8 Forgotten Assets You Might Own (And How To Reclaim Them)

There are millions of dollars of unclaimed assets out there now waiting to be found by their rightful owners. Things like old 401(k) accounts, uncashed checks, treasury bonds, and forgotten bank accounts to name a few.

Getting these assets back under your control is an easy way to build wealth, and it requires little more than some light internet research and contacting the right agencies to get it done. All you need to do is follow these steps to see if you have any money out there waiting for you.

If you think you may have unclaimed Treasury Bonds, you should start your search at TreasuryHunt.gov. The process is straightforward — all you need is your Social Security Number (SSN) and access to a printer.

After entering your SSN, the website will check for any unclaimed Savings Bonds linked to you. If a match is found, you’ll be prompted to print and complete a Treasury Hunt Follow-up Form, which must be mailed to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service.

The Bureau will use the unique reference number from the form to conduct a detailed search for any unclaimed bonds and will guide you on the next steps if bonds are located.

In the modern digital banking world, you likely have one or more accounts that have slipped through the cracks.

To get started, you’ll need your SSN and any previous addresses you lived at. Go to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) website at unclaimed.org, and find your state’s Unclaimed Property Office.

If you cannot find anything there, you can use the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s BankFind tool to find any potential FDIC-insured accounts. If you can uncover your missing bank accounts, you can speak with the bank directly and file a claim to get the remaining money out.

If you think Uncle Sam may still owe you back some of the money you paid in taxes over the years, you’ll definitely want to check this one out.

The first thing you’ll need to do is gather your tax returns and social security number to find your unclaimed federal tax refunds. Then, you’ll need to head to the IRS website and use the “Where’s my refund” tool to see if you have any unclaimed refunds.

If there's a gap in your filings, you might need to file a missing tax return. The good news is that you can claim refunds for unfiled returns up to three years after the original due date. 

Unclaimed tax returns can also occur at the state level, so go to the Federation of Tax Administrators website and find your state’s official tax office to check there as well.

Stocks, dividends, and bonds, like most unclaimed assets, are turned over to state governments after a period of inactivity.

That means once you have your personal information, you can go to the NAUPA website (that’s unclaimed.org) and look for any missing assets. If you want to look across multiple states, you can use the NAUPA-endorsed missingmoney.org.

Additionally, you can check out the Security and Exchange Commission’s claims and lost security holders database.

This one can be tricky due to the nature of estates and the probate process, but once you have the information on the relative whose estate you are trying to look up, you can check NAUPA’s website. From there, you can browse the Social Security Death Index to confirm the death and last place of residence.

The deceased might have had an estate document in the form of a will or trust that contained the asset distribution schedule. If you can locate the estate document and determine who the trustee or executor is, you can contact them. 

Estates and inheritance are tricky, so if you believe you are entitled to some amount of inheritance, you should contact an attorney specializing in probate law.

Each state has different rules regarding probate, so be sure to read up on the process in your state.

If you’ve been working for a long time, losing track of various retirement accounts from previous employers can be easy. If you believe there are lost accounts, you should first make a list of all your employers.

Then, contact each one and the human resources or benefits department and request a Summary Plan Description. After that, search the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits to locate retirement plans left behind at former employers.

Once you’ve identified the plan administrator, such as Vanguard or Fidelity, contact them to determine what has happened to the accounts. From there, you can file a claim with the administrator.

Uncashed checks — such as payroll, tax refunds, or other payments — can remain unclaimed due to address changes, lost mail, or forgetfulness. To find these lost payments, first identify potential sources of uncashed checks.

From there, you can check your state’s unclaimed property database, as many uncashed checks will revert back to the government. 

Additionally, you contact the payroll department of your former employers and check to see if there are any payments that were sent but never cashed out.

Once you have located the unclaimed checks, you can follow the instructions from the state or private company to get a new check sent to your address.

Refundable deposits or overpayments from utility companies are easy to lose track of, especially if you’ve moved around a lot. 

To see if one of your past utility providers owes you money, you should first make a list of all the utility services you’ve used. Then, look through all your receipts and invoices from those providers.

After that, check the NAUPA database for unclaimed utility bills. Once your documentation is ready, contact the utility company and file a claim to receive your deposit.

While it can be daunting to uncover your hidden assets, it’s an important part of your overall financial fitness.

Taking the time to get back your old accounts will instantly put more cash in your wallet and open up a world of possibilities depending on the asset. All you have to do is go out there and find it.