Ways to Find Out If You Have Unclaimed Assets
You’ve probably heard those incredible stories of people lucky enough to inherit huge amounts of money or some high-value property, becoming insanely rich overnight. Although you may not think anything like that could ever happen to you, it’s truly not that uncommon for such unclaimed assets to exist. From uncashed checks to forgotten wages to unexpected inheritance, there are many sources of unclaimed assets out there, some of which you might be entitled to. Fortunately, there are also several ways to find out if there are such assets with your name on them, so that you can collect what’s rightfully yours.
Search Locally
There are many local government websites where you can begin your search for unclaimed assets. Some of these independent sites cover towns or cities, while others offer information for an entire region or a state. This is usually as simple as using any online search engine and typing your location and ‘unclaimed property’ or ‘unclaimed assets’. This should be enough to get a list of websites that could help you with your search, but the safest and most reliable choice is generally a .gov website, where you’ll learn if you have any assets and get clear instructions on how to claim them.
Search Nationally
As sometimes assets get lost due to a change of an address or a name, it could be necessary to widen your search on a national level, especially if you’ve moved between states, so there’s a chance that the money you’re seeking is divided between several places. In order to search for your assets in more than one state at the same time, you should know that there is normally a national database you can turn to. Depending on where you live, the requirements regarding your proof of identity and signature may differ, and you might want to prepare yourself for having to claim your assets from several sources, which could take some time and patience.
Search Internationally
If your parents or other ancestors used to live in another country or even on another continent, and you want to know if you have assets to claim there, you may find yourself in an uncharted territory. Aside from not knowing where to begin looking, you might even have to travel to the country in question, which could end up costing too much. In such cases, hiring trustworthy and competent genealogy specialists could be the ideal solution. The best ones have decades of experience in locating and returning lost assets to individuals, solicitors and companies, meaning that they know how to do it more efficiently and in far less time than you probably could, regardless of where your assets are.
Search for Former Employers
If you know or merely suspect that you haven’t received money from one or more of your previous employers, there are still steps you can take to track what you’re owed. First of all, you should know that there is some probability that your cash is being held by the Department of Labor or a similar government department in another part of the world. Again, depending on the location, they may hold on to your money for years, giving you enough time to find it. Similarly, if you’ve retired from a company that went out of business and you want to see where your unclaimed pension is, there are websites that enable you to do so. Just use an online search engine and type your or your employer’s precise location and the term ‘unclaimed pension’ and you’ll be given several website suggestions to continue your search.
Search for Closed Banks
Just like any other company, a bank can fail and be closed, with your savings or any other type of assets remaining unaccounted for. Even if a bank or a credit union doesn’t exist anymore, you should still check if there is money in your name that you can get. Again, this is something you can do through credit union or federal deposit websites, or you can inquire about access to other relevant financial institutions’ databases, which you can often do online. If you had a savings account or similar investments that have matured with time, you might receive more money than you initially entrusted the bank with.
If there’s a slightest chance you have assets lying around, waiting for you to take them, don’t waste any time and start looking for them now. Even the smallest amount could help, but perhaps you have the right to more than you’re aware of, so take the good advice above and find a way to claim these assets as soon as possible.
Search Locally
There are many local government websites where you can begin your search for unclaimed assets. Some of these independent sites cover towns or cities, while others offer information for an entire region or a state. This is usually as simple as using any online search engine and typing your location and ‘unclaimed property’ or ‘unclaimed assets’. This should be enough to get a list of websites that could help you with your search, but the safest and most reliable choice is generally a .gov website, where you’ll learn if you have any assets and get clear instructions on how to claim them.
Search Nationally
As sometimes assets get lost due to a change of an address or a name, it could be necessary to widen your search on a national level, especially if you’ve moved between states, so there’s a chance that the money you’re seeking is divided between several places. In order to search for your assets in more than one state at the same time, you should know that there is normally a national database you can turn to. Depending on where you live, the requirements regarding your proof of identity and signature may differ, and you might want to prepare yourself for having to claim your assets from several sources, which could take some time and patience.
Search Internationally
If your parents or other ancestors used to live in another country or even on another continent, and you want to know if you have assets to claim there, you may find yourself in an uncharted territory. Aside from not knowing where to begin looking, you might even have to travel to the country in question, which could end up costing too much. In such cases, hiring trustworthy and competent genealogy specialists could be the ideal solution. The best ones have decades of experience in locating and returning lost assets to individuals, solicitors and companies, meaning that they know how to do it more efficiently and in far less time than you probably could, regardless of where your assets are.
Search for Former Employers
If you know or merely suspect that you haven’t received money from one or more of your previous employers, there are still steps you can take to track what you’re owed. First of all, you should know that there is some probability that your cash is being held by the Department of Labor or a similar government department in another part of the world. Again, depending on the location, they may hold on to your money for years, giving you enough time to find it. Similarly, if you’ve retired from a company that went out of business and you want to see where your unclaimed pension is, there are websites that enable you to do so. Just use an online search engine and type your or your employer’s precise location and the term ‘unclaimed pension’ and you’ll be given several website suggestions to continue your search.
Search for Closed Banks
Just like any other company, a bank can fail and be closed, with your savings or any other type of assets remaining unaccounted for. Even if a bank or a credit union doesn’t exist anymore, you should still check if there is money in your name that you can get. Again, this is something you can do through credit union or federal deposit websites, or you can inquire about access to other relevant financial institutions’ databases, which you can often do online. If you had a savings account or similar investments that have matured with time, you might receive more money than you initially entrusted the bank with.
If there’s a slightest chance you have assets lying around, waiting for you to take them, don’t waste any time and start looking for them now. Even the smallest amount could help, but perhaps you have the right to more than you’re aware of, so take the good advice above and find a way to claim these assets as soon as possible.
