Unclaimed money the states don’t hold: federal sources

State lists account for most forgotten accounts, checks and deposits, but some money is managed by federal agencies or national services instead. Each one has its own official channel. Below is what each covers, what it asks for and what has changed recently.

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IRS: refunds that never arrived or were never claimed

A refund you expected but never received. The IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tracker, available at irs.gov/refunds and in the IRS mobile app, shows your status 24 hours after you e-file a current-year return, 3 days after you e-file a prior-year return and 4 weeks after you mail a paper return. You will need your Social Security number or ITIN, your filing status and the exact refund amount shown on your return. The automated refund line is 800-829-1954.

A refund check that was lost, stolen or never cashed. You can ask the IRS to trace a refund through the tracker, the automated line or Form 3911. According to the IRS, when an uncashed check is more than a year old, it mails a replacement check along with a CP32 notice.

A refund you never claimed because you didn’t file. In March 2026 (news release IR-2026-37), the IRS estimated that over 1.3 million people had not claimed roughly $1.2 billion in refunds for tax year 2022. Taxpayers generally have three years by law to file and claim a refund; after that, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. The window for 2022 closed on April 15, 2026, and the same three-year rule applies to later years.

TreasuryDirect: old U.S. savings bonds

Paper EE and I savings bonds earn interest for up to 30 years. After that point they stop growing, so a bond left in a drawer gains nothing by waiting. Paper bonds can be cashed at a bank that offers the service (policies vary) or through the Treasury using FS Form 1522, as explained on TreasuryDirect.gov.

The Treasury’s former online search tool for matured bonds, Treasury Hunt, is no longer available. For bonds that were lost, stolen or destroyed, TreasuryDirect directs people to FS Form 1048, which has to be signed in front of a notary or a certifying individual. TreasuryDirect also cautions against buying savings bonds from another person or on auction sites, since those bonds cannot be cashed.

PBGC: pensions from plans that ended

If you earned a retirement benefit from a private-sector employer that couldn’t find you when the plan ended, the plan may have sent that benefit to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). PBGC maintains a searchable database of unclaimed retirement benefits, where you enter your last name and the last four digits of your Social Security number. According to NAUPA’s list of federal sources, survivors of someone who should have been receiving a pension can search as well.

NAIC: life insurance policies and annuities

When a person passes away and the family isn’t sure whether a life insurance policy existed, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Life Insurance Policy Locator may help. It costs nothing to use. You submit the deceased person’s information, participating insurance companies review their records, and if a policy turns up and you are the beneficiary, the insurer reaches out to you directly.

According to the NAIC (September 2026), the tool has produced more than 780,000 matches and connected consumers with about $16.99 billion in benefits since its launch in November 2016, through July 31, 2026. The FTC issued a warning in July 2026: letters from supposed law firms offering to share the “unclaimed life insurance” of a stranger who has no heirs are a scam. Do not respond, and do not send money or personal information.

HUD, FDIC and other federal sources

FHA mortgage refunds (HUD). If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be owed a refund of part of the mortgage insurance premium or a share of the earnings, depending on when the loan was made and how it ended. HUD offers an online refund lookup by name on its website.

Failed banks (FDIC). When an FDIC-insured bank fails, deposits that go unclaimed for 18 months are transferred to the unclaimed property office of the state of the depositor’s last known address. Until then, the FDIC handles the claim directly; its depositor services line is 1-888-206-4662, option 2.

Failed credit unions (NCUA). When a federally insured credit union is liquidated, the National Credit Union Administration pays out the share accounts and offers a search for unclaimed accounts.

Veterans’ insurance (VA). The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs holds unclaimed insurance funds for certain current and former policyholders, or their beneficiaries, whom it was unable to locate.

Frequently asked questions

Do these agencies charge to look?
The IRS tracker, the PBGC database and the NAIC locator are free to use. Be cautious with anyone who asks for a fee to “release” money: the FTC says the government will not call or text asking you to pay to search for unclaimed funds.

I’m settling a relative’s affairs. Where do I start?
Many families check the state lists for every state where the person lived, the NAIC locator for life insurance, PBGC for a pension from an ended plan, and TreasuryDirect for savings bonds found among their papers. Each source explains which documents it requires from heirs.

Can this site look for me?
No. This is an independent information site. We don’t search for, hold or return property, and we can’t tell whether money exists in anyone’s name.

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This site is independent and informational. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting on behalf of the IRS, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, TreasuryDirect, PBGC, NAIC, HUD, the FDIC, NCUA, the VA, NAUPA, the FTC or any other agency. Figures and rules were checked on official sources in September 2026 and can change at any time; always confirm on the agency’s own website.