Other official places to check for money owed to you

Pensions from plans that ended

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation holds unclaimed benefits of people who were not paid when their plan ended, in a searchable database.⁵ You search with your last name and the last four digits of your Social Security number;⁵ a first match then needs a phone call with more identifying information.⁵

The Department of Labor’s Abandoned Plan Program covers retirement plans whose sponsoring employer stopped operating them and can no longer be located or maintain them.⁶ Its search, by plan or employer name, gives the name and contact details of the Qualified Termination Administrator, if there is one.⁶

FHA mortgage insurance refunds

If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be owed a refund from HUD.² HUD’s search uses your FHA case number,² and HUD says you do not need to pay anyone to collect it.²

Failed banks and credit unions

When a failed insured bank is liquidated, the FDIC pays unclaimed insured deposits up to the insurance limit.⁷ Federal law sends unclaimed deposits to the state after 18 months,⁸ and if they are not claimed from the state within 10 years they go back to the FDIC.⁹ The FDIC adds that you do not need anyone’s help to search the state or a service to make a claim.⁸

For credit unions, the NCUA pays members of liquidated federally insured credit unions;¹⁰ shares claimed within 18 months are paid at the insured amount, and after that they are uninsured.¹⁰

Federal court and bankruptcy funds

Federal courts hold money for people who are entitled to it but have not claimed it.¹¹ The U.S. Bankruptcy Unclaimed Funds Locator searches bankruptcy courts.¹¹ Once the right to money deposited in a federal court is settled or not in dispute, money left unclaimed for at least five years is deposited in the Treasury.¹² The person entitled to it can then petition the court, with notice to the U.S. attorney and full proof of the right, for an order to pay it.¹² For money held by state and county courts, see county and court funds.

Veterans’ life insurance

The VA keeps a search of unclaimed insurance funds owed to policyholders or their beneficiaries,¹³ listed by the original policyholder’s name.¹³ For private policies, see the life insurance guide.

Back wages from Department of Labor cases

When the Wage and Hour Division recovers unpaid wages and cannot find the worker, it holds the money while it keeps looking.³ If it still cannot find the worker after three years, it must send the money to the U.S. Treasury.³

Savings bonds and tax refunds

Treasury Hunt is no longer available;⁴ for a lost bond, TreasuryDirect points to its forms page to file a claim.⁴ Savings bonds never expire.¹⁴ Federal tax refunds are different: taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim them, after which the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.¹⁵

Next step

These searches do not replace the state ones: state governments hold most of this property.¹ Use the multi-state checklist to search each state you lived in, then follow the claim guide for any match. If anyone says you need a paid service, read the scam guide first.

Questions people ask

Is there one official search that covers everything?

No. USAGov says there is no single place to look and lists separate databases.¹ State governments hold most of it;¹ the searches on this page cover other kinds.

Sources

Footnote numbers point here. Open "Quoted text" for the exact words relied on ("[…]" marks words left out).

1. How to find unclaimed money from the government USAGov · usa.gov · Sept. 24, 2025 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (2)

   State governments hold most unclaimed money. Bank accounts, insurance policies, or state agencies are common sources of unclaimed funds.

   There is no single place to look for all unclaimed money. Use the separate databases in the following chart, to search for each type of unclaimed money.

2. Does HUD Owe You A Refund? U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development · entp.hud.gov · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (3)

   You do not need to pay another person or firm to assist you in collecting your refund.

   If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be eligible for a refund from HUD/FHA.

   Enter your FHA case number (first 3 digits, a dash and the next 7 digits, example: 051-4567890).

3. Workers Owed Wages (WOW) U.S. Department of Labor · webapps.dol.gov · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (2)

   After three years, if we remain unable to find the person owed back wages, we are required to send the money to the U.S. Treasury.

   When the Wage and Hour Division finds labor law violations, we often get unpaid wages on behalf of workers. If we cannot locate these employees, we hold their back wages while we continue to look for them.

4. Treasury Hunt® TreasuryDirect, U.S. Department of the Treasury · treasurydirect.gov · Sept. 30, 2025 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (2)

   As of September 30, 2025, the Treasury Hunt® tool is no longer available.

