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

There are fewer than 25 Panda Cows worldwide. Photo Credit: justinbaeder/Flickr.com/CC-BY

A Colorado rancher has been able to successfully breed a rare type of cow, called a “Panda Cow.” The breed is called a Panda Cow because of the panda-like fur pattern. The breed can only be produced by genetic manipulation and careful breeding.

Panda Cow bred in Colorado

A farmer in Colorado has been able to breed a calf that is an incredibly rare hybrid, called a Panda Cow, according to ABC. Panda Cows are a miniature breed that has fur colors that resemble a panda bear. It is only possible to breed them through careful manipulation of genes through mating cows and bulls. There are only 24 in existence. Chris Jessen, who has a farm in northern Colorado, gave an interview on “Good Morning America” about the rare calf, named Ben. Panda Cows, incredibly rare even for miniature cattle breeds such as Dexter cattle, stand less than four feet tall and can weigh up to 1,000 pounds. The calf could fetch up to $30,000 at auction. There are more than two dozen breeds of miniature cattle, and a miniature calf of good stock can easily go for $20,000.

Moo Year’s Eve

The calf was delivered on New Year’s Eve, which was a welcome surprise to the Jessens. The proceeds from the sale of the miniature cow wil no doubt be welcome, as well. Breeding cattle, and breeding livestock in general, is an art that dates back thousands of years. Cows were, and still are, seen in many cultures as symbols of wealth, and prize bulls in particular still command incredible value. Miniature cows are not often used for beef or dairy, as larger breeds yield more milk or beef because they have been bred over centuries for this purpose.

Designer cattle

Breeding animals for the purpose of miniaturizing them to make them more docile or aesthetically pleasing is certainly nothing new, as evidenced by various breeds of domestic cats and dogs. Farm animals have also been bred previously for the purpose of keeping them as house pets, such as pot bellied pigs. Thus, it doesn’t seem too surprising that the same would be done with cows.

Sources

ABC

Miniature Cattle

What if way too much food was still not enough?

Good Morning America today featured a story about a woman with a very rare and peculiar disease. It’s called Prader Willi Syndrome, and it’s a condition that affects the part of your brain that lets you know when you’re full or when you’re not hungry.

Imagine always feeling hungry. Imagine you’ve already had a full meal, with steak, potatoes, vegetables, bread and even dessert, and you still feel hungry. That’s what happens to people with Prader Willi Syndrome. Reports say that people who have Prader Willi Syndrome will get food any way they can, including stealing, and that their families have to keep all of the food in the house locked up

Prader Willi Syndrome could be deadly

Good Morning America says that an estimated 45,000 Americans have Prader Willi Syndrome, but that 25,000 could be undiagnosed. This is not a disease that can be solved with payday loans to pay for medication. Some of the drugs that are prescribed to help compulsive disorders, depression and addiction can help with Prader Willi Syndrome somewhat, but carriers still feels hungry, they just act on it a little bit less.

Kate Kane, the woman who was featured on Good Morning America, has lost weight and been able to control her Prader Willi Syndrome by living in a group home with others who suffer from the same condition. The food is locked up, the residents have a strict schedule and do an hours of exercise every day. Because there is no cure, Kate Kane will likely have to live in this home for the rest of her life. However, Kate has lost 150 pounds since moving into the home.

Prader Willi Syndrome symptoms implications

I have definitely gone through times when I had a hefty appetite for no good reason, and I think most other people have, too. I have also gone through times, though, when I didn’t have much of an appetite at all. And I have never felt like no matter how much I ate I couldn’t get full.

But that’s what people with Prader Willi Syndrome go through every day. It explains many cases of extreme obesity, and when people don’t get help they can die from Prader Willi. Good Morning America reports:

Kane, 26, feels so hungry that she begs, steals and even eats out of the garbage to get to food. And if someone didn’t stop her, the consequences could be tragic.
“I could eat until I die, basically,” she said. “Or I was — got really sick.”

More Prader Willi Syndrome symptoms

Hunger isn’t where the Prader Willi Sydrome symptoms stop. GMA says this genetic disease, caused by a chromosomal flaw, also causes muscle weakness and learning disabilities.

Kate Kane has nearly been arrested multiple times and lost jobs because she stole food. The group home is the only solution that works for her, but her parents have donated to Prader Willi Syndrome research. Scientists hope that studying Prader-Willi will offer insight into what controls appetites and the causes of obesity.