Every year states receive lost and unclaimed money, property or other assets, and MissingMoney.com helps them find the rightful owners. Start your search-and-claim process here, the only site endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. The process for claiming unclaimed money can vary by state. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to getting your money, the first step to claiming your money is to go to the appropriate website. If you go to Credit Karma Unclaimed Money, we’ll automatically point you in the right direction. Credit Karma will direct you to the.

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Sometimes a financial institution has money or property that belongs to you, but it wasn’t able to deliver it to you for whatever reason. This property can come from many different sources, like uncashed paychecks from employers, insurance payouts, abandoned brokerage accounts, bank accounts or safe deposit boxes, and uncashed checks.

When a business or financial institution can’t find you, it has to turn over the property to the state where the account was held, which is a process known as escheatment. Once the state has the property, it keeps the property until you can claim it.

Here are the steps for claiming unclaimed property, if you have any.

(Note that if you’re claiming money for your business or a deceased relative, the steps may differ.)

Recouping money that you’re owed is always a plus — but now could be an especially good time to check for unclaimed property if you’re looking for ways to help offset the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Step 1: Go to the right website

The process for claiming unclaimed money can vary by state. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to getting your money, the first step to claiming your money is to go to the appropriate website.

If you go to Credit Karma Unclaimed Money, we’ll automatically point you in the right direction. Credit Karma will direct you to the applicable state’s treasury or state controller’s website, which is where you typically start the claims process to get your unclaimed money back. Or you can go to the table below, find your state and click on the link to go to its unclaimed property website.

For example, if you select California, you’ll get referred to the California State Controller’s Office’s website where you can claim your unclaimed property.

Step 2: Get your documents in order

If you’ve found missing money in your name and want to claim it, you’ll need to verify your identity.

The requirements may vary by state, but here are some of the documents you may need.

• A state-issued ID, like a driver’s license
• Proof of Social Security number, such as a copy of your Social Security card or IRS Form W-2
• Proof of the address associated with the property you’re claiming, such as a utility bill
• Proof of your current address

These documents help verify your full name and address to confirm you’re the rightful owner of the missing money. Some states will accept copies of documentation, while other states will require originals.

Step 3: File a claim

Once you’ve gone to the right website and have your documents ready, it’s time for the fun part: filing a claim so you can get your missing money.

The first step is to carefully read the claim instructions on your state-specific site. Some states don’t allow for electronic submissions, while some allow you to file online if you meet certain conditions.

For example, residents of California can file online if the amount is less than $5,000 and they are the sole owner of the missing money. If the unclaimed money is owned by multiple parties, each owner needs to sign a Claim Affirmation Form and the money will be split among the parties.

If you can’t file online, you’ll need to mail a claim form along with additional documentation to verify your identity.

In some cases, if you’re owed more than $1,000 and can’t file online, you may need to print the claim form and get it notarized. Pro tip: Check with your bank — it may notarize it for free.

You then need to mail the form to the address specified in your state’s claim instructions.

Here’s a quick chart on how each state accepts claim forms.

Claims methods by state: Mail or online

Note:If you submit online, you may receive your funds faster. But not every state allows you to submit a claim online. Even if you can fill out the claim forms online, you may need to send those forms and other documentation by mail.

Step 4: Wait for your check

Once you’ve found missing money and submitted your documentation either online or by snail mail, you have to wait for your check to arrive.

That Look When You Lost Money Gambling Meme

Unfortunately, the timing can vary widely by state. It can take two weeks from the date you filed your claim, or more than six months in some cases. Sometimes, you may not know how much you’re getting back.

Amy Oztan, writer at AmyEverAfter.com, applied for unclaimed money through New York State and got a pleasant surprise.

“The way the (New York) claims work, I didn’t actually know what we were getting until the checks arrived,” she says. “I assumed they would be very small, but we got three checks totaling almost $900!”

Oztan says the process was easy. “The claim forms asked some basic questions to prove our identities, and that was pretty much it,” she says. “About 10 days later the checks all showed up. It really couldn’t have been simpler.”

Bottom line

If you’re eligible for unclaimed money, be sure to follow the instructions provided by your state and submit relevant documentation. Depending on your claim and the specific state, it may be processed in a short time — or it could take a while longer.

Whatever the case may be, it will be good to get your money back from the state — and back in your pocket.

Related Articles

Paul Fung lost almost a million dollars in three weeks on gambling. Picture: SBS.Source:Supplied

PROBLEM gambling is often spoken about in hushed tones in the shadows, if at all. The stigma attached to it is so strong that there are those who still see problem gamblers as “weak” or using it as a “cop out”.

But problem gambling is like any other addiction such as alcohol or drugs with sufferers displaying characteristics including tolerance, withdrawal and difficulty controlling urges, according to the American psychology bible, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV.

For Victorian Paul Fung, problem gambling is what tore his life apart.

Mr Fung had been gambling for more than two decades, betting on everything from horses to footy matches to casino games, before the catastrophic three-week period when he lost almost a million dollars. Anything he could win on, he bet on.

It all started innocently enough. Mr Fung was eight when he first gambled, betting with 10 cent and 20 cent pieces to spice up Chinese card games and mahjong with family and friends.

