The other day, I was talking to one of my clients, who has moved quite a bit and had employers in different states. I suggested she should check for any funds that may have been lost through moves. My advice to her, seems worthwhile to share with all of you. Sometimes it’s just a piece of mail with a check in it that just didn’t get delivered to you, and you’ve been living in the same place forever. One place you might not have thought to look is online. Yes, that’s right!
Try www.missingmoney.com - endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, this site lets you search in many states all at once; free of charge, for money, assets, and funds you didn’t know you had. More specifically for Wyoming, check http://treasurer.state.wy.us/upsearch.asp.
If you can’t find the state where you live or have lived in the past, you can also check www.unclaimed.org. There you will find links to each individual state.
A couple of things to think about as you search for additional money:
Be thorough—check all the states you have lived in, even if it was briefly.
Check for your family members too - they will appreciate it if you find something!
Verify before filing - be sure to check that the missing funds are yours, not someone else’s with a similar name.
Keep track and document what you find and what is required to claim it carefully - failure to provide complete information as requested will almost certainly cause delays or rejection.
Unclaimed property administrators do not want to pay out funds to anyone other than the rightful owner. Tax season is rarely pleasant, but finding money usually is! It’s a fairly easy process, and who knows? You may find something you lost a long time ago. Happy Hunting!