Top

Good Morning America Unclaimed Money

February 17, 2012 by · Comments Off on Good Morning America Unclaimed Money 

Good Morning America Unclaimed Money, We at “Good Morning America” have been reuniting people with their unclaimed money for about a year now with our series “Show Me the Money.”

But we’d love it if you’d put us out of business by searching and finding your OWN unclaimed money!

Here are some Unclaimed Money Myths that keep people from getting the money – their own money – that they deserve.

Myth #1: There will never be any unclaimed money for me.

Fact #1: Approximately 1 out of every 10 Americans has unclaimed money waiting out there, somewhere, for them. And if there isn’t any now, as you go about your financial life, you could lose track of some money later. To prove this point, we searched for unclaimed money for the largest list of names/addresses we had access to: the GMA staff. Guess what? We found a total of more than $43,000 for well over 10 percent of our staff.

Myth #2: You have to be rich to be owed unclaimed money.

Fact #2: That is SO wrong, but we hear it all the time. On the contrary, rich people probably have professional accountants and lawyers who keep track of their money. The rest of us have to muddle through on our own. If you have ever banked anywhere, rented anything or bought something, there could be unclaimed money in your name. If you’ve ever put down a utility deposit, there could be money. If you’ve ever given a gift card that the recipient didn’t use, cha ching, more chances for unclaimed money. The list goes on

Gary Chapman/Getty Images
Many people have money that is just waiting… View Full Size

Gary Chapman/Getty Images
Many people have money that is just waiting to be claimed.

Finding Unclaimed Money for ‘GMA’ Staff Watch Video

Unclaimed Money Found for ‘GMA’ Viewers Watch Video

‘GMA’ Donates Unclaimed Funds to Charity Watch Video

–>
Myth #3: You have to have Social Security numbers and account numbers in order to search.

Fact #3: Not at all! The main free websites where you will begin your search ask you to search using your name and then verify using your address or past address. It’s a cinch. It’s so basic you can look for friends, relatives and even loved ones who have passed away and might have left something the family can claim. The first free site to try is www.unclaimed.org (WARNING: that’s .ORG not .com). The second is www.missingmoney.com which allows you to search several states at once.

Myth #4: You will have to give a percentage of your unclaimed money to whoever found it for you.

Fact #4: There are hundreds of people called “finders” who have made a business of searching for unclaimed funds for other people and then contacting them to say they’ve found money and will only reveal where and how much if the recipient agrees to give them a cut. Don’t fall for it. Occasionally finders can be helpful in truly tricky cases, but you shouldn’t pay for information you can look up for free in 10 minutes, using the websites above.

Myth #5: Claiming your money is difficult.

Fact #5: If you find unclaimed money online, most states let you click a link and claim the money right there and then. You will receive a check within weeks. If the state makes you jump through more hoops than that, like sending in notarized paperwork via snail mail, consider yourself lucky. That often means you are owed a LOT of unclaimed money and they are taking more precautions to make sure it is really yours before releasing it. Even unclaimed savings bonds are easy to get. You search www.treasuryhunt.gov by social security number and if you get a hit, a federal worker actually CALLS you to walk you through the paperwork. What other federal agency provides THAT kind of service?

ABC Good Morning America Unclaimed Money

February 17, 2012 by · Comments Off on ABC Good Morning America Unclaimed Money 

ABC Good Morning America Unclaimed Money, Golfer Natalie Gulbis may not be used to wearing collared shirts and khakis on the putting green, but she stripped down to nothing but body paint for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition this year.

Natalie Gulbis appears in just body paint for the 2012 SI Swimsuit Edition with a green-and-white polka dot bikini painted onto her muscular frame. The green was meant to resemble grass and the white dots were the golf balls.

“It was very cool that Sports Illustrated specifically had designed a suit for the shoot for me,” said Gulbis. “It was bright green with white golf balls on it. It was a string bikini with these beautiful pink ribbons.”

“I thought the process would take a couple hours… but 12 hours later they were still painting me. The process was incredible. It was just an incredible experience. I can’t believe how much work and detail goes into this body paint.”