He moved on to horses by the age of 14, asking anyone who was willing to place bets for him. By the time Mr Fung was 16, he had acquired a fake ID and could stride into a TAB himself and spent every weekend studying the form guide and perfecting his ‘system’.

Paul Fung was betting on horse races by the time he was 14 years old.Source:Supplied

He didn’t think so at the time, but Mr Fung said gambling started to affect his school work. “I was in denial at the time but when I look back at my grades in the last few years of school, they definitely slipped,” he told news.com.au.

Once he turned 18, he engaged in more forms of gambling including the myriad games on offer at the casino. It was also around this time his parents started to express some concern. But they would still give him money whenever he asked for it, something that continued for many years.

“It was an adrenalin rush when you won, it was such a huge thrill,” he said. “I just wanted to gamble. It didn’t matter what it was, as long as I could put money down and get some back. But when you lose, you justify that bad feeling only lasted a short period of time. You look for the next win, which you convinced yourself will override that losing feeling.”

But as time went on, Mr Fung said the lows got lower while the highs didn’t get higher.

After school, he took on a jockey apprenticeship but continued to bet on horses despite strict rules against it. He said he never used his position to influence the outcome of any races.

Paul Fung said he would bet on anything he could win from.Source:Supplied

Over the next 10 years, gambling consumed his life. He said: “You’d forego almost everything to gamble. Eating, showering and work all came second.” Mr Fung couldn’t keep a romantic relationship going for more than a year. He started to see relationships within the same frame as gambling — the chase and the thrill and then deciding whether to ‘gamble’ any more time on that person.

The nadir came a few years ago. His brother put his mortgage under Mr Fung’s name and all of a sudden he had access to a massive amount of money. Up until that point, the most he’d lost in one spree would be $15,000 in a wild night out at a casino.

Starting off with bets of a few hundred dollars, within three weeks his gambling spiralled out of control to bets of tens of thousands of dollars. He had lost almost a million dollars betting online, drawing from his brother’s mortgage.

“I could transfer the money really easily. It was scary because I knew I was in the hamster wheel and I just kept hoping I could get back what I lost.

Lost Money Gambling

“For a few days I hid the loss but then my brother came back from overseas and I had to confess to my family what I had done. They were shattered. They knew I had this issue for so long but I had completely broken their trust with my dishonesty and deceit.”

Online gambling sites on a laptop computer.Source:News Limited

His brother lost his house which had to be sold to pay back the debt. His relationship with his family, especially his brother, is still strained but Mr Fung said he is working to repair it.

Six months after the million dollar incident, Mr Fung was at a close mate’s house talking about his problems when his friend’s father walked into the room.

“It was by chance that I found help. His father asked me to go along with him to a meeting he ran. I was still in a lot of denial but I thought, realistically, what did I have to lose? Nothing in my life was going right at the time.”

Mr Fung said the Gamblers Anonymous meeting had an immediate effect on him and he continued with them and sought out other help from counsellors and support groups.

“At first I was frightened, anxious and scared but after talking to people I felt inspired. Because problem gambling is not something the community talks about openly, you feel alienated and isolated, like you’re the only one with this huge problem.

Up to 170,000 Australians suffer from problem gambling, according to a Productivity CommiSource:HeraldSun

“It’s such a huge stigma. You can’t tell a gambler, they could be a CEO or a plumber. You can’t physically see the signs on a person.”

Mr Fung shared his story last night on SBS’ Insight program, which looked at problem gambling and young people.

Mr Fung now volunteers with a telephone support service where he talks to other gamblers in the Chinese community.

“I tell them my experiences and it’s been a real help as part of my own recovery. For someone who’s lost a bit of direction, it’s a lot easier to talk to someone who understands and has been through it than a doctor or a family member.”

Asked if there are enough resources for problem gamblers, Mr Fung said the resources are there if you want them but you have to seek them.

As for the proliferation of online gambling platforms, Mr Fung said: “It’s quite infuriating. I find it hard to see and listen to these things. A few years ago, there were not many of them but now it’s total saturation. To me, the word horrendous comes to mind.”

Tom Waterhouse became the poster child for the online betting industry, with the communitSource:News Limited

The issue of betting advertising in sports was the subject of two parliamentary inquiries last year after significant community backlash over live odds and the integration of betting personality Tom Waterhouse into Channel 9’s NRL broadcast. Mr Fung believes there should be more government legislation to protect the community from excessive advertising from betting companies.

A month after embarking on the recovery path, Mr Fung had a relapse. But since then he’s gone cold turkey. But it’s not that easy.

“Of course it pops into your mind every now and then. Like with any addiction, once an addict, always an addict. It’s how you deal with the day-to-day. Addictions are caused by emotions and if you can’t deal with or cope with those emotions, then the chances of falling back into it are high.”

Today, he’s been ‘clean’ for 643 days.

People Who Lost Everything Gambling

A Productivity Commission report in 2009 estimated that there are between 90,000 and 170,000 Australian adults suffering from significant gambling problems and a further 230,000 to 350,000 people at moderate risk for problem gambling.

If you think you may have a gambling problem, visit Gambling Help Online or the federal government’s Problem Gambling website.

Lost Money Gambling

To catch up on this week’s SBS Insight program, click here.