Thursday, October 26, 2006
Faithfully, I read the "unclaimed money" area of the local paper when it comes out. I never really know when it does, but I'm sure that I have some state unclaimed money, or government unclaimed money...some kind of unclaimed money somewhere. I've lived in a number of states and can't remember a lot of times where I still have money stashed.
Over the past few months, of course, I've had to really sit down and think about this kind of stuff. If you've ever moved, had a bank account or paid taxes, you probably have some unclaimed cash somewhere. You may be owed the money. I guess thousands of people are trying to find this stuff out and collect money they never knew they had...but I've always had to wait for the newspaper to print a list. Never figured I could do a search for it on my own. Duh. But when you're out of work or transitioning to a new job or whatever...that money can come in handy.
I guess money you didn't know you had could always come in handy, eh? Night on the town? Enough for a toy?
Some might prefer getting your unclaimed money before the end of the year to find a nice, safe, non-taxable place to put it...or even give it to charity. Heck, you're not missing it anyway...why not give it away?
I mean, just think about all the unclaimed funds that could be out there - old insurance policies, over paid taxes (not during the Clinton years of course), stocks and dividends, old checking accounts (I found one recently that I forgot I had and it had more than $200 in it!), government funds, unclaimed property.
It seems stupid, really...and it's kinda hard to admit that in the speed of the everyday - keep up with the Jones - I forget where the money is. I finally found a way to look for it all...all at once.
While state laws vary in periods of dormancy (inactivity), a wide range of reportable property includes but is not limited to dormant checking and savings accounts, uncashed money orders, cashiers checks, unclaimed insurance benefits, mineral royalty payments, safe deposit box contents, unused gift certificates, unclaimed security deposits, cash dividends, stock, court deposits, and utility deposits.
With the website I found, you can search beyond just the border of your state...in fact, you can search in several states at once. Simple...not time consuming, and the small fee to get the info is definitely worth it.
According to the FAQ area of the "Your Unclaimed Money.org" website - The origin of the unclaimed property law dates back as far as the colonization of America. Since that time, states have revised and refined their various unclaimed property laws, resulting in over $35 billion in collections; currently held for the benefit of owners whose whereabouts are at least temporarily unknown.
Unless you lose other things like ID's and other documents too - its easy to re-claim money and property that is owed to you. In most cases you will need to provide identification and documentation to help prove the money actually belongs to you. All states have specific procedures, filing requirements and forms to use when claiming unclaimed property - nearly all states maintain the unclaimed asset as custodian forever.
So, no more waiting for the newspaper to print my name alphabetically, I'm taking the money and cancelling my subscription to save even more.
<<---"Your Unclaimed Money.org" May Be HERE--->>
Click weblink above for Info
If you find any, let me know. You're welcome.
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