Are you meticulous about closing out old bank accounts? Diligent about reclaiming utility deposits? Always cash your refund checks promptly? Sorry, this post probably isn't for you -- for once, the hopelessly complacent among us are more likely to come out on top (finally!).On Tuesday's Good Morning America, contributor Mellody Hobson of Ariel Capital Management discussed options to track down your share of the nation's $32.8 billion in unclaimed assets, chiefly citing www.unclaimed.org.
Unclaimed.org, run by the non-profit National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, explains how to search for left-behind assets, and offers links to individual state databases of outstanding cash and property.
What counts as unclaimed property? Unclaimed.org suggests accounts and checks are abandoned property as early as one year with no activity or contact with the owner, and cites as examples:
- savings or checking accounts
- stock certificates
- uncashed dividends
- payroll checks
- refunds
- traveler's checks
- trust distributions
- unredeemed money orders
- gift certificates
- insurance payments or refunds of life insurance policies
- annuities
- certificates of deposit
- customer overpayments
- utility security deposits
- mineral royalty payments
- contents of safe deposit boxes
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-12-2007 @ 4:57PM
Robert L. Reed Sr. said...
looking for lost monies.