Texas Is Holding 9 Billion In Our Money, Here Is How To Get What You Are Owed

Chances are pretty good that you've either held a job, had an insurance claim, paid a deposit, held stocks or bonds, or inherited something. Maybe you have done all of these things.

If you have done any of these things, the state of Texas may be holding on to money that is rightfully yours- you just have to find it and claim it. And that's easier than it sounds.

Texas Unclaimed Property- You Could Be Owed Hundreds or Thousands

About twice a year, or whenever I have a big life change like a move, I check the Texas Unclaimed Property site, just in case I have some money that Texas is holding for me. Texas currently holds $9 billion in our unclaimed assets!

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Once I found an unreturned utility deposit, I did some minor paperwork and got $200 back. It's really not difficult or time-consuming.

I have also found money owed to family members and friends using the search function on the website.

Tips & Tricks To Find What's Owed To You

If you search your name on the website and come up dry, try common misspellings of your name, for example, if you are Stephen, you might search for Steven.

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Of course, you don't want to claim property that isn't yours, so check that you lived at that address/ worked at that institution, etc., to be sure. You will have to sign an affidavit that the property does belong to you.

You May Be Able To Claim Assets of a Deceased Relative

If you are the heir of a late family member, search for their unclaimed property, too. It will take a little more paperwork to claim those assets, but I know that person would want you to have it, so do it!

Go ahead and think way back, because unclaimed assets do not have a time limit. Imagine claiming money you haven't thought about for years or even decades.

Last year alone, Texas returned $422 million in unclaimed property, breaking a record in returns. Of course, "holding" your money for you is lucrative, as the state reaps the benefits of interest earned on it. However, they've made the process to get yours fairly easy; you just have to look for it and claim it.