Unclaimed money in Australia
Old bank accounts. Lost super. Shares. Insurance. Rental bonds. Refunds. Wages. Deceased estates and more. Answer six quick questions and we’ll show you where to search, free.
Quick check
Your circumstances can determine which Australian registers are worth checking. Select anything that applies to you.
Ready to check properly?
Build your complete personalised search plan. Your choices here carry across.
Published government figures
The latest totals published by the authorities themselves. These figures cover different categories and reporting periods and should not simply be added together as an official Australian total. Separate state and territory registers may hold additional money.
National
Approximately $2.7 billion
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Source, 2026National
Almost $19 billion
(reported as $18.9 billion)
Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
Source, 29 October 2025Figures last checked 14 September 2026. Full table, including states with no published total, is on our unclaimed money figures page.
Check if any is yoursBillions still unclaimed
Some of it could have your old name on it.
Forgotten bank accounts, old share dividends, rental bonds and lost super sit with Australian authorities for years. Checking costs nothing and takes a few minutes.
Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service, not a government agency. We don’t hold unclaimed funds, process claims or charge fees. Every search we point you to is an official Australian Government service and free to use.
Why a plan, not just links
Bank accounts go to ASIC. Super goes to the ATO. Wages sit with Fair Work. Refunds and deposits go to the state where the business operated, and rental-bond arrangements differ between states and territories. None of these registers searches the others, so people check one, find nothing and give up.
It asks six short questions and turns your answers into an ordered checklist of the official registers that apply to you, with the names to try on each, the documents you may need, and what to do if nothing comes up. You can track your progress and print it.
Build my search planPersonalised
Only the registers that match your money type, states and situation.
Tells you why
Each search explains why it applies to you and which names to try.
Tracks progress
Mark each register as searched, matched or completed. Saved in your browser.
Nothing sensitive
No names, account numbers or ID details. No account needed.
Already know where to look?
Direct links to the official register for every state and territory, plus the national searches.
Start with what you lost
Different money sits with different agencies. Pick the type that fits your situation and we will show you the official register that holds it.
Super from old jobs and balances the ATO is holding in your name.
Lost super hubAccounts inactive for seven years, plus unclaimed dividends and share proceeds held by ASIC.
Read the guideBond refunds never collected after a tenancy ended. Arrangements differ between states and territories, so check each one separately.
Read the guideWages and entitlements the Fair Work Ombudsman recovered but could not pay out.
Read the guideMoney that belonged to someone who has died, claimed by the executor of the estate.
Read the guideUnpaid life insurance, friendly society policies and super death benefits.
Read the guideRefunds and credits the ATO could not deliver because it had no current details for you.
Read the guideTrust balances, refunds and funds left behind by a company or sole trader business.
Read the guideNot sure which applies? Choose the right official register or build a personalised search plan.
Four simple steps
Answer six quick questions, or pick your state if you already know which register you need.
We link you directly to the right official government registers for your situation: your state register plus the national ones for super, bank accounts, wages and more.
Enter your name (and any previous names) into each official register and review the results. Try every state you've lived in, not just your current one.
If money is found, follow the register's instructions to verify your identity and claim what's yours.
Our commitment to you
We only link to official Australian Government websites.
Our service is completely free to use.
Plain-English guides and a free search guide, so you know which official register to search and why.
Find lost money across all states and territories.
The basics
Unclaimed money is money that belongs to you but that a bank, business, share registry, insurer or government agency could no longer return, usually because they had no current address or contact details for you. After a set dormancy period the institution is required by law to transfer the balance to a government register, where it is held in your name until you or your estate claim it.
It builds up quietly. Bank accounts become unclaimed after seven years of inactivity and pass to ASIC. Small or inactive superannuation balances transfer to the Australian Taxation Office. Refunds, deposits, trust account balances and uncashed cheques held by businesses pass to the revenue office of the state where the business operated. Rental-bond arrangements differ between states and territories, so they need to be checked separately (see the rental bonds guide), and wages recovered by the Fair Work Ombudsman are held until the worker comes forward.
Most people who have money on a register are not careless. They moved house, married or divorced and changed their surname, migrated, changed jobs, or opened an account decades ago under a name or address that no longer exists. Nothing in the system forwards your mail, and no agency goes looking for you, which is why searching under every previous name and every past address matters more than searching once under your current details.
Generally no. Once money reaches an Australian government register it is normally held until the owner or their estate claims it, though a small number of schemes set their own time limits. Records from the 1990s are still claimable today, and if the owner has died the entitlement passes to their estate. Bank money transferred to ASIC from 2013 onwards also earns interest from the date of transfer, which is paid out with the claim.
The official registers listed on this site are free to search, and you can generally claim directly without paying a private recovery service a percentage to a “finder” service, and no legitimate government agency will ask you to pay a fee or send gift cards to release money. Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service: we do not hold funds, process claims or take a commission. We help you work out which official registers apply to you, then point you to them.
Lost money checklist
Super, old accounts, shares, bonds, wages, estates, refunds and more. Each item explains what it is and where it is held, and your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve checked every relevant register. Australia has separate national, state and territory systems, and different types of money can require different searches.
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Enter what comes in and what goes out, and see exactly what is left over each week, month or year.
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A clear breakdown of what is left over and where your income goes.
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From the blog
Plain-English reads on where money goes missing in Australia and how to get it back.
Moving house is a common way people can lose track of accounts, correspondence and other money. Work through these nine checks in about an hour.
Read the articleName changes can make older financial records harder to find, particularly when money is recorded under a previous surname.
Read moreOne pass through every register that matters, in order, with the details you need on hand before you start.
Read moreMost unclaimed money claims need the same few documents. Here is what to gather before you start, and when each register asks for something extra.
Read moreOnce money reaches an Australian government unclaimed money register, it is generally held until it is claimed, sometimes for decades. Here is how dormancy periods and interest work.
Read more