We at “Good Morning America” have been reuniting people with their unclaimed money for about a year now with our series “Show Me the Money.”

But we’d love it if you’d put us out of business by searching and finding your OWN unclaimed money!

Here are some Unclaimed Money Myths that keep people from getting the money – their own money – that they deserve.

Myth #1: There will never be any unclaimed money for me.

Fact #1: Approximately 1 out of every 10 Americans has unclaimed money waiting out there, somewhere, for them. And if there isn’t any now, as you go about your financial life, you could lose track of some money later. To prove this point, we searched for unclaimed money for the largest list of names/addresses we had access to: the GMA staff. Guess what? We found a total of more than $43,000 for well over 10 percent of our staff.

Myth #2: You have to be rich to be owed unclaimed money.

Fact #2: That is SO wrong, but we hear it all the time. On the contrary, rich people probably have professional accountants and lawyers who keep track of their money. The rest of us have to muddle through on our own. If you have ever banked anywhere, rented anything or bought something, there could be unclaimed money in your name. If you’ve ever put down a utility deposit, there could be money. If you’ve ever given a gift card that the recipient didn’t use, cha ching, more chances for unclaimed money. The list goes on

Myth #3: You have to have Social Security numbers and account numbers in order to search.

Fact #3: Not at all! The main free websites where you will begin your search ask you to search using your name and then verify using your address or past address. It’s a cinch. It’s so basic you can look for friends, relatives and even loved ones who have passed away and might have left something the family can claim. The first free site to try is www.unclaimed.org (WARNING: that’s .ORG not .com). The second is www.missingmoney.com which allows you to search several states at once.

Myth #4: You will have to give a percentage of your unclaimed money to whoever found it for you.

Fact #4: There are hundreds of people called “finders” who have made a business of searching for unclaimed funds for other people and then contacting them to say they’ve found money and will only reveal where and how much if the recipient agrees to give them a cut. Don’t fall for it. Occasionally finders can be helpful in truly tricky cases, but you shouldn’t pay for information you can look up for free in 10 minutes, using the websites above.

Myth #5: Claiming your money is difficult.

Fact #5: If you find unclaimed money online, most states let you click a link and claim the money right there and then. You will receive a check within weeks. If the state makes you jump through more hoops than that, like sending in notarized paperwork via snail mail, consider yourself lucky. That often means you are owed a LOT of unclaimed money and they are taking more precautions to make sure it is really yours before releasing it. Even unclaimed savings bonds are easy to get. You search www.treasuryhunt.gov by social security number and if you get a hit, a federal worker actually CALLS you to walk you through the paperwork. What other federal agency provides THAT kind of service?

Good Morning America Unclaimed Money

December 14, 2011 by · Comments Off on Good Morning America Unclaimed Money 

Good Morning America Unclaimed Money, Someone in Missouri will get very lucky Wednesday when he or she becomes the recipient of the largest unclaimed money award in U.S. history: $6.1 million.

The states estimate that one in every 10 people has unclaimed money waiting for them. In dusty warehouses, in states all across the country, lie records detailing $32 billion worth of unclaimed money, just waiting for its rightful owners.

The $6.1 million check will go to a Kansas City woman who wants to remain anonymous. Years ago, her ancestors invested in an obscure company. The stock got lost as it was passed down through the generations, growing to the sum it’s worth today.

There have been other extra-large single unclaimed money awards before. New York State previously held the record for the largest unclaimed money payout when it returned $4 million. Wisconsin has returned $1.5 million.

Missouri has issued other significant payouts. According to state treasurer Clint Zweifel, a man in St. Joseph, Mo., received $100,000, comprising unclaimed money from 15 different securities accounts.

“There is so much money that’s out there waiting for Americans to claim,” Zweifel told ABC’s Good Morning America. “Just to give you an example, in Missouri alone I have more than $600 million on hand waiting for Missourians.”

Missouri has already returned $103 million in unclaimed funds to more than 303,000 people in the state since January 2009.

Bottom