Unclaimed.Org Could Score You Extra Cash
How to Take Back Money That's Rightfully Yours
With the state of the economy affecting the way you spend money these days, President Obama's next government stimulus check may seem farther away than most people would like. After all, what good is that money going to do you in a couple of months if you can't pay the stacks of bills now? Those who think they have scoured every nook, cranny and couch cushion to find some extra change, though, may still have one more place to look: Uncle Sam's sofa. Or more specifically, one of his many sofas.
Why You Might be Owed Money
According to Anna Prior in the March 15th Wall Street Journal article, "Reclaim Your Lost Money," nearly $33 billion is up for grabs from various businesses that were forced to turn over unclaimed money to the state after having no activity or contact with the owner for more than a year. This money includes things like uncashed payroll checks, unredeemed money orders, insurance payments, and even deposits from the cable company. This is money owed to you that was either never collected or paid by the business.
Over at unclaimed.org (the official site of the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators), you can search by name and state to find out if you are eligible to receive some of this money. Along with all 50 U.S. states, the database also includes U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and Canadian provinces like British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.
Searching the Database
The NAUPA works hand-in-hand with a site called Missing Money.com that will not only tell you if you are owed money, but what business reported it as well. You won't know exactly how much it is until the check arrives, but you will know if it is more or less than $100. Better yet, you can also search the names of deceased relatives, and if you can prove that you are their legal heir, any money that is due to them can be claimed as well.
The whole process takes only a few minutes (which includes filling out a claim form if you are eligible and sending in information proving you are who you say you are), but if you ask me, it is well worth it in the long run. There is not a single person that couldn't use a little extra money to help them through these hard times, and though it may not be much (most of my test searches yielded results of less than $100), every little bit helps.
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