How to spread some free Xmas cheer these holidays

Did you know there’s around $1.1 billion owed to Aussie families in unclaimed shares, bank accounts and life insurance? With the festive season just around the corner, here’s how to find some long lost funds for you and your family in less than one minute.

They say Christmas is a time for giving. But let’s be honest, it’s always nice to get a little surprise, too.

The beauty of this little life hack is that – if you’re lucky – you might experience both ahead of the budget-blowout that is the festive season.

Don’t believe us? A friend who gave us the idea for this timely post found $1140 for his aunty and $68 for his brother. That’s more than $1200 by simply searching his last name in a government register.

Sure, he didn’t find any money for himself – but his brother has promised to finally fork out for the family Xmas turkey this year!

How to find unclaimed money

Ok, so it’s super quick and simple.

Just click on this ASIC MoneySmart website link. Then type in your name in the search bar.

If nothing comes up try typing in just your last name and you might even spot some relatives who are owed money.

If the search brings up money that’s owed to you, simply scroll down the bottom of the ASIC MoneySmart website link for steps on how to claim the money.

But wait, there’s more

The above link is run by the federal government. But there are also state and territory registers for unclaimed money as well, including:

NSW – Revenue NSW

Victoria – State Revenue Office Victoria

Queensland – Public Trustee of Queensland

Western Australia – WA Department of Treasury

South Australia – SA Department of Treasury and Finance

Tasmania – Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance

ACT – Public Trustee and Guardian for the ACT

Northern Territory – Northern Territory Treasury

Searching for unclaimed money in the above registers is straightforward and similar to the process for the MoneySmart register.

Have a great festive season

Whether your search for unclaimed money is fruitful or not, we hope that you enjoy celebrating the festive season with family and friends in the coming weeks.

And when 2020 rolls around, if you need to check anything finance-related, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’d love to work with you again in the new year.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is general in nature and is presented for informative purposes. It is not intended to constitute financial advice, whether general or personal nor is it intended to imply any recommendation or opinion about a financial product. It does not take into consideration your personal situation and may not be relevant to circumstances. Before taking any action, consider your own particular circumstances and seek professional advice. This content is protected by copyright laws and various other intellectual property laws. It is not to be modified, reproduced or republished without prior written consent.