Zero Cash? 7 Free Ways to Claim Unclaimed Money

How to find unclaimed money: make your list

Search for free, one minute: seven ways to find and claim money, simplest first. Number seven: start your list, at $0; most searches take under a minute. Write down every name you've used, like a married name or a nickname. Then every place you've lived or worked, since searches go by place too.

Old employers go on the list too. One official site is free to search, twenty-four hours a day. Records can list an older name or address, so search each one. A sheet of paper and your phone are what you need.

Say you've lived in three places: by our count, that's under three minutes and no fee. The link is in the description. Next, where to search.

Search the official unclaimed money site

Number six: on your phone, the official search your own government runs, free to use. Many governments run one, so start with your own. Type your last name first, then add a city if the list is long. Search each name on your list, one at a time.

Some official sites search several places at once. There's no single place for every kind of money, so check each search. Use only the official site; you never need to pay anyone to search. By our count, two names on two free searches each is four searches.

If step-by-step guides like this help you, subscribe to get more free guides. Every official page is linked below. Next, what turns up.

What counts as unclaimed money

Number five: money turns up in eight common kinds on one official list. Dormant savings, insurance payouts, uncashed checks and deposits are four of them. Stocks, dividends, credit balances and refunds are the other four. Unpaid wages can have a separate official search.

For example, look for an old account, a deposit and a refund in your results. By our count, that's three of the eight kinds to look for. Next, a separate search just for retirement savings.

Find lost retirement savings

Number four: jobs from your past: retirement savings have their own search, with five ways to check. Online, by phone, by mail or in person, and you don't need to pay anyone. One official database is a good place to start. This can happen when you change your name, your address or your job.

You need the name of one old employer or pension provider. If you're not sure who holds it, ask the employer. The search tells you if there's a match and who holds it, not an amount. A match is only a first step, and the claim comes after it.

Say Maya has had four jobs, so she runs four quick checks, one per employer. By our count, that's four checks and $0 in fees. Next, the papers a claim asks for.

Documents to claim unclaimed money

Number three: your papers: two kinds of proof, who you are and your link to what you claim. One list takes a passport or a driver's licence for identity. For the link, a bill, a bank statement or an old letter with that address. One page says a name change needs a paper that shows it, like a marriage certificate.

One official page asks for two identity papers and one for the address. Another page asks for official documents rather than handwritten letters. One page has you upload copies on its secure portal. Sending everything they ask for helps avoid delays.

Uploads go only on the official site you started from. By our count, one page's two identity papers plus one for the address make three papers. Next, filing the claim.

How to file an unclaimed money claim

Number two: the claim form, in four steps on one official page: search, start, complete, track. One official page says most claims are filed online, right from the search. Pick the match that's yours, answer the questions and submit. The screen shows a claim number, and it arrives by email too.

One official page says a claim takes up to twenty-eight days; another says at least twelve weeks. You can check the status online at any time with that number. One page checks each claim against its records and asks if it needs more. Approved claims are paid by check or by deposit, depending on the register.

Keep your claim number; it's how you check progress. By our count, up to twenty-eight days is four weeks, and at least twelve weeks is eighty-four days. And number one: search again.

Search again once a year

Number one: a yearly reminder to search again. Organizations report money to these lists over time. One official database updates every quarter. One tax agency recommends a check at least once a year, often at tax time.

You can also search for a business you run. For someone else, only with their permission, where the page allows it. Say Maya searches her three names once a year. By our count, three names a year is three searches, and the fee stays zero.

Rules and results differ by place, so the official site is always the one to use. Where should money you claim go first? Click the video on screen now to see six cushion levels.