Finding long-lost money and property

Every state of USA maintains a database of money and property that has gone unclaimed by the people it belongs to. This can be bank accounts people forgot they had, insurance policies where people didn't know they were the beneficiary, real estate and so on.

Anyone can go check to see if there is any unclaimed property in their name.

You can even set up a small business finding the people who own the property. You then contact them and ask for 15%-25% of the value of the property as a finder's fee. Some states have laws related to this, so you'll need to check. For example, in some states you may need a private investigator's license to do it.

And of course the person you alert may decide not to deal with you and go search for his property himself.

If you're interested in checking to see if there's any unclaimed property in your name or that of loved ones (including deceased loved ones), or if you want to look into getting started as a finder, the best place to start is at NAUPA: The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. Here's the link: http://www.unclaimed.org/

Lots of people found things they did not expect. So go and check. Please post back and let us know if you find anything! Don't just check the state you're in now. Check where you grew up, where you went to college, where you lived during your wild oats days or while in the military. Check where your parents and in-laws live and lived.