Credit union accounts are considered dormant and unclaimed when the owner fails to make a deposit or withdrawal over an extended period, or when a statement or other official correspondence is returned undelivered by the post office.
Allowing a Certificate of Deposit (CD) to automatically roll over, or failing to take a required distribution from an IRA may also result in a declaration of abandonment. This often happens after the untimely death of a family member, a name change following marriage or divorce, and with the expiration of a postal forwarding order after a move.
Have you lost track of a savings account, certificate of deposit (CD), or safe deposit box? Did you – or a deceased family member – have unclaimed money at a credit union that moved or changed name? Teachers, trade union members and other employees often neglect to claim credit union funds on retirement or termination of employment.
Finally, don’t assume that because your credit union no longer exists that unclaimed funds are lost forever. Your inactive account may have been transferred to a new institution after a merger; or you may be entitled to collect insurance proceeds up to $250,000 from the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund if your credit union failed and closed its doors.
Unclaimed money may be recovered after years of inactivity, even if a passbook is lost or destroyed, but you must act promptly to safeguard your interest, as some claims are subject to time limits.
Note: Rules are different for FDIC-insured bank accounts – go to: Bank Account Search. For assistance with a lost safe deposit box go to: Safe Deposit Search
To trace a lost or unclaimed credit union account, CD or IRA complete the form below: