The Government May Be Holding Your Money
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars go unclaimed by their rightful owners. In fact, by most estimates, Governmental agencies across the United States currently hold over $30 Billion in unclaimed funds! Most of these unclaimed funds are the result of:
- Unclaimed Inheritances
- Lost Bank Accounts
- Uncollected Life Insurance Proceeds
- Unclaimed Stocks & Bonds
- Unclaimed Social Security Benefits
- Unclaimed Class Action Settlements
- Unclaimed Insured Bank Deposits
- Undeliverable IRS Tax Refunds
- Unclaimed Savings Bonds
It really isn’t that hard to imagine what causes these funds to go unclaimed. Americans move around a lot and sometimes forwarding addresses are incorrect or not available. You might even have had a distant relative who died intestate [without a will]. If the State cannot identify valid heirs to distribute these assets to, the State holds onto the money.
In fact, very few beneficiaries of Life Insurance know that it is up to them to not only locate all valid policies, but also to notify the issuer of the death of the policy holder before they can be paid!
The good news is that every state has a website where you can search for these funds. You will want to search every possible permutation of your name, including your maiden name, middle name and even nick-names. Here is a list of sites where you can search for your lost riches! Happy hunting!
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Alaska |
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Alabama |
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Arkansas |
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Arizona |
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British Columbia |
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California |
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Colorado |
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Connecticut |
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District of Columbia |
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Delaware |
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Florida |
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Georgia |
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Guam |
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Hawaii |
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Iowa |
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Idaho |
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Illinois |
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Indiana |
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Kansas |
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Kentucky |
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Louisiana |
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Massachusetts |
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Maryland |
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Maine |
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Michigan |
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Minnesota |
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Missouri |
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Mississippi |
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Montana |
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North Carolina |
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North Dakota |
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Nebraska |
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New Hampshire |
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New Jersey |
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New Mexico |
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Nevada |
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New York |
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Ohio |
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Oklahoma |
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Oregon |
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Pennsylvania |
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Quebec |
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Puerto Rico |
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Rhode Island |
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South Carolina |
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South Dakota |
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Tennessee |
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Texas |
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Utah |
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Virginia |
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Virgin Islands |
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Vermont |
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Washington |
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Wisconsin |
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West Virginia |
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Wyoming |
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