Every Official Place to Look for Unclaimed Money, One by One

What counts as unclaimed money?

If a business, bank, or government owes you money that you never collected, it becomes unclaimed money or property. Common examples are old bank accounts, forgotten insurance payouts, back pay, or a refund you never cashed.

You can file for money owed to you. If a relative passed away and you are their legal heir, you may be able to claim money owed to them too.

Searching is free on every official site below. You never have to pay a company to find or claim money that is already yours.

Where do I start? With your state

State governments hold most unclaimed money. Think bank accounts gone dormant, insurance policies, or money from a state agency.

Search your state's unclaimed property office first. If you have lived in more than one state, check each state where you lived. Each one runs its own database.

This is the step most people skip, and it is often where the money is.

What other databases should I check?

There is no single place for all unclaimed money, so the federal government points you to separate databases by type. Here is the run-down from USA.gov.

Employers: Search the Department of Labor's database for unpaid back wages. Use the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) tool to find an unclaimed pension from a former employer.

Insurance: Veterans can search the VA database for unclaimed life insurance funds. If you once had an FHA-insured mortgage, check the HUD database for a possible refund.

Taxes: If a tax refund never arrived, use the IRS 'Where's My Refund?' tool. Note that the period to claim unpaid stimulus (Economic Impact Payments) has ended.

The less obvious pots of money

Investments: Search the SEC database for money from an investment enforcement case.

Bank or credit union failures: Use the FDIC database for funds from closed banks, and the separate tool for closed credit unions.

Savings bonds: Use TreasuryHunt.gov to find matured savings bonds that stopped earning interest. You can also learn how to replace a lost one.

Bankruptcies: Use the U.S. Courts Unclaimed Funds Locator for money owed after a person or business filed bankruptcy.

Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts: Native American and Alaska Native beneficiaries can use the Interior Department's Whereabouts Unknown tool to check for an unclaimed account.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay to search for unclaimed money?

No. Every official database linked from USA.gov is free to search and free to claim. If a site or company charges a fee to find your money, it is not the official government path.

Can I claim money owed to a relative who passed away?

You may be able to, if you are their legal heir. USA.gov notes you can file for unclaimed money that was owed to a deceased relative when you are their legal heir.

Why isn't there one search for everything?

USA.gov is clear that there is no single place to look. Different agencies hold different money, so you need to check your state office plus the separate databases for wages, pensions, insurance, taxes, and more.

Can I still claim an old stimulus check?

No. According to USA.gov, the period to claim unpaid Economic Impact Payments has ended. In December 2024 the IRS sent payments to people who qualified but had not claimed the Recovery Rebate Credit.