Author: Laura

The Nutrient Benefits of Whole Grains

Posted on | by Laura

Brief Overview: Whole grains are apart of the Plant-based diet, Whole Grains Were Often Eaten in Times of Hardship, The Book of Ezekiel is one of the most detailed and well-known references to grains, as God commands Ezekiel to use “wheat and barley, and beans and lentils, and millet and spelt” to make bread for the people to eat. Ezekiel 4: 9

Eating grains, especially whole grains provides health benefits. People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Grains provide many nutrients that are vital for the health and maintenance of our bodies.

Whole grains include grains like wheat, corn, rice, oats, barley, quinoa, sorghum, spelt, rye – when these foods are eaten in their “whole” form Whole grains even include popcorn!

Health experts advise everyone – men and women, young and old – that grains are a healthy necessity in every diet, and that it’s important to eat at least half our grains as “whole grains.”

What is a Whole Grain

All grains start life as whole grains. In their natural state growing in the fields, whole grains are the entire seed of a plant. This seed (which industry calls a “kernel”) is made up of three key edible parts – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm – protected by an inedible husk that protects the kernel from assaults by sunlight, pests, water, and disease.

THE BRAN

The bran is the multi-layered outer skin of the edible kernel. It contains important antioxidants, B vitamins and fiber.

THE GERM

The germ is the embryo which has the potential to sprout into a new plant. It contains many B vitamins, some protein, minerals, and healthy fats.

THE ENDOSPERM

The endosperm is the germ’s food supply, which provides essential energy to the young plant so it can send roots down for water and nutrients, and send sprouts up for sunlight’s photosynthesizing power. The endosperm is by far the largest portion of the kernel. It contains starchy carbohydrates, proteins, and small amounts of vitamins and minerals.

WHOLE GRAINS ARE HEALTHIER because whole grains contain all three parts of the kernel. Refining normally removes the bran and the germ, leaving only the endosperm. Without the bran and germ, about 25% of a grain’s protein is lost, and are greatly reduced in at least seventeen key nutrients. Processors add back some vitamins and minerals to enrich refined grains, so refined products still contribute valuable nutrients. But whole grains are healthier, providing more protein, more fiber and many important vitamins and minerals.

Nutrients

  • Grains are important sources of many nutrients, including complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, several B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and folate), and minerals (iron, magnesium, and selenium).
  • Dietary fiber from whole grains or other foods may help reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower the risk of heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as whole grains help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories.
  • The B vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin play a key role in metabolism – they help the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates. B vitamins are also essential for a healthy nervous system. Many refined grains are enriched with these B vitamins.
  • Folate (folic acid), another B vitamin, helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
  • Iron is used to carry oxygen in the blood. Many teenage girls and women in their childbearing years have iron-deficiency anemia. They should eat foods high in heme-iron (meats) or eat other iron-containing foods along with foods rich in vitamin C, which can improve the absorption of non-heme iron. Whole and enriched refined grain products are major sources of non-heme iron in American diets.
  • Whole grains are sources of magnesium and selenium. Magnesium is a mineral used in building bones and releasing energy from muscles. Selenium protects cells from oxidation. It is also important for a healthy immune system.
     

Health benefits

  • Consuming whole grains as part of a healthy diet may reduce the risk of heart disease.
  • Consuming whole-grain foods that contain fiber, as part of an overall healthy diet, can support healthy digestion.
  • Eating whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, may help with weight management.
  • Eating grain products fortified with folate helps prevent neural tube defects when consumed as part of an overall healthy diet before and during pregnancy.

Whole grains may be eaten whole, cracked, split, or ground. They can be milled into flour or used to make bread, cereals, and other processed foods. If a food label states that the package contains whole grain, the “whole grain” part of the food inside the package is required to have the same proportions of bran, germ, and endosperm as the harvested kernel does before it is processed.

