How Do I Find Unclaimed Money In Australia

Find your unclaimed money

The government holds $1.1 billion in lost shares, bank accounts and life insurance money for around 1.5 million Australians. Find out how to check if some is yours – and how to get it back.

What is unclaimed money?

Money can be 'unclaimed' if it is from lost bank accounts, shares, investments or life insurance policies. It generally happens when you move house and forget to update your address with your bank or other provider.

Unclaimed money can also be from a bank account that has had no deposits or withdrawals (inactive) for 7 years, or a life insurance policy that went unclaimed 7 years after maturing.

Unclaimed money is sent to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) which then transfers it to the Federal Government's Consolidated Revenue Fund. It can be claimed at any time by the rightful owner.

Remember, there is no time limit to claiming your money.

Search for unclaimed money

How to claim your lost money

If you're lucky enough to find some cash you forgot you had, your search result will provide you with the steps you need to claim your money back.

These steps may vary, depending on the source of the unclaimed money.

For example, the process for claiming money from a bank account will be different to lost shares.

Top tip!

Some companies will say they can search for lost money for a fee. However, it's easy to search for yourself online through ASIC and other government websites, any time - and it costs nothing!