★ Money Challenge #9: Look For Lost Money!
This is part of our Weekly Money Challenge series. Be sure to check off any you’ve missed!
Did you know that there is over $57 BILLION of unclaimed money out there? Because people either forgot, or died, or didn't even realize they were owed any? It's true, and according to MissingMoney.com here are the most popular forms of lost property still being held by the states:
- Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents
- Stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends
- Uncashed checks and wages
- Insurance policies, CD's, trust funds
- Utility deposits, escrow accounts
I know what you're thinking... Does anyone ever really find money on those "found money" sites? And the answer is YES! Yes, they do! J. Money's wife found $350 the last time she searched, and our hope is that your 5 minutes spent today will reward you just the same. Me? I didn't have anything waiting. :( But there are like two dozen people named Derek who do!
Your challenge this week: Check out MissingMoney.com and see if you're owed anything.
If you are, tell us what you found! If you're not, move to Challenge #2 this week: check all your couches, cars and junk drawers for lost money. :) You have to get lucky there, right? – Derek, Master of Challenges ****** PS: Curious to see how last week’s challenge went? Click here and scroll to the bottom. *Photo credit: Mark Waltz
UPDATE!
We had a lot of fun with this one and learned a few hot tips too! It turns out you should also check with your state. And probably any state you've lived in, worked in, or had relatives live (and die!) in.
I'd recommending searching your state's site directly. Here is California's: https://ucpi.sco.ca.gov/UCP/ And here's another place to look... https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money -_TJ
Searching the California site worked for someone!!
Didn't find anything on MissingMoney.com, although I did find some money on California's site! Sweet! -SomeRandomGuyOnline
I knew people would doubt, but here's more proof this is a real, legit thing!!
Alright, I said... there's no way... but then... there I was! I doubt it's much (it didn't have the amount listed), it looks like an old utility company, but free money is FREE MONEY! Gracias for the suggestion, Rockstars!
The USA isn't the only place with lost and found money...
We have a similar service for our superannuation funds here in Australia! If you type in the relevant info, they can find any accounts you may have had in the past that you haven't rolled over into your current account. When I did mine I had almost $400 just sitting around. -HernandezPrime
More success!!!
I looked several years ago and found about $525 from an old employer. I still don't know what the money was for but it was nice to find it. -lam
More succes!!!
When I was about 20 and living in Oregon my mom got a letter in the mail from a bank I belonged to. They were wondering if I was still alive since I hadn't made any withdrawals or deposits in 2 years. I totally forgot the account existed! In a moment I was $2500 richer than I was 2 moments before!! Hmmmm... I wonder if there is any other $$ I've forgotten about... (She's planning on writing a post about this, should be an interesting read.) -MissMazuma
It turns out you should check every few years...
Most states have timeframes that companies need to hand over unclaimed money to the state for safe keeping. Sometimes companies will hold on for a decade. So it is worth it to check your state's site every few years. -Jillena
Keep letting us know if you find any lost money!!!