How to Cook Whole Grains

Posted on | by Laura

Cooking Whole Grains

Compared to refined or “white” grains, whole grains are usually chewier and have a nuttier, fuller flavor. You may find this unfamiliar at first but stick with it until your palate adjusts and then reap the health benefits. The thing about whole grains besides getting used to the taste, it is not always easy to cook them it takes practice to master the skill of cooking them to perfect perfection!

Standard Method

  1. Put the dry, uncooked grain in a pan with the appropriate amount of cool water or broth.
  2. Place over high heat and bring it to a boil
  3. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Pilaf Method

  1. Brown small bits of onion, mushroom, and garlic with a little oil in a saucepan.
  2. Add the dry grain and cook until fragrant, about 1-3 minutes.
  3. Add the appropriate amount of low-sodium broth.
  4. Place over high heat and bring it to a boil
  5. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed.

Time Varies when Cooking Grains
Grains can vary in the time they take to cook. When they are tender, they are done! If the grain is not as tender as you like when “time is up,” simply add more water and continue cooking. On the other hand,if everything seems fine before all the liquid is absorbed, simply drain the excess liquid.

Whole Grain Cooking Shortcuts
Let grains sit in the specified amount of water for a few hours. After soaking, add extra water if necessary, then cook (time will be shorter).

• Cook whole grains in big batches. They will keep for 3-5 days in your fridge and take just minutes to warm up. Add a little water or broth if needed. You can also use the leftovers for salads, grain bowls, or soup.

Fixing Sticky Bottoms
If the whole grains are sticking to the bottom of your pan, turn off the heat, add a very small amount of liquid, put a lid on the pan, and let it sit a few minutes. The grain will loosen, for easier serving and cleanup.

Government-funded benefit and assistance programs you may be entitled to

Posted on | by Laura

Government and nonprofit Charity organizations assistance programs are designed to assist individuals and families in a variety of situations. Learn what type of assistance/benefits you may be entitled to.

Benefits.gov

Benefits.gov helps citizens determine their potential eligibility for more than 1,000 government-funded benefit and assistance programs. Benefits.gov uses a questionnaire that can take from 20 minutes or so to complete. The questionnaire will help you find the right benefits for you. At the end of the questionnaire, you will receive a detailed report with a list of government programs you may be eligible for and a link to detailed information about the program. The results can be printed out for later review.

211

2-1-1 is a nationwide service connecting millions of people to help every year. 2-1-1 is a special abbreviated telephone number reserved in the United States and Canada as an easy-to-remember three-digit telephone number meant to provide information and referrals to health, human and social service organizations. To use the 211 Nationwide Assistance Program, select your state to find information on just about any type of need you may have including housing for seniors and people with disabilities.

Applying For A Business Loan? 5 Facts You Should Know About Your Credit Report

Posted on | by Laura | Leave a Comment on Applying For A Business Loan? 5 Facts You Should Know About Your Credit Report

Good credit is essential to getting a business loan, bad credit comes back to haunt you when you need good credit to apply for a loan and the creditor says no way! Even if you have a negative credit report there are some things you can do to make it better when you know the facts.

Fact 1

The first step is to get a copy of your credit report. Under the law, everyone is entitled to a free annual report, and in certain situations, you are also entitled to a free report under federal law. You’re entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment, and you ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action.

The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the credit reporting company. You’re also entitled to one free report a year if you’re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you’re on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft. Otherwise, a credit reporting company may charge you a reasonable amount for another copy of your report within a 12-month period. You can get immediate access to your credit report, there are many different places on the net offering a free credit report, but according to the federal trade commission, only one is approved by the FTC!

Fact 2

 The credit agency must correct inaccuracies or incomplete information — in your credit report

Under the FCRA, both the credit report­ing company and the information provider (that is, the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a consumer reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. To take full advantage of your rights under this law, contact the credit reporting company and the information provider.

1. Tell the credit reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate.

Credit reporting companies must investigate the items in question — usually within 30 days — unless they consider your dispute frivolous. They also must forward all the relevant data you provide about the inaccuracy to the organization that provided the information. After the information provider receives notice of a dispute from the credit reporting company, it must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results back to the credit reporting company. If the information provider finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide credit reporting companies so they can correct the information in your file.

