Where can I find unclaimed property of deceased relatives?

Make a list of all the states each of those relatives have lived in at some point in their lives and contact the treasury department or the department of revenue in each of those states to see if they have any assets in the unclaimed property division belonging to those deceased relatives.

Do you have to pay to find unclaimed property?

You don’t have to pay a fee. There are companies out there that try to act as an intermediary, but you do not have to use these. You can find unclaimed money yourself for free. I’ve written before about using MissingMoney.com to find unclaimed property.

What happens to unclaimed money when it is abandoned?

When this property has been legally “abandoned”, it’s turned over to the government, which acts as a custodian until the rightful owners steps forth to claim it. Until then, most states use the proceeds (and the interest earned on the unclaimed money) to help fund operations.

Where can I Find my unclaimed retirement money?

If the plan is still active, you’ll need to read this PDF on finding a lost pension. (The Money Adviser article has more info on this subject.) To find an unclaimed 401 (k) plan, visit the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits.

Make a list of all the states each of those relatives have lived in at some point in their lives and contact the treasury department or the department of revenue in each of those states to see if they have any assets in the unclaimed property division belonging to those deceased relatives.

Where can I Find my Family’s unclaimed money?

To start your quest go to Unclaimed.org, which has links to all state programs that will let you to do a state benefits search online for free. Or, you can do a multi-state search in 40 states at MissingMoney.com. Check every state in which your father or you have lived, worked or conducted business.

Is there a way to check for unclaimed property?

Most states make it easy to check for your unclaimed property. Each state maintains a database of unclaimed property for that state, and—by law—attempts to return the property to its rightful owners.

When is money turned over to the unclaimed property division?

It is like a giant lost and found department. When companies owe someone money and cannot find the person — or when a bank account goes untouched for three years and the owner can’t be reached — the money gets turned over to the state’s unclaimed property division.