$70 billion in unclaimed money & property – $4 billion paid claims in 2022!
► Life Insurance & Inheritances: Unclaimed Life Insurance ● Missing Inheritance ● Lost Heirs ● Estate Assets ● Class Action Settlements
► Savings: Bank Accounts ● Safe Deposit Boxes ● Credit Union Shares ● Uncashed Checks ● Lost CDs ● Postal Money Orders
► Investments: U.S. Savings Bonds ● Stocks, Bonds & Mutual Funds ● Postal Savings Bonds ● Retirement Accounts ● Wages
► Retirement Accounts & Pensions: IRA ● 401k ● Pensions ● Military Retirement ● Government Pension ● Railroad Retirement
► Government Checks: Social Security ● IRS ● HUD ● Indian Monies ● Child Support ● Bankruptcy Funds ● USDA ● VA Benefits
► Royalties: Mineral Royalties ● Musician Royalties ● Screen Actor Residuals ● Author Royalties ● Gift Card Refunds
Did you know… Family members often are unaware they’re eligible to collect unclaimed cash, refunds and benefits owed deceased relatives who passed on without an updated will. Life insurance policies, pensions, IRA, 401(k), savings and brokerage accounts worth billions of dollars go unclaimed every year. Little effort is made to track down missing beneficiaries – it’s up to heirs to notify insurance companies, banks, brokers and pension administrators of death.
Think it couldn’t be you? … Think Again! Unclaimed Money Consumer Alerts:
► Unclaimed Life Insurance $2.4 billion dollars in death benefits owed beneficiaries and heirs of deceased policyholders went unclaimed last year. A government audit of 21 major life insurance companies found they failed to pay death benefits to beneficiaries in cases where they knew the insured was deceased. A recent legal settlement ensures heirs receive compensation. Unclaimed Life Insurance Search
► Unredeemed U.S. Savings Bonds 75 million Americans have failed to cash in matured U.S. Savings Bonds worth $29 billion. The Unclaimed Savings Bond Act of 2022 makes recovery easy. Savings Bond Search
► Missing IRA Retirement Accounts 50 million savers own IRA’s containing mutual funds, stock, bonds and CD’s worth $3 trillion. Do to their long term nature, large numbers of owners and heirs – who may not be aware of a deceased family member’s IRA or rollover 401k – fail to claim accounts to which they are entitled. IRA Search
► Lost 401k) $2.5 million 401k plan accounts worth an average of about $55,000 go unclaimed each year; because workers fail to claim or rollover accounts when they change jobs or retire. The missing often are family members of deceased employees who fail to claim benefits from employment ending years earlier. 401k Search
► Forgotten Money and CD’s at Banks and Credit Unions Dormant accounts worth billions of dollars go unclaimed each year, often due to name or address changes after marriage or divorce, and upon death of a family member. Are you owed missing money at a bank that closed or changed name? You must act to reclaim your funds. Bank Account Search
► Missing Stock, Bonds and Mutual Funds SEC estimates 3 million lost stockholders are entitled to unclaimed stock, bonds and mutual funds worth $10 billion; including lost or forgotten dividends, unclaimed split shares and merger cash, and bond interest checks never cashed. Lost Stock Search
► MetLife, Prudential, Equitable, MONY, Unum, Anthem and John Hancock Policyholders and Heirs are entitled to receive substantial amounts of cash and/or stock stock arising from the demutualization of these and fifteen other life insurance companies. Life Insurance Demutualization Payments Search
► Unclaimed Mineral Royalties, Oil & Gas Lease Payments Millions of dollars in oil & gas royalties and rents from producing wells and mines goes unclaimed by owners and heirs – Texas alone has $400 million available for claim. Even inactive interests – once considered worthless – may now generate substantial income; but heirs are unaware because ownership records were never updated after the owner’s death.
