One in ten Massachusetts residents have unclaimed property. Have you searched?

This post was paid for and produced by our sponsor, the Office of the Massachusetts State Treasurer, in collaboration with WBUR’s Business Partnerships team. WBUR’s editorial teams are independent of business teams and were not involved in the production of this post. For more information about the Office of the Massachusetts State Treasurer's Unclaimed Property Division, click here.

What if you heard that you had money owed to you and all you had to do is search your name online?

The Massachusetts Unclaimed Property Division’s mission is to reunite unclaimed funds with its rightful owners – and it might be easier than you think.

What is unclaimed property?

Unclaimed or “abandoned” property refers to property or accounts within financial institutions or companies in which there has been no activity generated (or contact with the owner) regarding the property after three years.

What types of property goes unclaimed?

Stocks
Life insurance proceeds
Refund from a utility bill
Uncashed paychecks
Refund from a medical bill
Forgotten savings and checking accounts
Dividends
Contents of unattended safe deposit boxes

How does a person check for unclaimed property?

Each state has its own department to handle unclaimed property. In Massachusetts, visit findmassmoney.gov. To check nationwide, visit missingmoney.com.

Those who have checked in the past and turned up nothing should check again – and remind family members to do the same. Property is always being added to the website.

Is there a time limit or a cost?

No to both. There is no time limit for a person to claim their property and there are no fees assessed when claiming the property. Searching for property on findmassmoney.gov is free and never charges a fee. If a website charges a fee, it is not the official website for unclaimed property in Massachusetts.

Is it a hassle to claim property?

The process is simple and easy. It takes less than 30 seconds to search and about two minutes to initiate a claim on the website. A claim form will be emailed to the claimant. Residents can also call 888-344-MASS (6277) to check their name and have a claim form mailed.

"In the old days you might stumble across a dime in a pay phone; now, you can find serious money by checking FindMassMoney on your phone."
Andy S, FindMassMoney user in Andover, MA.

People can have unclaimed property from a variety of sources for themselves or deceased relatives in which they are the heir or executor of estate. Even businesses can have unclaimed property.

Check findmassmoney.gov anytime. Don’t miss out on claiming money that’s rightfully yours.

About Massachusetts’ Unclaimed Property Division

The Unclaimed Property Division of the Massachusetts State Treasury connects citizens with their abandoned property such as bank accounts, uncashed checks, stocks or dividends, insurance policies or the contents of safe deposit boxes. The state holds this reported property until the rightful owner or heir claims it.