Finding extra cash in your coat or pants pocket is always a delight, but there are other hiding places where the rewards are higher. Many Americans are unaware of lost or forgotten assets. These assets could be anything from an old insurance policy to a refund or a lost paycheck. Finding and cashing in on these assets isn’t difficult, but may take some detective work to find.
Types of Forgotten Assets
There are a variety of types of assets one may be unaware of. Forgotten bank accounts and old insurance policies are the obvious ones. But a forgotten utility deposit or paycheck could also be lingering out there. Others include refunds for goods or services, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, contents of a safe deposit box, and others.
But there are also varied unclaimed assets in your wallet. For instance, billions of dollars of gift cards go unused in the United States every year. Unused travelers’ checks are another forgotten asset.
Finding Lost Money with State Programs
Finding lost assets isn’t impossible. Every state has an unclaimed property program, and they look for owners of lost assets. State treasuries hold millions of dollars of unclaimed property. One free multi-state website that allows you to enter your information by state is the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). This is a network of the National Association of State Treasurers.
Choose the state where you think you have lost or forgotten assets. Then…
