How to Find Lost Money in an Old Bank Account
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Searching your name online can lead to embarrassing photos, tweets and other parts of your past that you’d rather forget.
One type of search, however, can lead to something a lot more fun than a video or post you wish you never were a part of: searching online for money.
Maybe there’s a bank account out there somewhere with your name on it that you’ve long forgotten about. Or maybe your bank or credit union went out of business and you never withdrew your money before the account was closed.
It’s still legally your money and can be yours again if you claim it.
All it can take is searching for your name through your state’s unclaimed money website.
Another site, MissingMoney.com, is endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators as a free way to search for unclaimed money in your name. If your name pops up, you can click on a link to go to your state’s website to file a claim.
Related: How to Make Money Fast
In this article
What, exactly, is unclaimed money?
Also called unclaimed property, this type of windfall can come from lost bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance policy money, and safe deposit boxes. It could be an account in your name or one you inherited.
When a business or financial institution can’t find you, it has to turn over the property (money) to the state where the account was held. The state holds the money until you claim it.
Other forms of unclaimed money include:
- Property in states where you’ve lived
- Tax refunds that went undelivered
- Refund from FHA-insured mortgage
- Back wages
- Pension
- Life insurance payout
- Savings bonds
- Owed money as an investor from failed company
Your state’s unclaimed property division can make finding those and other forms of lost money easy. Our focus is on bank accounts, though we’ll briefly get to other types of unclaimed money.
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How to find old bank accounts
An easy way to start the search is at MissingMoney or clicking on a link to your state’s unclaimed property program.
If you’ve accessed the bank account within the past year, contact the bank for help. If you can’t remember the bank account number, you might be able to find it on old checks or account statements. Bank officials should be able to help you if you provide personal information.
If you haven’t touched the account in more than a year, go to your state’s unclaimed property division. Rules vary on how to prove ownership, but filling out an online form is usually the first step.
If you belonged to a credit union at one time, check the National Credit Union Administration’s website for unclaimed deposits.
How to reclaim lost bonds
Finding forgotten U.S. Savings Bonds or other government-held assets might not have the swashbuckling allure of a traditional treasure hunt, but it can be equally rewarding. Over the years, billions of dollars in U.S. Savings Bonds have gone unclaimed, often because they were lost or forgotten or the owners were unaware they existed. Additionally, there might be other government assets that you're entitled to but have lost track of. Here's how you can embark on your own treasury hunt to potentially uncover and reclaim these lost treasures.
Start with savings bonds
If you suspect that you or a family member might have unclaimed U.S. Savings Bonds, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's TreasuryDirect website is your first port of call. The Department's Treasury Hunt tool used to help individuals find matured bonds that have stopped earning interest but has since been limited. However, you can still use the site to learn about the process for replacing lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds, and find out if you have any matured bonds that haven't been cashed.
For Series EE or I savings bonds issued after 1974, TreasuryDirect's "TreasuryDirect" online system offers guidance on initiating a search or filing a claim. You'll likely need to provide detailed information, such as the bond serial number, the Social Security Number of the owner, and other identifying details. If you don't have all the information required, don't worry; the Treasury Department can often search by name and Social Security Number.
Explore other unclaimed government assets
Beyond savings bonds, the U.S. government may hold other assets that belong to you. This can include tax refunds that were never delivered, FHA insurance refunds, or funds from failed banks and credit unions covered by the FDIC and NCUA, respectively. Each of these agencies has its process for claiming these assets:
- IRS for unclaimed tax refunds. If you think you're owed a tax refund you never received, visiting the IRS's official website and using the "Where's My Refund?" tool is a good start. Unclaimed refunds are more common than you might think, often resulting from filing errors or address changes.
- FHA-insurance refunds. Homeowners with FHA-insured mortgages may be eligible for refunds of their insurance premiums. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) maintains a database for such refunds.
- FDIC and NCUA for banking assets. If you had accounts in banks or credit unions that failed and were insured by the FDIC or NCUA, you might have unclaimed funds. Both organizations provide online search tools to identify and claim these assets.
Documents needed to make a claim
After getting to your state’s unclaimed property website, run by the state treasury department, you’ll need to file a claim and prove who you say you are. Claims usually start online, though a mailed form may be needed instead.
To verify your identity, here are some of the documents you’ll probably need:
- Driver’s license or other state-issued ID
- Social Security number proof, such as copy or your Social Security card or IRS Form W-2
- Proof of address connected to property you're claiming, such as an old utility bill
- Proof of current address
- Death certificate if claiming money on behalf of a deceased relative
- Probate court order
Some states will require originals and others will accept copies to confirm you’re the rightful owner of the missing money.
- Unlock Up to 4.31% APY**
- Combine Freedom Checking with Portfolio Savings to boost your savings APY by up to 0.20%.**
- Fewer fees, faster transactions. Plus, earn 2.00% APY* on your checking account.
- Move money instantly between your Portfolio Savings and Freedom Checking accounts.
- Skip the monthly maintenance fees and minimum deposit requirements.
How to file a claim
As we’ve noted, some states allow online claims to be made. They may eventually lead to providing physical documents, but they’re at least a start.
Read the instructions carefully on your state’s website. Online submissions may only be allowed if you meet certain conditions.
California, for example, only allows online claims if the amount is less than $5,000 and the claimant is the sole owner.
Some states require printing the claim form and getting it notarized before mailing it in.
Wait for the money to roll in
If your claim is approved, expect it to take around two weeks to get a check in the mail. It could take six months.
You may not be told that a check is coming and that your claim has been approved, and may only learn of it when the check arrives.
State officials may search your initial claim and any return more money to you than you originally asked for.
Avoid scam artists
During your search, you may come across businesses that offer to retrieve your money for a cut of the amount recovered, such as 10-20%.
Don’t pay any fee upfront, according to an AARP story. If you work with such a company, agree only to pay it when you receive your money.
Anyone who claims to be part of the government and promises to send you unclaimed money for a fee is probably a scam artist. Government agencies won’t contact people about unclaimed money and they won’t charge a fee.
- Unlock Up to 4.31% APY**
- Combine Freedom Checking with Portfolio Savings to boost your savings APY by up to 0.20%.**
- Fewer fees, faster transactions. Plus, earn 2.00% APY* on your checking account.
- Move money instantly between your Portfolio Savings and Freedom Checking accounts.
- Skip the monthly maintenance fees and minimum deposit requirements.
Other types of unclaimed money
We earlier listed other forms of unclaimed money besides old bank accounts. The federal government is a good source for finding bank accounts and other types of unclaimed money.
Here are other ways to find missing money:
- Pension and retirement plans through the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s unclaimed pension database.
- 401(k) and other retirement funds through the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits
- Where’s My Refund? from the IRS
- Back wages through the Department of Labor
- Veterans Affairs database of unclaimed life insurance funds
- FHA-insured mortgage refund
- Bank failures listed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.
- Matured savings bonds that have stopped earning interest
- Replace a lost or destroyed savings bond
The bottom line
Embarking to uncover lost or unclaimed money can be surprisingly fruitful for many Americans. Whether it's a forgotten savings account, matured U.S. Savings Bonds, or other unclaimed assets, billions of dollars are waiting to be reclaimed. By leveraging official resources like TreasuryDirect, state unclaimed property offices, and the FDIC, individuals have the tools to discover and reclaim what's rightfully theirs. This journey not only brings the potential for financial gain but also offers a rewarding sense of closure in securing assets out of reach.
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