Lost bank accounts & shares
Bank accounts inactive for seven years and unclaimed share dividends are transferred to ASIC. Here's how to find and reclaim them.
Read the guideGuides
How to find money
that belongs to you.
Unclaimed money comes in several forms, and each has its own register and claim process. These guides explain what to search, what you'll need, and what to expect.
Not sure which register applies to you?
Answer six quick questions and get a free, personalised Search Plan listing the official registers to check.
Lost & unclaimed super
Changing jobs, names or addresses is how super gets lost. Find every account in your name through myGov and decide what to consolidate.
Read the guideUnpaid wages & entitlements
When an employer cannot return money it owes you, the Fair Work Ombudsman holds it in trust, and there is no fee to claim it.
Read the guideRental bonds
In most states and territories bonds are held by a government authority, not your landlord. If nobody claimed your share when a tenancy ended, it can sit unclaimed for years.
Read the guideBankruptcy & wind-up money
AFSA holds money from bankrupt estates, debt agreements and company wind-ups where the creditor or beneficiary could not be located.
Read the guideDeceased estates
Executors, administrators and next of kin can search and claim on behalf of an estate - with the right paperwork.
Read the guideLife insurance policies
Matured endowment policies, funeral bonds and friendly society investments are a common source of unclaimed money - often decades old.
Read the guideAvoiding scams
The official Australian unclaimed money registers are free to search and free to claim from. Here's how to recognise the operators who say otherwise.
Read the guideProving your identity
Most claims stall at the identity stage. Here's exactly what documents registers ask for and what to do if your name or address has changed.
Read the guidePublic trustee & courts
Money held by a public trustee or paid into court sits outside the main registers - and it is frequently overlooked.
Read the guideTax refunds & ATO credits
Refunds the ATO could not pay, credits sitting on your account and unlodged returns from past years can all be worth money.
Read the guideBusiness & company money
Trading names, deregistered companies and superseded entities hold unclaimed money too - and directors can claim it.
Read the guideHow money gets lost
Moving house, changing your name and switching jobs are how almost all unclaimed money begins. A few habits prevent it.
Read the guideWhat happens to the money
It is not confiscated, it does not expire, and it is not spent. Here is what the law actually does with money nobody claims.
Read the guideHow long a claim takes
Search results are instant. Payment is not. Here is a realistic timeline for each register and what causes the delays.
Read the guideFound nothing? Try this
A nil result usually means you searched the wrong register, the wrong name or the wrong state. Work through this troubleshooting list before you give up.
Read the guideChanged your name?
Registers list money under the name the organisation recorded at the time. If you have married, divorced or changed your name, here is how to search and prove the money is yours.
Read the guideFound your name?
A match is the start, not the end. Check it really is you, find out who holds the money and follow that authority's claim process.
Read the guideClaim delayed or rejected?
Most delays come from missing or uncertified documents or a name or address that does not link up. Here is how to work out what went wrong and fix it.
Read the guideBefore you start searching
Gather these details first - most registers match on name plus one other piece of information.
- Every name you've used, including maiden and married names
- Common misspellings of your name
- Your previous addresses going back as far as you can
- Your date of birth
- Any business or trading names
- Old bank, super or employer details if you still have them