   If you suspect you have an unredeemed lost, stolen, or destroyed United States Savings Bond, please visit https://www.treasurydirect.gov/savings-bonds/forms/ for guidance on how to submit a claim.

5. Find unclaimed retirement benefits Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) · pbgc.gov · Aug. 5, 2026 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (3)

   PBGC holds unclaimed benefits for people that were not paid when their retirement plan ended. To help connect them to their benefit, PBGC has created a searchable database.

   Enter your last name and the last four digits of your Social Security number.

   If there is an initial match, you’ll need to call PBGC to provide additional identifying information.

6. Abandoned Plan Program U.S. Department of Labor · dol.gov · archived copy, captured Oct. 5, 2026 (view capture) · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (2)

   The Abandoned Plan Program protects workers and retirees when a sponsoring employer stops operating a retirement plan and can no longer be located or maintain the plan.

   The site is searchable by plan name or employer name and will provide the name and contact information for the QTA, if one exists.

7. Unclaimed Funds Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) · closedbanks.fdic.gov · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (2)

   When a failed financial institution (bank or savings and loan) with federal deposit insurance is liquidated, the FDIC resolution division is responsible for paying:

   Unclaimed insured deposits up to the insurance limit

8. How to Find a Long Lost Bank Account or Safe Deposit Box Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) · fdic.gov · Dec. 14, 2020 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (2)

   Federal law requires unclaimed deposit accounts to be transferred to the state after 18 months, and state laws differ on the period of time after which contents of safe deposit boxes must be transferred.

   However, you do not need anyone’s help to search the state for your unclaimed property, and you do not need a service to help you make a claim; anyone who tells you otherwise may be trying to take advantage of you.

9. U.S.C. Title 12 - BANKS AND BANKING U.S. Government Publishing Office · govinfo.gov · 2024 ed. · checked Nov. 3, 2026
   Quoted text (1)

   If a depositor does not claim the deposit delivered to the custody of the appropriate State pursuant to paragraph (2)(B) within 10 years of the date of delivery, the deposit shall be immediately refunded to the Corporation and become its property.

10. Unclaimed Funds: Recover Money from Closed or Liquidated Credit Union National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) · ncua.gov · July 13, 2026 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
    Quoted text (2)

    The NCUA's Asset Management and Assistance Center is responsible for paying share accounts to members of liquidated federally insured credit unions.

    Share accounts claimed within the 18-month insurance period are paid at their full-insured amount. After this period expires, any unclaimed shares are considered uninsured.

11. Unclaimed Funds in Bankruptcy Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts · uscourts.gov · checked Nov. 3, 2026
    Quoted text (2)

    Unclaimed funds are held by a federal court for someone who is entitled to the money, but who has failed to claim ownership of the funds.

    Search the U. S. Bankruptcy Unclaimed Funds Locator to see if you are owed any funds.

12. U.S.C. Title 28 - JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE U.S. Government Publishing Office · govinfo.gov · 2024 ed. · checked Nov. 3, 2026
    Quoted text (2)

    In every case in which the right to withdraw money deposited in court under section 2041 has been adjudicated or is not in dispute and such money has remained so deposited for at least five years unclaimed by the person entitled thereto, such court shall cause such money to be deposited in the Treasury in the name and to the credit of the United States.

    Any claimant entitled to any such money may, on petition to the court and upon notice to the United States attorney and full proof of the right thereto, obtain an order directing payment to him.

13. VA Life Insurance U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs · insurance.va.gov · Nov. 3, 2026 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
    Quoted text (2)

    Unclaimed insurance funds are owed to certain current and former policyholders or their beneficiaries.

    This site contains a record of monies owed to individuals by name only (the original policyholder's name).

14. 2024 Report to Congress TreasuryDirect, U.S. Department of the Treasury · treasurydirect.gov · March 11, 2025 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
    Quoted text (1)

    Savings bonds never expire, and there is no deadline for the owners to redeem their bonds.

15. Time is running out to claim $1.2 billion in refunds for tax year 2022; taxpayers face April 15 deadline Internal Revenue Service · irs.gov · March 20, 2026 · checked Nov. 3, 2026
    Quoted text (1)

    Under the law, taxpayers usually have three years to file and claim their tax refunds. If they do not file within three years, the money becomes the property of the U.S. Treasury.