National Unclaimed Property Day (February 1st)

Each year, states throughout the US protect consumers by returning billions of dollars in assets to them. But, sadly, many people aren’t aware that these programs exist and so they are missing out. National Unclaimed Property Day is here to raise awareness about the assets held by state treasurers that are just waiting to be claimed. 

History of National Unclaimed Property Day

Nearly 33 million US citizens, equalling approximately 1 in 7 Americans, have unclaimed property. From uncashed paychecks to rebate checks, from unpaid life insurance benefits to tax refunds, there are a wide range of reasons why average citizens may have money waiting for them, labeled as “unclaimed property”. The founders of this day want more people to know about and claim what is theirs!

The inaugural celebration of National Unclaimed Property Day took place in 2021 when it was founded as an awareness campaign by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

Each of the 50 US states as well as the District of Columbia have programs that are actively looking to find the owners of unclaimed property due to missing addresses, lost records or for some other reason. It is the legal obligation of the state to hold the property or money for the rightful owner – no matter how small or large it is, and no matter how long it takes.

So get excited about National Unclaimed Property Day and see what kind of money might be waiting to be claimed!

How to Celebrate National Unclaimed Property Day

Find out what kind of random rebates, refunds, backpay and other amounts of money might be waiting in celebration of National Unclaimed Property Day:

Search for Unclaimed Property

Each year, more than $4 billion is returned by states, and some of it might belong to you or your family members! One of the first and most important steps an individual can take in honor of National Unclaimed Property Day is to perform a simple search for unclaimed property. The organizational website gives access to different resources including contact information for every state’s unclaimed property program. While the range of amounts can be quite different, it is certainly worth it to spend a few minutes filling out an online form to find out. 

Spend Some Unclaimed Property Money

It’s unlikely that a person will get filthy rich through a windfall of unclaimed property, but it certainly could line the pockets a bit. Some people may be owed just a dollar or two and it might not be worth filing the claim, others might have hundreds or even a couple thousand dollars coming to them. And in honor of National Unclaimed Property Day, it’s fun to celebrate a little, perhaps by raising a glass in a toast to this day!

Or instead of spending the extra money, perhaps it would be a good idea to pay off some bills, save it for a rainy day, or even invest it so that it can grow for the future.