With more than 26 million people out of work in the past month, a lot of Americans are looking for whatever actress greenbacks they can discover right now. Fortunately, there's an piece of cake mode to search for any unclaimed money that's owed to you.

What does it mean to accept unclaimed money? When a business or government office owes you money — for example, when y'all have credit at a shop that closes, or you're owed a utility deposit — that money somewhen goes to state-run unclaimed holding offices. The money goes unclaimed because no one tells you information technology's there; that's why y'all should periodically search for it. Here's how to check if there'due south "free" money you tin put back in your pocket.

First, go to your state'southward unclaimed holding website to check if you're owed funds. If y'all've moved around a lot, you can attempt sites like missingmoney.com or unclaimed.org, which may exist able to search multiple country databases at once. The search uses your name and your city to check for whatever funds. Remember to attempt a maiden name or a middle initial if those apply to you.

At that place are several different places where you might exist able to find more funds:

  • If y'all have an Federal Housing Administration-insured mortgage, you lot may exist eligible for a refund through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Take a look at the HUD website.
  • If you expected a tax refund and never received it, it may have been sent to the wrong address or banking concern business relationship. Additionally, if you didn't file your taxes simply should have received money back, you can check the IRS website to claim your missing refund.
  • Even so hanging on to some savings bonds y'all never cashed in? If you're missing the paper copy, you can request a savings bond reissue here.
  • If your government-insured bank or credit spousal relationship was liquidated, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. or National Credit Union Administration will refund whatsoever deposits you lot had non claimed. For banks, search the FDIC; for credit unions, search the NCUA.

Claiming the money is straightforward. You just demand to show that the money is yours, and your state volition cut you a cheque. Each state has its own rules near how to prove your identity and claim that money, so make sure you read any rules on the site.

Y'all should be able to merits this coin for free and on your own. If someone is request you to pay a fee for it, proceed with caution. If you lot do demand to go through a third-party service, make sure that you don't pay upfront and don't pay more than x% to xx% in fees.

Emily Pandise

Emily Pandise is a producer and reporter for NBC News, covering business, tech and media since 2017. In her early 20s, she realized she had no idea how to manage her money. She fix out to change her financial habits, and she did. Now, she wants to help others practise the same. Y'all can find her on Twitter and Instagram @emilypandise.