Search databases for unclaimed funds

Think you might have unclaimed funds? Here are tips on where to look and on

how to search:

Websites

* MissingMoney.com provides data on unclaimed property held by 40 states.

* Naupa.org has links to all the states' unclaimed property divisions. This is particularly useful for states not included on MissingMoney.com.

* Pbgc.gov can help you find a missing corporate pension.

* Treasurydirect.gov is the place to look for lost savings bonds. If you don't know the bond's serial number, use the site's "Treasury Hunt" function to search by Social Security number.

Tips

* Less is more. Many sites will ask for last name, first name, middle initial and a city, but putting in all that can make it harder to find assets. When searching under the name of my late grandmother, I got no hits when filling in everything. I got one hit when leaving the city field blank. When I put in her last name alone, I found a second account that listed her first name as "Mrs."

* Search often. Most databases are updated once or twice annually, but some have a big backlog of information that hasn't yet been put online.

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Kathy M. Kristof