Do unclaimed piles of cash appeal to you? (Photo Credit: CC BY-ND/LaneVids.com)

There are billions of dollars in unclaimed money sitting in accounts in the U.S. Are you one of the rightful owners of unclaimed money sitting in savings bonds, misplaced pensions, apartment deposits, lost tax refunds and more? Try out some ideas from “Good Morning America” at abcnews.com/gma.

Oprah endorses unclaimed money recovery

General purpose websites like FoundMoney.com, unclaimed.org and MissingMoney.com make it easy for consumers to discover whether they have unclaimed money or property waiting in any of the 50 United States. FoundMoney.com impressed Oprah Winfrey so much that she beat “Good Morning America” to the punch and interviewed the company CEO on her show.

Treasure the Treasury and IRS

Savings bonds that have matured and are no longer earning interest continue to sit. Resources on the U.S. Treasury’s website are available to help owners to find their unclaimed money with their social security numbers. Similarly, tax refund checks returned by the U.S. Post Office can be located at IRS.gov; these are also filed by social security number.

Did your bank or credit union go under?

If your bank or credit union went under during the financial crisis, you may have forgotten to claim your money. Thanks to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and National Credit Union Association, accounts were insured against just such a loss. Find your unclaimed money via the organizations’ corresponding websites.

Good news for life insurance beneficiaries out in the cold

If you believe there is unclaimed money that should be yours because you were the beneficiary on a loved one’s life insurance policy, a private company called MIB Solutions can help you track it down for a $75 fee. Visit mibsolutions.com for more information.
Find your unclaimed pensions and 401(k)s

Reaping the corporate benefits

If your company went bankrupt during the financial crisis or ran itself into the ground, there are ways to find unclaimed pension and 401(k) money. Check out the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s website or the Employee Benefits Security Administration for 401(k)s. Keep in mind that if your old company still exists or has been bought out, you will need to approach the company directly.

Unclaimed money: The kitchen sink version

If your unclaimed money doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, “Good Morning America” suggests you try the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators free website, unclaimed.org. Depending upon the state holding your unclaimed money, unclaimed.org will direct you to the appropriate website automatically.

Sources

ABC Good Morning America
FDIC: Unclaimed money
FoundMoney.com
IRS: Tax refunds
National Credit Union Association: Unclaimed money
National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Employee Benefits Security Administration
U.S. Treasury

Oprah says look for unclaimed money at FoundMoney.com