How to Find Unclaimed International Assets

Whether dollars, euros or pounds, you can search for unclaimed funds.

Would you like some free money? Amazingly, there are dozens of governmental and private organizations around the world that distribute 'missing assets'--money, or other property, that has been forgotten, abandoned, misplaced or otherwise overlooked by its rightful owner. These missing assets can include bank accounts, pension funds, safe deposit boxes, stock holdings, prize money or actual land or buildings waiting to be claimed. The assets may be money or property that you once owned, and have overlooked, or perhaps belonged to an ancestor or relative who has passed on, and could now be rightfully yours.

Here are some of the key Internet resources you can use to conduct a free search for missing money and other unclaimed assets.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

North America

1. Search for your name at MissingMoney.com. This Internet service is supported by numerous state and provincial governments to search for unclaimed assets. Searches on this website cover most (but not all) U.S. states, and also the Canadian province of Alberta.

2. Search Canadian resources. Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec operate unclaimed property search websites, which are listed in the Resources section of this article. The Bank of Canada also has an unclaimed funds site that can be searched online.

3. Search for unclaimed retirement funds at two websites: the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a U.S. government agency, and at the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits.

Other International Resources

1. Review Pacific resources. Australia and New Zealand both maintain a national unclaimed properties search site (the Australia site is named FIDO!).

2. Search the UK Unclaimed Assets and Forgotten Funds to uncover accounts, prize money, insurance, pensions, and a lot more.

   Also in the UK, is the oddly-named Enemy Property Payment Scheme that offers reimbursements for certain properties confiscated from enemy combatants during WWII. This 'scheme' (as in 'plan') is formally closed, but in certain cases, late applications will be accepted. If you think this might apply to you or your family, just search for the phrase Enemy Property Payment Scheme, and you'll quickly find the website.

3. Check with the State of New York Holocaust Claims Processing Office (claims are not limited to NY residents). The Office works to restore stolen art works, bank accounts, and insurance money to living Holocaust surivors or, if they are deceased, their legal heirs.

Tips & Warnings

• Most missing asset services have a process for turning over funds or property to next of kin, if the original owner is deceased, or otherwise incapacitated. Be sure to check not only for assets that you may own, but for assets of other family members as well.

• You can check for assets for your friend's names as well. While you can't claim them yourself, you can certainly brighten someone's day by letting them know they may have missing assets waiting for them.

• In almost all cases, you can search for missing money and other unclaimed assets without paying a fee. Be wary of any service that tries to charge you upfront for information on missing assets.

References

• MissingMoney.com
• Alberta, Canada: Search for Unclaimed Property
• British Columbia Unclaimed Property Society
• Quebec: Register of unclaimed property
• Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)

Resources

• National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits
• New Zealand Unclaimed Funds
• Australia: Unclaimed Funds
• UK: Unclaimed Funds
• NY: Holocaust Claims Processing Office