When the investigation is complete, the credit reporting company must give you the written results and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. (This free report does not count as your annual free report.) If an item is changed or deleted, the credit reporting company cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies that it is accurate and complete. The credit reporting company also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider.

2. Tell the creditor or other information provider in writing that you dispute an item. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider reports the item to a credit reporting company, it must include a notice of your dispute. And if you are correct — that is, if the information is found to be inaccurate — the information provider may not report it again.

Fact 3

A credit reporting company can report most accurate negative information for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years.

There is no time limit on reporting information about crimi­nal convictions; information reported in response to your application for a job that pays more than $75,000 a year, and information reported because you’ve applied for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance. Information about a lawsuit or an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, which­ever is longer.

Fact 4

Creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use the information in your report to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, em­ployment, or renting a home are among those that have a legal right to access your report.

Fact 5

Your employer can get a copy of your credit report only if you agree. A credit reporting company may not provide information about you to your employer, or to a prospective employer, without your written consent.

Entering Transactions and Preparing Financial Reports

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Everything is recorded in a journal using debits and credits. Two different methods used in bookkeeping to enter your business transactions are single-entry bookkeeping and double-entry bookkeeping,

Single-entry Bookkeeping

With single-entry bookkeeping, you enter each transaction only once. If a customer pays you a sum, you enter that sum in your asset column only. This is not a good method for small business accounting unless your business is simple— say you work out of your home, and the business does not use any equipment or have inventory and you do not many cash transactions, you might consider single-entry bookkeeping, But it is not recommended.

Single-entry bookkeeping gives a one-sided picture of transactions recorded in the cash register. In double entry, changes due to one transaction are reflected in at least two accounts. In a single entry, there is no method for error correction or detection.

Double-entry Bookkeeping

Double-entry bookkeeping on the other hand is an accounting technique that records a debit and credit for each financial transaction occurring within a company. … Companies benefit greatly from using double-entry bookkeeping because it aids inaccurate financial reporting and reduces errors and fraudulent activity.

Double entry, states that every financial transaction has equal and opposite effects in at least two different accounts. Using debits and credits as an example of double-entry accounting, if you were going to record sales revenue of $1200 you would need to make two entries: a debit entry of $1200 to increase the balance sheet account called “Cash” and a credit entry of $1200 to increase the income statement account called “Revenue.”

Recording Transactions

To record a transaction, you must first determine the accounts that will be debited and credited.  For example, imagine that you’ve just purchased new equipment for your business. You paid $500, in cash for the equipment.

The transaction will affect two accounts:
Cash (an asset account) and
Equipment (an asset account).
Because you’re decreasing your cash and increasing your equipment, you would record a $500 debit (on the left) for the equipment account and a $500 credit for the cash account (on the right).

When you tally up account debits and credits—often at the end of the quarter or year—the totals should match. This means that your books are “balanced.”

Balancing The Books

Balancing the books occurs at the end of the period, you’ll “post” the debit and credit entries to the accounts themselves in the general ledger and adjust the account balances accordingly.

For example, if over the course of the month your cash account has had $4,000 in debits (increases) and $5,000 in credits (decreases), you would adjust the cash account balance by a total of $1,000 (as a decrease). Follow this method to adjust the balances for each account in your ledger. At the end of this process, you’ll have what’s called an “adjusted trial balance.” When you combine accounts types, the adjusted balances should meet the accounting equation:

Assets = Liabilities + Equity

If two sides of the equations don’t match, you’ll need to go back through the ledger and journal entries to find errors. Post corrected entries in the journal and ledger, then follow the process again until the accounts are balanced. Then you’re ready to close the books and prepare financial reports. Always consult your account before making any changes to your records.

