If you don’t know whether you have unclaimed assets, you can start your search by exploring the different types of unclaimed assets that can exist. Just as there are many ways that assets can go unclaimed, there are just as many (or more) types of unclaimed assets that you could be entitled to. Some are more common than others, and you may be surprised to find types you didn’t know exist.
One of the most common types of unclaimed assets is unclaimed money from deceased relatives. This can happen when people mentioned in a will don’t come forward when a relative dies, usually because they weren’t close with this person, didn’t know the person had passed or didn’t realize they were even in the will.
For example, you may be the new owner of a deceased great-grandfather’s estate and not know it. Or, you could have left property, money, savings bonds or other assets in a family member’s or friend’s will and you were never contacted.
Another common form of unclaimed assets is through a class action lawsuit in which you are owed a sum of money won in a court hearing you may not have even heard of. This involves someone suing a corporation or organization, and you are part of the winning party who is owed money, along with thousands of other people.
For example, people may suffer medical conditions or injuries when using a product, they find lawyers to represent them in a class action lawsuit and they win the lawsuit for themselves and any others who have suffered the same medical conditions due to the product.
Other common types of unclaimed assets that might be out there for you include:
Cash: This includes money left in abandoned bank accounts or safe deposit boxes.
Personal property: This includes jewelry, antiques, collections and real estate, as well as the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
Stocks: You may be left stocks by a deceased family member or friend in their will or have them from a previous job that also paid you in stocks.
Bonds: You may be left bonds by a deceased family member or friend in their will or in a safe deposit box.
Tax refunds: Perhaps you forgot that you hadn’t received your tax return from the IRS. A government agency may have this check or amount in your name for you to claim.
Pay checks: You may leave a job and forget to collect your final paycheck.
Security deposits: If your previous landlord(s) asked for a security deposit, you are typically entitled to get that deposit or what’s left of it after the landlord uses it to pay for serious damage to the unit or unpaid rent.
Mortgage insurance refunds: You may be entitled to a mortgage insurance payment refund from the Department of Housing and Urban Development or another lender.
Unemployment benefits: Perhaps you filed and were approved to receive unemployment insurance payments. If you did not receive a payment but were supposed to, this may be one of the unclaimed assets available to you.
Since there are so many types of unclaimed assets, it would take a long time to cover all of them. But it’s still important to note that there are so many possible circumstances that can lead to you having money or other assets owed to you that you just don’t know about.
State and federal government agencies hold unclaimed assets in order to protect them from those who are not entitled to them and accurately document what the assets are, where they came from and who is entitled to them. And while your unclaimed assets are well protected, you are not able to use them as you see fit. And when you don’t know what kind of unclaimed assets you have, you don’t know the true value of what you’re owed.
Your unclaimed assets could be worth hundreds, thousands or millions of dollars. You can find out whether you have unclaimed assets and how much you’re owed by running a free unclaimed money search. Learn how to do this search on the next slide.
