The State of Minnesota has returned more than $6 million in unclaimed cash and property to Minnesotans that forgot or were unaware that it was theirs to claim.

One in ten Americans has money or property that belongs to them, that they had no idea even existed. It could be an inheritance, money from an old bank account, leftover paychecks from an old job, or just about anything else you can think of.

The good news is that it's pretty easy to check and see if you've got lost money or property that belongs to you. The State of Minnesota's Department of Commerce has a website that makes the search pretty easy.

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People lose track of their money or financial property because of a change of address, a death, or because they inherited something they didn't know about. As part of our mission to protect consumers, Commerce is committed to reuniting Minnesotans with money that has gone missing.

There's another comprehensive website out there called MissingMoney.com, that partners with states and Canadian provinces to scour their programs (similar to Minnesota's) on a nationwide scope to, once again, help you find missing money and property.

Money Goes Missing for Lots of Reasons

  • Dormant bank accounts
  • Uncashed checks
  • Unclaimed wages
  • Insurance claim payments or benefits
  • Stocks or bonds
  • Safe deposit boxes

MissingMoney.com says: Every year states receive lost and unclaimed money, property, or other assets, and MissingMoney.com helps them find the rightful owners. It costs nothing to search for your money, it's FREE.

The State of Minnesota says the property is considered unclaimed if it is being held by a business or organization that has not had contact with the owner for a specific number of years. Businesses and organizations are required by law to review their records and attempt to contact the owner of the property when it appears to be abandoned.

If the owner doesn't respond, the property is considered abandoned. The property is then sent to Commerce so the Department can safeguard and continuously attempt to return it to the rightful owner or heirs.

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Gallery Credit: Meagan Drillinger

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