Missing Money

I’m going to start off the new year for you by possibly giving you money you didn’t even know you already owned.  No, it isn’t a magic trick, and there are no gimmicks, no up-front money you have to send me as a “good faith” token.  This is good, clean and clear cash that is just waiting for you to claim it.

Have I teased your brain cells enough by now to intrigue you? 

Okay, let me tell you a short story of how I earned $78.70 for the price of two postage stamps.  That’s all it took to get me money I had apparently abandoned.

Several years ago I was reading one of the Kim Komando online newsletters, and she gave a tip about claiming lost property.  I followed up with a quick look at the website she had linked to the tip, and I found my name and a former address I had lived at among the other hundreds of names.

I got really curious then and, although I had no inkling of any property I had left behind when I moved from that prior address, I composed a letter to the address listed in the website.  There was even a property ID number for me to include in my inquiry.  I put a forty-two-cent stamp on the envelope and mailed off the letter. (Postage was less costly  then, too)

I received a return letter in the mail, and was required to provide a copy of my driver’s license and my Social Security card to claim my property.  There was no indication of what the property was or how much it was worth.  I was really curious, so I complied with the request and mailed in the proof - another $.42 stamp.  That all occurred on September 23, 2008.

Time passed and I nearly forgot all about the letter and the missing property, whatever it was.  Then, several weeks later, I went to the mailbox and retrieved a letter from the Missouri State Treasurer.  Inside was a check for $78.70 and a brief pre-printed memo.  The check stub only had “abandoned fund” as the category for issuance, so I still had no idea when or where I abandoned that money.

I was not about to question any further the source of my good fortune, but I consider myself pretty meticulous about keeping track of my savings, so I was still in a state of shock over the windfall.  In fact, I've never been able to recall how I was entitled to it.

I know, it wasn't the lottery jackpot, or anything huge, but found money is nothing to complain about.

Now, here is all you have to do to see if you might also qualify to claim some lost or abandoned property.  Merely log on to the Internet and go to www.missingmoney.com.  If that seems too difficult, just type the two words "missing money" (minus the quotes) into your favorite search engine and it will lead you to the website.  There is a box near the top where you can type in your first and last names and your current state of residence.  Then move the cursor over to the GO magnifying glass and click on it.

You will get a list of names similar to yours—hopefully with yours among them—and all the states where these individuals have lost property to be claimed.  You can narrow the field by checking the street addresses, also given in most cases, to see if you are one of the claimants.

If your name and a current or former address appear on the listing, click on the name and it will give you some details along with the state where the property is held, a property ID number, and the state contact information for inquiry.  Just follow the directions on the page and send off a letter. 

I know there might be some concern about identity theft when you are required to send your personal identification, but I never had any kind of repercussion from my disclosure, so I believe it is completely safe.  That requirement doesn't occur until after you've sent the letter anyway, so visiting the Missing Money website presents no risk.

If you are male and married, you should also try the name inquiry with your spouse’s former name.  There might be something that she left behind, too.

I hope you are as fortunate as I was and can reclaim something you left behind.  This is one time when I can say and truly mean “Good Luck!”