What is missing cash or unclaimed money
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Unclaimed property refers to property being held by an organization that has not had contact with the owner for an extended period of time.
Government agencies are holding over $30 billion in unclaimed property and missing money. An asset becomes abandoned in the eyes of the law when contact with the original owner is lost - typically due to a name change after marriage or divorce, an unreported address change, incomplete or illegible records, and clerical errors.
When owners or heirs fail to communicate an interest in an asset over a specified number of years known as the dormancy period, those left holding unclaimed assets: banks, stock brokers and transfer agents, employers and life insurance companies - remit the funds to the protective custody a government trust account in a legal process known as escheat.
Along with billions of unclaimed dollars held by government agencies themselves - including the IRS (tax refunds - $73 million), Bureau of Public Debt (savings bonds - $9 billion), Social Security Administration (benefit checks - $478 million), HUD (mortgage refunds - $500 million), PBGC (pension benefits - $80 million), FDIC (bank accounts - $200 million), and others - here they await your claim!
Life Insurance More than 25% of all life insurance policy benefits go unpaid on death of the insured. Life insurance companies make virtually no effort to find lost heirs. Life Insurance Search
HUD Refunds Thousands of homeowners and those who sold homes with FHA insured mortgages are entitled to collect $500 million in unclaimed HUD mortgage insurance premium refunds.
Social Security Most family members do not know they are entitled to receive unclaimed money and benefits, as financial records are often incomplete or missing at the time of death.
Lost Bank Accounts Don't assume an unclaimed account is lost after years of inactivity, even if a bank closed due to merger or bankruptcy,Funds may have been transferred FDIC Insurance Did you have an account at a failed savings and loan or credit union? You may be entitled to collect insurance proceeds - up to $100,000 per account.
Mutual Life Policies Millions of mutual life policyholders and heirs are eligible to claim cash and stock arising from the demutualization of MetLife, Prudential, John Hancock and others.
Stocks & Bonds Millions of current and former shareholders are entitled to unclaimed stock and dividends. Even if a stock or mutual fund is no longer listed, shares may still have value. Stock Search
Veteran Benefits Unclaimed veteran benefits include death and disability payments, burial allowances, life insurance, unclaimed military pay, Adjusted Service Bonds and Armed Forces Leave Bonds Veteran Benefits Search
Postal Savings System Upon termination of the Postal Savings System, hundreds of thousands of U.S. Postal Savings System Certificates and U.S. Postal Savings Bonds went unredeemed.
Screen Actor Residuals The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is looking for thousands of performers whose residual checks - royalties earned from television and film performances - have gone unclaimed. Screen Actor Residual Search
Pension Funds Pension plan administrators make little effort to locate lost beneficiaries. Many private pension plans are federally insured, so even if a company closed it may be possible to receive benefits. Pension Search
Bankruptcy Claims Bankruptcy courts hold over $200 million in unclaimed distributions owed creditors. Proceedings can take years, but once resolved little effort is made to locate those owed money.