Financial Reports

Once the books are balanced the next step is to, summarize the flow of money in each account. Some of the most common financial reports created in bookkeeping are:

  • Balance sheet. This document summarizes your business’s assets, liabilities, and equity at a single period of time. Your total assets should equal the sum of all liabilities and equity accounts.
  • Profit and loss (P&L) statement. Also called an income statement, this report breaks down business revenues, costs, and expenses over a period of time (e.g., quarter). The P&L helps you compare your sales and expenses and make forecasts.
  • Cash flow statement. The statement of cash flow is similar to the P&L, but it doesn’t include any non-cash items such as depreciation. Cash flow statements help show where your business is earning and spending money.

Bookkeeping can take time away from your business and unless you’re experienced in accounting principles, bookkeeping can be a challenging task. Getting help—whether by hiring a bookkeeper, outsourcing to an accounting service, or using accounting software it will give you more time to focus on your business.

Don’t be fooled by websites that offer free credit reports only one is approved by the FTC!

Posted on | by Laura | Leave a Comment on Don’t be fooled by websites that offer free credit reports only one is approved by the FTC!

Your credit report has information that affects whether you can get a loan — and how much you will have to pay to borrow money. It is situations like this you will want a copy of your credit report to:

  • make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job.
  • help guard against identity theft. That’s when someone uses your personal information — like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number — to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job.
Your Free Credit Report

Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law! Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.

Some “imposter” sites use terms like “free report” in their names; others have URLs that purposely misspell annualcreditreport.com in the hope that you will mistype the name of the official site. Some of these “imposter” sites direct you to other sites that try to sell you something or collect your personal information.

How To Avoid a Scam:

Annualcreditreport.com is the only website authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law!

As a nationwide credit reporting company, they will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from annualcreditreport.com or any of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. It’s probably a scam. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to credit reporting companies.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or have filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide credit reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How To Get Your Free Credit Report:

The three nationwide credit reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.

To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228. Or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do not contact the three nationwide credit reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228 or mailing to Annual Credit Report Request Service.

In the past, you could order your reports from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies at the same time, or you could order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allowed you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies every 12 months.

As of 2020, everyone in the U.S. can get 6 free credit reports per year through 2026 by visiting the Equifax website or by calling 1-866-349-5191. That’s in addition to the one free Equifax report (plus your Experian and TransUnion reports) you can get at AnnualCreditReport.com.

The Type Of Information You Will Need To Provide:

You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide credit reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources

How Soon Will I Get a Free Report ?

 If you request your report online at annualcreditreport.com, you should be able to access it immediately. If you order your report by calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, your report will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days. If you order your report by mail using the Annual Credit Report Request Form, your request will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days of receipt.

Whether you order your report online, by phone, or by mail, it may take longer to receive your report if the nationwide credit reporting company needs more information to verify your identity.

Gnucash Free Accounting Software – Introduction

Posted on | by Laura

Gnucash is a free product that has been around since 1997 and is a good alternative to Commercial accounting software programs. While GnuCash is well suited for personal finances, it is also powerful and versatile enough to keep track of all your business financial needs, from the simple to the very complex. GnuCash makes running the business so easy, that you can focus on the heart of what you do. It is an excellent and powerful program for a free product. It is designed to be easy to use yet powerful and flexible, enough for small business bookkeeping.

GnuCash Business Features

GnuCash has many features to support the needs of the business accounting community.

  • Integrated A/R & A/P  System
  • Track Income And Expenses
  • Track Customers
  • Track Vendors
  • Create And Send Invoices
  • Bill Payment System
  • Track Sales Tax
  • Budgeting
  • Track Employee Payroll

Import Transactions

  • GnuCash supports many ways to input transactions besides manual entry. If you can access your bank accounts online, this is especially useful, as most banks and credit card companies support one of the following import methods. You will spend less time entering data and more time analyzing results.
  • Quicken Import File (QIF): Import Quicken QIF style files, a popular file format with many commercial personal finance software packages.
  • Open Financial Exchange (OFX): GnuCash is the first free software application to support the Open Financial Exchange protocol. Many financial institutions are moving towards this format.
  • Home Banking Computer Interface (HBCI): GnuCash is the first free software application to support the German Home Banking Computer Interface protocol. This protocol includes statement download, initiates bank transfers, and makes direct debits possible.

