Before dawn in Singapore this month, Ms. Cox and I discussed the case over Zoom with the state comptroller’s office, waiting for her young children to stir and wrap up the proceedings. At one point, Ms. Cox thought to ask in regards to the missing $45,000 – the quantity left over from her 2014 return. How much of her money does the state have now?
“It’s $115,000,” was the reply.
It turns out that the state tracks investment performance, and also you get all that growth if you show up to claim your property. Those old Eaton Vance mutual funds did quite well. Mrs. Cox smiled mockingly.
Later that day, I asked about her plans for the cash that had been transferred to her checking account that week. Maybe a brand new 529 college savings plan for these two kids? With the assistance of a Morgan Stanley broker?
“I don’t think so,” she said. “NO. No, thank you.”
How to find unclaimed money in your name
Not all unclaimed funds are bank or brokerage accounts that their owners forgot about. These can include stock dividends, insurance policies, uncashed checks, and more. If you would like to find anything in your name – or, say, older relatives’ – here’s how to do it.
Search your state (or any state)
Every state has some unclaimed property. If you are in search of information online, it is easy to find – just ensure the positioning is reputable. Florida, as all the time reveling within the madness, conducts its business through an online address FLTreasurehunt.gov.
The National Association of Administrators of Unclaimed Property has map on your private home page with links to each state’s website. You can search every state directly missingmoney.com
Have your credentials ready
To make a claim in your property, you have to to prove who you might be, often by providing personal details or proof of identity. You can also need documentation from the corporate you handled before they turned every thing over to the state.
Revocation in case of blocking
If a state rejects you for any reason, take careful note of what (if anything) would cause you to change your mind. If you don’t love the reply and also you live in a state with unclaimed property, contact your state representatives and ask them for Basic Service assistance.
And if the corporate you patronized turned over your property to the state and is now putting up obstacles, file a criticism with any customer support department. If that does not work, try the patented executive carpet bombing approach to selectively sending harsh letters to company executives.
