Mar 1, 2022
An Unclaimed Treasure Hunt
A law passed in the 1960s set out rules that have turned State Treasurer’s Offices around the country into a lost and found for everything ranging from bank accounts and insurance policies to consumer refunds just waiting for the rightful owners to claim them. In fact, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, 1 in 10 people in the United States has unclaimed assets waiting for them and overall, states return more than $3 billion every year.
Today, most states have made it easier for citizens to claim what is theirs online—you just need to know where to look. Each state maintains a free program for looking for lost assets, and this link provides an easy searching tool to get you to the right website.
- First: Click on your state.
- Second: Enter your name in the online search field.
- Third: If you find a match, fill out and submit the online claim form.
If you don’t immediately find any property that matches your name, you have the ability to narrow your search to a specific city or zip Code. Consider trying locations where you either currently or formerly lived and/or worked, as these are the most common addresses where unclaimed property is attributed.
Have fun and good luck on your treasure hunt!
