons why you may have unclaimed money.

Is unclaimed money taxable income?

It depends. For example, if you have unclaimed federal tax refunds, you will not be taxed. But, on the other hand, if you have an unclaimed inheritance, you will be taxed. So it all depends on whether or not the income is taxable. If you're unsure, speak with an accountant.

My Unclaimed Money Experience

Out of curiosity, I wanted to know if I had any unclaimed money owed to me.

Honestly, I thought that I wasn't going to find anything. But, to my surprise, I have unclaimed money owed to me in the great state of Pennsylvania site, and the answer is YES! WOOT!

Since I never moved out of PA, I decided to try and see how much riches I was going to find that was owed to me. I found two companies that owed me money:

  • The Home Depot
  • General Electric

I don't have any recollection of these companies owing me money.

OK, I kid, I don't owe them money. I remember making purchases of appliances after my house burned down and needed to get new ones. I believe the General Electric was from Walmart Credit Card I had many moons ago.

I'll take it!

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The amount is less than $100 each, so it could probably be nothing. However, the Pennsylvania website claims not to have anything under $5. So maybe I am getting $10 back.

After finding out about my riches, I decided to check on every family member, including my aunts. One of them had money owed to her from Wal-Mart. I'm assuming this is a lay-a-way from years ago where she never claimed her cash.

If you haven't checked out this site to see if you have some money owed to you, check it out. It will not hurt you, and honestly, it is a simple way of making some extra cash that you didn't have and thought you lost.

Have you ever received unclaimed money before? Tell me your story. I would love to hear it.

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6 Comments

  1. I loved finding this article pinned on Pinterest and linked to you blog. I had to post it on my Blog/Artist Page.

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