In this article today I would like to discuss several tips, tricks, and techniques that just about anybody can use to help find money they didn’t even know they had!
Times are tough! This recession that began towards the end of 2008 and has stretched on into 2010 is really taking its toll on just about everybody across the board throughout the country. People are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet and the unemployment rate just keeps climbing which makes now a better time than ever to learn about ways to find money that you didn’t even know you had, and that’s exactly what I’m going to talk about today.
The main way to find money you didn’t even know you had is to find unclaimed assets that have been left to you by dearly departed family members or friends. Most people don’t know this but about 90 to 95% of all unclaimed assets have no statute of limitations. What this means is that no matter how long ago somebody left something to, if you haven’t tracked it down yet you still can. The question becomes, how do you track down these assets?
The first thing to do is to establish your family tree. We see this time and time again; people leave things to their heirs and the heirs don’t even know that they are related. Establishing your family tree so that you know who you are actually related to can be a huge help.
The first thing you need to do once you track down all of your relatives is to check death records. Most deaths are first recorded by the county were the specific person died. They are also recorded by the state office of vital statistics usually within about a year of the death. Often times County records are harder to check because not all counties are automated so you’ll probably have to go in person and request the document yourself.
Next you should check probate records. These kind of records are public, that is to say they are available to the public, in every state. You should ask for an inventory of your departed relatives estate. This list should contain all kinds of information that is useful to you, including any information on stocks or other investments that the person may have held.
Finally you should check the states unclaimed property office. This office can give you much information that you may need for claiming any property due to heirship, as well as any other unclaimed property you may have coming to you for other reasons.
So there you have several simple tips, tricks, and techniques that anybody can use to help find money they didn’t even know they had. Many of these tactics take a little bit of time and effort but the payoff potential is so large that it may be well worth the trouble.