With the holiday season approaching, everyone could use some extra money. One set of couch cushions most people forget to check is the unclaimed property database maintained by their state government. You can get to all of these databases, or to information about them, on the
National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) web site.

This site also allows the user to search a combined database of unclaimed property from 35 states called MissingMoney.com.

According to the NAUPA site, unclaimed property “refers to accounts in financial institutions and companies that have had no activity generated or contact with the owner for one year or a longer period.” These accounts can include everything from savings and checking accounts to security deposits and royalty payments.

And, once you have your extra money, one place you might want to consider for crowd-free shopping would be FirstGov’s Souvenirs, Books, and Gifts from Government page.

Happy hunting.