The 14 Best Sites for Unclaimed Money

Find money from tax refunds, pensions, bank accounts, and more

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on July 18, 2020
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Incorrectly addressed tax refunds, forgotten retirement and pension accounts, and life insurance policies that survivors never knew about are a few sources of unclaimed money in the United States. Billions of dollars sit in unclaimed accounts, typically held in trust by states and various agencies.

If you're wondering if any of that money is yours, we compiled 14 of the best websites to find unclaimed money for free. Take a look and see if a windfall might be headed your way.

Be cautious throughout this process. Use official sites only, and never provide personal information to a site you don't trust. While we vetted the sites here, these may link to unofficial sites of unknown provenance. The Federal Trade Commission can help you spot government imposter scams.

01
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Unclaimed Tax Refunds: Official IRS Unclaimed Tax Money Search

Official IRS unclaimed tax refunds site.
What We Like

  • The only official source for unclaimed tax money.

What We Don't Like

  • Can only use the search if you know how much the IRS owes you.

The best place to find unclaimed tax refund money is through the official IRS site. When the IRS fails to provide a refund due to a returned or undeliverable check, or any other reason, use this site to find out what's going on.

Unclaimed refund money is only available for three years after the original filing date.

02
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Unclaimed State Taxes: National Unclaimed Property Authority

Unclaimed.org map of available unclaimed money
What We Like

  • The official way to find unclaimed state tax refunds.

  • Also finds savings accounts, stocks, traveler's checks, and more.

  • Links to official state sites.

What We Don't Like

  • Doesn't include a search function.

  • Must run the actual search on the appropriate state site.

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) works with every state in the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, several Canadian provinces, and the government of Kenya to help people find their unclaimed property.

This site doesn't have any search functions of its own. Instead, it acts as a clearinghouse for unclaimed property sites administered by individual governments. Click each state, territory, or province where you have lived or owned property to be directed to an official unclaimed property search for that area.

03
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Unclaimed Bank Accounts, Stocks, and More: Missing Money

The Missing Money site.
What We Like

  • Finds bank accounts and safe deposit boxes, stocks, unpaid wages, insurance policies, utility deposits, and more.

  • Includes an on-site search that finds your unclaimed money.

  • Endorsed by NAUPA.

What We Don't Like

  • Uses government databases, but it isn't an official government site.

Missing Money doesn't have any records of its own. However, it can find your unclaimed money through a variety of sources. It's also officially endorsed by NAUPA, so you can be sure that it's a legitimate site.

To use this site, enter your name and the state where you live or have lived in the past. The site then searches the databases it has access to and tells you if it finds any money.

04
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Unclaimed Money: Credit Karma

Credit Karma unclaimed money site.
What We Like

  • Find money that businesses turned over to the state when they were unable to find you.

  • Free to use.

What We Don't Like

  • Not an official resource.

  • Requires an account.

Credit Karma is best known for free credit-monitoring services. The site also features an unclaimed money search function. This site isn't an official government source, but it does search government databases.

Unlike most unclaimed money sites, Credit Karma requires an account to use it. If you have a free Credit Karma account for its credit-monitoring service, use the same account to search for unclaimed money.

05
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Unclaimed Wages: Workers Owed Wages

Workers Owed Wages site
What We Like

  • Find wages that a current or previous employer owes you.

  • An official site from the Wages and Hours Division.

What We Don't Like

  • A niche site that isn't useful if an employer never withheld wages.

Workers Owed Wages is an official site operated by the Wages and Hours Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. It allows you to search employers by name and check if you're owed back wages. If you suspect that a current or past employer may owe you money, this is the best place to check.

06
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Unclaimed Bank Funds: FDIC

FDIC unclaimed funds site.
What We Like

  • Locate unclaimed funds from accounts at failed banks.

  • An official resource from the FDIC.

What We Don't Like

  • A niche site that only applies if you had a bank account at a failed bank.

When money is lost due to a bank failure, the FDIC provides some level of protection. If you think you may be owed money due to a bank failure, this site provides an official way to search for that kind of unclaimed money.

To use this site, you need to know the name of the failed bank and the city where it was located. If you have a check that's no good due to the bank having failed, you'll need the check number.

