The state governments of the United States are holding billions of dollars in unclaimed money. But do you know how to find unclaimed funds owed to you?

Also called unclaimed money, missing money, abandoned property and unclaimed property – it is a reference to money owed to an individual being held by the state government. These funds can consist of (and are not limited too) bank accounts closed containing money, payroll checks, bonds, refunds and security deposits.

Unless you actively search the Internet or contact the Office of the State Comptroller, you will never know if the government is holding money that is rightfully yours. Locating unclaimed money will never cost you a fee, and there are several Internet sites that can aid in your search.

Also, search every state you have resided in. The databases used to locate unclaimed funds are not national – each state contains individual (and separate) information.

In addition to claiming money owed to you, you can claim money owed to deceased family members. You will need to provide a certificate of death and proof of relation in order to claim this money. Keep in mind there are time limitations placed on claiming unclaimed bank accounts. Otherwise these accounts can be closed and the money transferred from the FDIC to the State Comptroller’s Office.

• The NAUPA Database – NAUPA or the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators can connect you to several legitimate sites to locate money owed to you.
• MissingMoney.com – A legitimate unclaimed money search engine associated with NAUPA.
• Office of the State Comptroller – Each state has a Comptroller’s Office with an Office of Unclaimed Funds. Search the Internet for their site and follow their instructions to locate missing money.
• FDIC – The FDIC or Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation holds money in found in closed bank accounts. If the funds remain unclaimed for 18 months they are turned over to individual the individual state department of unclaimed funds.

Each state also has individual rules and guidelines for claiming unclaimed property. However most require your complete legal name, social security, current contact information, proof of residence, and residence history

Be sure to search NAUPA, MissingMoney, the State Comptroller and the FDIC when attempting to locate missing money. Each database has different information, and you may locate funds in one or all of the websites available.

After all, it can’t hurt to look – you might even find money you never knew you had!