subject: Is Your Name on the Unclaimed Money List? How to Find Unclaimed Money in savings or checking accounts, stocks and more [print this page] It is estimated that 9 in 10 Americans and Canadians are owed cash that sits unclaimed year after year.
So, it's quite likely that some of this money belongs to you or someone you know. Would you like to claim some found money?
The found money is being held by one or more of many different institutions. Research has uncovered millions of unclaimed and lost money owed to individuals in:
1. forgotten savings and checking accounts
2. uncashed checks
3. securities
4. dividends
5. insurance refunds or claims
6. oil royalties
7. unpaid wages
8. utility refunds/deposits
9. bail bonds
10. child support payments
Oh yes, the list goes on and on...
Also, hundreds of thousands of people are owed money as an heir to an inheritance that they didn't even know about!
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Canadian Michael Gushnowski has made a hobby out of hunting down unclaimed accounts for nearly 40 years, doing his spade work with microfiche and phone books.
His biggest success came in 1973 when he tracked a Wetaskiwin grandmother who left Edmonton with the mistaken impression she had transferred all accounts. When she found out about the money, she broke into sobs.
"She was a senior, she was broke, no money for food, and here's there's $6,054 sitting in an account for her," said Gushnowski. "That one meant the most to me."
Gushnowski says the existence of unclaimed money deserves more attention. Instead of relying on individuals to keep track themselves, he says banks should become more proactive in returning money before it becomes orphaned.
"People put too much faith in the banks, that they're there to look after your money," said Gushnowski. "If I can find them, what's their excuse?"
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While many people will be checking top 25 lists to see where their favorite college football teams land this fall, State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald has created a top 25 list of his own. "You won't find any football teams on the list, but what you will find are names of people in Wapello County that have money waiting for them to claim."
"If you don't recognize any of the names, check our website for others," Fitzgerald said.
The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $122 million in unclaimed property to more than 310,000 individuals since Fitzgerald began the program. "We get millions of dollars in each year," Fitzgerald stated.
"We believe the best way to find people is to ask others in their community to help us. That's why we are sending out the top 25 list."
Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report and deliver unclaimed property to the State Treasurer's Office, where it is held until the owner or heir of the property is found.
Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits, and safe deposit box contents.
