<p>I am by nature suspicious, I don’t believe anything nor do I trust anyone that I don’t know. But I was listening to Clark Howard on the radio today, who has a very reputable nationwide financial advice show. He brought up a website: missingmoney.com, that he had located some money owed to his brother on. This website is a database of governmental unclaimed property records. You can do a search on it for free, to see if you or anyone you know is owed money by an institution. </p>
<p>Well, unfortunately I didn’t find anything owed to myself or my husband. But I found two life insurance policies owed to my Grandmother. She had Alzheimers before she died, so she would have not been aware of anything like this. Her only living heir is my father, and they give directions on what descendants can do to claim the money. I’m sure the policies aren’t huge, as my grandparents were purely farmers. But two life insurance policies will surely run into the thousands of dollars, so I am very happy for my father. He has always felt somewhat disgruntled because his parents only left him a small, worthless piece of inaccessible land.</p>
<p>I wanted to share this with you, because who knows what you might find?</p>
<p>My husband heard about that site a few years back and he discovered a forgotten bank account in his fathers name as well as several old bonds. We also discovered that I had a bank account that had long been forgotten about from my early twenties. I had moved several times and for some crazy reason I just never realized that the account had not been transferred. It seemed so out of character for me but it was nice to find that account.</p>
<p>I read about this a year ago–I plugged in my married and maiden names and the states where I had lived–nothing for me, but my brother had an unclaimed account–it was only for $100, though. Still, it’s certainly worth checking out!</p>
<p>I plugged my name in and it shows I have an unclaimed account. I can’t think what it could be, unless it’s an escrow I have forgotten about. I just put a claim in, hope it is not a scam.</p>
<p>Always love Clark Howard. I can’t always listen to his radio program but I always check his website when I have a consumer question… Thanks for reminding us…</p>
<p>I hope people find alot of money, I’m searching for my friends now. I generally don’t trust anything, figure it’s all a ripoff or a scam. But I do trust Clark Howard, he is very financially conservative.</p>
<p>There were 2 items associated with my grandfather who died in 1971. I verified with my state’s Department of Revenue. What’s odd is that we’ve searched the database before and nothing with his name has ever shown up until now.
My grandmother and my father are deceased as well, so I’ll now figure out how my mom can claim what probably isn’t much, but is still “free money”.</p>
<p>When I go on my state’s website for missing property, it lists the same insurance policies due my Grandmother as the missingmoney.com site. Funny how the state just hangs onto your money, when they could easily track you down. They’d certainly find you if you owed them!</p>
<p>Sounds great, oldfort. Make it a virtual glass of red wine, please!</p>
<p>I have started searching for some others, and have found the state holding 3 accounts (including an insurance policy) for my husband’s cousin, several possibilities for a friends parent, and 3 for a friend in Florida. I figure it doesn’t so much matter about the ones less than $100, but insurance policies? That could be big bucks! Tell the truth, we’ve had so many life insurance policies over the years, I’m not even sure what my kids would find if we died.</p>
<p>The good old IRS sent my mother a letter with a check last week. The letter said their files indicate she received a refund in 2008 for the 2007 taxes, but that she never cashed the check. Therefore, they sent her a replacement check, and asked her to cash it since the check issued back in 2008 is no longer viable.</p>
<p>My mother is failing, and suffers from a poor memory, so I’m not a bit surprised she never cashed the check. But I am surprised the IRS has it so together that they monitor these things.</p>
<p>I checked both sets of Grandparents and both Parents … nothing. I guess can rule out inherited Alzheimer’s Disease as the cause of my forgetfulness!</p>
<p>Years ago our state published lists of names of people with missing money. My MIL told me (snidely) that I was on the list. Turned out to be $3.88 from one day’s interest that was posted after I had closed out an account. Wasn’t worth the cost and trouble to get the notarized paperwork.</p>
<p>It’d be nice if the missingmoney site gave a bit more info than just ‘under $100.’</p>
<p>I recently found unclaimed funds through the same site relating to the demutualization of a life insurance company and am in the process of trying to claim it, working through PA’s paper work.</p>