This often happens after the death of a family member, name changes following marriage or divorce, expiration of a mail forwarding order after a move, and even as a result of computer and clerical errors.

Did you or a family member have unclaimed money at a bank that moved, changed its name or closed? Don't assume that because your bank, savings and loan or credit union no longer exists that unclaimed funds are lost forever. Your savings account may have been transferred to a another bank or a government custodian after a merger or acquisition.

Even if your bank failed and closed its doors, you may still be entitled to collect insurance proceeds - currently up to $250,000 per account - from government regulators including the NCUA and FDIC.

There has been at least one bank failure every year since operations began, with more than 1,400 banks and 700 savings institutions closing between 1982 and 1992 alone.

There were 25 bank failures in 2008, including the largest ever, Washington Mutual, with $182 billion in deposits. In 2009 there were 140 bank failures, and 157 banks were shut down in 2010.

Unclaimed bank accounts may be recovered after years of inactivity, even if a passbook is lost or destroyed, but you must act promptly to safeguard your rights, as many claims are subject to time limits.

To trace an unclaimed bank account, IRA Individual Retirement Account, Certificate of Deposit (CD), safe deposit box or credit union account, go to:

Unclaimed  Funds and Missing Money Search