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If a business, government office, or other source owes you money that you don’t collect, it’s considered unclaimed.

The federal government doesn’t have a central website for finding unclaimed money. But you don’t need to hire a company to find unclaimed money for you. You can find it on your own for free, using official databases.

1. Search in Your State

Businesses send money to state-run unclaimed property offices when they can’t locate the owner. The money in state unclaimed funds is often from bank accounts, insurance policies, or your state government.

  • Start your search for unclaimed money with your state’s unclaimed property office.

  • Use the multi-state database to search for your name, especially if you’ve moved to another state.

  • Verify how to claim your money. Each state has its own rules about how you prove that you’re the owner and claim the money.

2. Search for Money from Employers

  • Unpaid Wages – The Department of Labor (DOL) may recover back wages for you if your employer broke labor laws. If you think you may be owed back wages from your employer:

    • Search DOL’s database of workers who have money waiting to be claimed. DOL holds unpaid wages for up to three years.  

  • Pensions from Former Employers – Search for unclaimed pensions from companies that went out of business or ended a defined plan.

3. Search for Money from Insurance

  • VA Life Insurance Funds – Search the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) database for unclaimed insurance funds.

    • The VA may owe money to current or former policyholders or their beneficiaries.

    • This database doesn’t include funds from Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) policies from 1965 to the present. 

  • FHA-Insurance Refunds – If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be eligible for a refund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

    • Search the HUD database with your FHA case number (three digits, a dash, and the next six digits—for example, 051-456789).

4. Search for Money from Tax Refunds

  • Tax Refunds – The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may owe you money if your refund was unclaimed or undelivered.

5. Search for Money from Banking and Investments

  • Bank Failures – Search the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for unclaimed funds from failed financial institutions.

  • Credit Union Failures – Find unclaimed deposits from credit unions.

  • SEC Claims Funds – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lists enforcement cases in which a company or person owes investors money.

  • Replace a Savings Bond – Replace a lost, stolen, or destroyed paper savings bond.

For any kind of tax help, contact one of our offices:

Plymouth 734.454.4100, Allen Park 313.388.7180,
Grayling 989.348.4055, Royal Oak 248.399.7331, or St. Clair Shores 313.371.6600



On July 26, 2019   /   Uncategorized