Finding lost money can be fun, and when you discover that the government owes you money, it can be even better. More often than we realize, the government owes money to many people who have yet to collect on it. In such cases, many of them may not even be aware that there is money placed on hold for them. So when they don't collect on the money it is put into a government unclaimed money trust. If it is at all possible that you could be the recipient of government funds, then you need to know how to conduct a proper search.

How to Search

At present, there is no single database that you can check to find unclaimed money so you'll have to conduct your search through a number of different resources. Start by visiting www.usa.gov and you'll find a listing of states and their unclaimed money sites. You can search for the state you live in but you should also search sites where your relatives or others may have also lived as the money could be filed under another name.

To Search for Back Wages

If you believe that an employer owes you back wages, you can also search the Wage and Hour Division's (WHD) database at the U.S. Department of Labor. The money owed to employees is only held in trust for a period of three years so if you suspect that there is money owed to you time is of the utmost importance. If they have not been able to locate you, the money is then sent to the United States Treasury and will no longer be considered government unclaimed money.

Unclaimed Pensions

To search for an unclaimed pension you'll need to go to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation at search.pbgc.gov to find it. It is important to note that the list of unclaimed pensions is limited to any information about those that they have yet to locate. You can conduct your search by the last name of the participant, the company the person may have worked for, or by the state where that person used to live in. Once you've found the lost money, you can simply click on the name of the participant and fill out the form. Once the form is submitted, PBGC will then contact you to make arrangements for the payout of those funds.

Tax Refunds

If you suspect that the IRS owes you money or you may have money due you from banks, credit unions or SEC claims, then you will be able to locate the proper source by going through the www.usa.gov website. In fact, if there is the possibility of any type of government funds held for you in the form of unclaimed property, you will be directed to the proper site to find out if you're entitled to any government unclaimed money. It may take some work to locate this free money that is held for you but once you do, you'll find that it will have been worth the time you've taken to conduct your search.