07
of 14

Unclaimed Credit Union Funds: National Credit Union Association (NCUA)

NCUA unclaimed funds site
What We Like

  • Locate unclaimed funds from accounts at liquidated credit unions.

  • An official resource from the NCUA.

What We Don't Like

  • A niche site that's helpful only if you were affected by a liquidated credit union.

The NCUA site is similar to the FDIC Unclaimed Funds website, but it's for credit unions instead of regular banks. If you think you're owed money due to a credit union's liquidation, this site provides an official method to find out.

Rather than offering an automated search, the site provides a list of accounts and names. If you see your name on the list, you may have some unclaimed money coming your way.

08
of 14

Unclaimed, Lost, or Stolen Savings Bonds: TreasuryDirect

TreasuryDirect page to claim unclaimed savings bonds
What We Like

  • Claim funds that are tied up in lost or destroyed bonds.

  • An official service of the Treasury Department.

What We Don't Like

  • Can't get a new paper bond, only an electronic one.

  • This site isn't useful if you haven't lost a bond.

If you believe that you own, or owned, a bond that you lost, or which was destroyed or stolen, the TreasuryDirect site provides a method to get it back.

TreasuryDirect also offers an online service to check the value of a paper bond.

09
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Unclaimed Pension Funds: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

PBGC unclaimed pension search site.
What We Like

  • Find unclaimed pension funds.

  • An official resource from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which is a government agency.

What We Don't Like

  • Useful only for finding pensions.

If your pension fund failed, and it was insured, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) may owe you money. It might not be the full value of your pension before the fund's failure, but it's worth checking.

10
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Unclaimed Retirement Plans: National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits

Unclaimed Retirement Benefits site.
What We Like

  • Find retirement plan account balances that are unclaimed.

  • Requires your Social Security number, but doesn't request other identifying information.

What We Don't Like

  • Not an official government site.

  • Requests your Social Security number.

The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits is an official site where you can check for unclaimed retirement plan money. If you were qualified for a retirement plan and didn't get the money, this site may help you claim your funds.

11
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Unclaimed Investor Funds: Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

SEC claims page.
What We Like

  • Locate funds owed from class-action suits, a broker-dealer going out of business, and other investments.

  • An official service of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

What We Don't Like

  • The site is complicated and difficult to navigate.

  • A niche site that's useful only if you're a harmed investor.

If you lost money as a harmed investor, the SEC may be able to help you. This is an official site that provides a wealth of information and resources to offer relief for harmed investors.

12
of 14

Unclaimed Insurance Funds: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

US Department of Veterans Affairs unclaimed funds site
What We Like

  • Locate unclaimed insurance funds from Servicemembers Group Life Insurance and Veterans Group Life Insurance.

  • An official U.S. government resource.

What We Don't Like

  • Useful only if you have a deceased veteran family member who had a specific life insurance policy.

If you lost a family member who served in the military from 1965 through the present, and they had a life insurance policy, this site will help you find it. You'll need to know the veteran's name to initiate a search.

13
of 14

HUD Refunds: Unclaimed Refunds From HUD

HUD FHA refund page
What We Like

  • Locate unclaimed funds from FHA-insured mortgages.

  • An official resource from HUD.

What We Don't Like

  • A niche site that's applicable only if you're owed money due to an FHA-insured mortgage.

  • Requires a lot of information, including a case number.

This is one of the more niche sites for finding unclaimed money, but it is an official source. If you believe you're owed money due to an FHA-insured mortgage, this site offers guidance.

To use this site, you'll need your name, FHA case number, city, and state.

14
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Unpaid Foreign Claims: Foreign Claims Settlement Commission

FCSC unpaid foreign claims site.
What We Like

  • Locate funds that you're owed due to foreign claims.

  • An official service of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

What We Don't Like

  • A niche site that's applicable only if you lost money in a foreign country.

  • There's no on-site search, only access to forms.

This is an official Department of the Treasury site, where you can search for unclaimed money owed to you due to an unpaid foreign claim certified by the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.

If you haven't suffered a loss due to the nationalization of property by a foreign government, or a loss due to military operations, this site won't find any money for you.

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