HELENA – The State of Montana is currently holding approximately $148 million dollars in unclaimed or abandoned property that belongs to state citizens.
“That $148 million dollars is real money that belongs to Montanans. It could be you, your family, your friends, or your neighbors. We want to get that money back to our citizens and one way to do that is to search on mycash.mt.gov or Missingmoney.com which is a national database,” said Brendan Beatty, Director of the Montana Department of Revenue.
Nearly 33 million people in the United States – 1 in every 7 – have unclaimed property for which the owner has not initiated any activity for up to seven years. When the company cannot locate the owner of the unclaimed items, the money or properties are transferred to the Department of Revenue to await a claim by the rightful owner.
Common examples of unclaimed property include unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts, and unused rebate cards.
In 2021, to increase awareness of unclaimed property, NAUPA launched the first National Unclaimed Property Day on February 1. On this day, unclaimed property administrators encourage everyone to search Missingmoney.com to determine if a state is holding their property. Individuals are encouraged to search their name, a maiden name, or the name of a business or non-profit. All searches are free.
The State of Montana is participating in National Unclaimed Property Day for its second year, as well as creating local outreach and education opportunities as part of its efforts to reunite Montana citizens with their money.
Begin your search at mycash.mt.gov or email us at unclaimedproperty@mt.gov.