Oil, Gas & Mineral Royalties Search
► Lost and Uncashed Checks Failure to cash or deposit a check does not terminate your right to the funds and the payor’s responsibility to pay. This is true even if a check or money order specifies a ‘void-after’ date. Uncashed Checks
► Missing and Forgotten Safe Deposit Boxes Each year thousands of bank safe deposit boxes are forgotten or abandoned by owners and heirs. If rent is unpaid, contents may be auctioned off unless you act. Safe Deposit Box Search
► Unclaimed Pensions Pension administrators can’t find employees and heirs entitled to claim $300 million in pension benefits, because they’ve moved or changed name. PBGC guarantees benefits, so claims may be made even if a company no longer exists. Unclaimed Pension Search
► Forgotten HSA Health Savings Accounts – $9.25 billion Twenty million Americans have an HSA, but one-quarter – 5 million accounts – are inactive. Many belong to deceased family members. The average balance left behind: $1,844. Health Savings Account Search
► Uncashed MoneyGram Money Orders – $150 million Failure to cash or deposit a check does not terminate your right to the funds and the payor’s responsibility to pay. This is true even if an offical check or money order specifies a ‘void-after’ date. Uncashed Money Orders
► $21 billion in lost or unused gift cards Last year $171 billion in gift cards were sold. Half of all recipients failed to redeem balances worth $21 billion. Starbucks, a popular issuer, reported $212 million unused in 2022. New laws may allow for refunds or replacement, even if the card has an expiration date. Gift Card Refunds
► Missing Annuity Payments Annuities are designed to provide guaranteed income for life. But because payments don’t begin until 10-30 years after purchase, they are often overlooked by heirs. Annuity Search
► IRS tax refunds and stimulus payments IRS refund checks worth $1.5 billion have gone undelivered or uncashed, often due to name and address changes after marriage or divorce. Also missing – 9 million Americans owed $10.6 billion in unclaimed stimulus payments! IRS Refund Search
► SAG-AFTRA Actor Royalties The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) & the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists hold $76 million owed 124,000 performers whose residuals checks – royalties earned from television and film performances – have gone unclaimed. SAG Royalties
► Social Security Benefits $500 million dollars in Social Security checks and death benefits go unpaid each year, because checks are lost or never received. There is no time limit to request reissue. Social Security Benefit Search
► Have you been contacted by an Unclaimed Asset Tracer or Heir Finder? Asset tracers track down family members and heirs of deceased relatives, demanding 35% or more for information on an unclaimed inheritance. Find and claim these funds yourself. Asset Tracers & Heir Finders
► Unclaimed Music Copyright Royalties The Music Modernization Act of 2018 established the payment of royalties to copyright owners for music streamed or downloaded from Digital Services Providers – DSPs. $424 million has gone unclaimed. Music Copyright Royalties Search
► Unclaimed Railroad Retirement Benefits The $18 billion Railroad Retirement Trust Fund provides retirement, disability & survivor benefits & life insurance to former workers and heirs. The addresses of 40,000 eligible recipients are not current. Railroad Retirement Search
► Unused Education Savings Accounts – Coverdell ESAs were created to help parents and students save for education expenses. Unused balances must be distributed when the beneficiary reaches age 30; but they’re often forgotten. Education Savings Account Search
► Unclaimed TSP Government Pensions Thrift Savings Plan accounts worth $88 million owed former government employees & military personnel have not been claimed. Accounts may be considered abandoned at age 70 1/2 if withdrawals have not begun. Government Pension Search
► Missing Money Orders Every year, $25 million in U.S. Postal Service Money Orders are never cashed; MoneyGram reports $160 million. To trace or replace a missing money order go to: Missing Money Order Search
► Economical Policyholders 630,000 Economical policyholders are entitled to receive substantial cash payments arising from demutualization in 2021. Many never received the money due to an outdated address, or they mistakenly discarded the cheque. Economical Insurance Payments
► Workers owed wages The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Dept. of Labor enforces labor laws. It collects and holds unpaid wages on behalf of former employees who have left a job without providing a valid forwarding address. Unpaid Wages Claim
► Native American Indian Trust Funds IIM Settlement – $3.4 billion On 11/30/10 Congress approved a class action lawsuit settlement authorizing $3.4 billion in compensation owed over 500,000 Native American Indians. Native American Indian Monies Search
► Unclaimed Bankruptcy Funds – Bankruptcy courts hold $200+ million owed creditors & filers who either are unaware they’re owed money, or have moved, changed name, or forgotten over the period of years typically required to resolve claims. Unclaimed Bankruptcy Funds Search
► Musician royalties – $111 million $111 million in digital music royalties from webcasts, satellite radio & cable TV due recording artists, musicians & copyright owners has gone unclaimed. A 2017 agreement between NMPA and YouTube will add millions of dollars more. Musician Royalty Payments
► Workers owed wages The Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Dept. of Labor enforces labor laws. It collects and holds unpaid wages on behalf of former employees who have left a job without providing a valid forwarding address. Unpaid Wages Claim
► Veterans Aid & Attendance Special Pensions The Aid & Attendance (A&A) Special Pension provides benefits for veterans and spouses who require help daily chores. Only 1 in 7 of those eligible have applied. Veterans Pension Benefits
► $750 million in unclaimed child support States collect billions of dollars annually in court-ordered child support. $750 million has gone undistributed & unclaimed, due to incorrect address information for the custodial parent. Unclaimed Child Support
► Nationwide Missing Money Search Missing money may be located anywhere you’ve lived, worked, conducted business or had an account. Conduct a nationwide search if you’ve lived in more than one state, changed name after marriage or divorce, switched jobs or have multiple home addresses. Nationwide Missing Money Search
► $4 billion African American Farmer Discrimination Payments The Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act of 2021 provides $4 billion in payments to America’s Black, Indigenous and Hispanic farmers; in addition to payments of $50,000 to African & Native American farmers discriminated against in obtaining USDA loans. Discrimination Compensation
► Writers Guild Unclaimed Copyright Payments – $13 million The Writers Guild of America is holding in excess of $13 million in unclaimed compensation for thousands of American authors, directors and copyright holders. Writers Guild Royalty Payments
► Unclaimed Child Tax Credit & Stimulus Payments In July 2021 families became eligible to receive advance Child Tax Credit payments of $3,600 for children under age 6 and $3,000 for those aged 6-17; in addition to stimulus payments. Advance Child Tax Credit & Stimulus Payments