Schedule Transactions

 GnuCash now has the ability to automatically create and enter transactions, or remind you when these transactions are due, giving you the choice of entering, postponing or removing the automated

Reconciliation

  • Easy Account Reconciliation: Integrated reconciliation makes reconciling your GnuCash accounts with statements simple and effective.
  • Automatic statement reconciliation is also available in GnuCash, with banking transactions automatically downloaded and matched with system transactions.
Reports:
  • GnuCash comes with over 30 prebuilt reports, including:
  • Account Summary
  • Income
  • Expenses
  • Transaction Report
  • Balance Sheet
  • Profit & Loss
  • Portfolio Valuation, and many others.
  • Reports support graphical views of the data, including pie charts, bar charts, and scatter plots.
  • The reports can be exported to HTML files, and are easily customized.

International Support

There are many built-in features to facilitate interaction with the international world we live in today.

  • Native Languages: GnuCash has been fully translated into 12 languages: Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Spanish and Swedish. More than 25 other languages are partially supported.
  • International Format Handling: GnuCash understands that different countries display the date and numbers differently. You are able to work with the date and number formats you are accustomed to.
  • Multiple Currencies and Currency Trading: Multiple currencies are supported and can be bought and sold (traded). Currency movements between accounts remain fully balanced if “Trading Accounts” is enabled.
  • On-line exchange rates: With GnuCash, you no longer need to look up your exchange rates one at a time. The process can be automated, to always present you with the account values converted to your preferred currency using the latest exchange rates.

Free Resources To Teach you How to Manage and Invest Your Money Wisely!

Posted on | by Laura

 Financial Literacy equips us with the knowledge and skills we need to manage money effectively. The most successful entrepreneurs know how to manage their money both on a business and personal side. Knowing how to manage your money can make a big difference in your financial assets. Financial literacy helps individuals to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources including but not limited to managing personal finance, money and investing.

Money Smart

 Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction provides financial education for Adults and Young Adults. The training covers topics such as the basics of borrowing money wisely, using a spending plan to achieve financial goals, and how to use banking products effectively.  The Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction consists of interactive modules that offer instruction to help people make informed financial decisions and take charge of their finances.

Beginners Guide to Investing

A great investor can money beyond their expectations! Investor.gov offers a beginner’s guide to investing. The site is filled with helpful resources. If you want to pay for retirement, college, or a home, investing may be the way to go. Before you invest, educate yourself so that you don’t fall victim to fraud or lose a substantial amount of money. Investor.gov is your online resource to help you make sound investment decisions and avoid fraud. … The Office handles investment-related complaints and questions from tens of thousands of individual investors and others every year.

Unclaimed Money Is Not a Scam and Your Name May Be On The List

Posted on | by Laura

Unclaimed money is not a scam or promotional gimmick! Unclaimed money could actually be owed to you for a variety of reasons. Before you say oh no, not me! I have spoken to many people about unclaimed money and some have actually found their names on the list, including some of my close relatives and friends. Before I told them about it they were unaware of the different types of unclaimed money lists there are.

Long before the Internet, unclaimed property lists were published in the local newspapers. If you were lucky enough to find your name on the list among the many other unclaimed property owners. In those days you would simply contact the Government office which was holding your unclaimed property and apply for it. For those who were unaware of the list, business services popped up all over the place asking for finders fees. They would give you information about the fact that you have unclaimed property being held somewhere. Then they would charge a finders fee to assist you in recovering your unclaimed property.

Government Warning

Beware of people who pretend to be the government and offer to send you unclaimed money for a fee. These scammers use a variety of tricks to get your attention, but their goal is the same: to get you to send them money. Government agencies will not call you about unclaimed money or assets

What is Unclaimed Money?

Unclaimed money can come from banks, credit unions, pensions, and other sources which have been turned over to the government as unclaimed.  The government’s job is to find the owner of the unclaimed money, by making this information public knowledge. If the government owes you money and you do not collect it, then it’s unclaimed.

I have shared information on unclaimed money with many different people, leading them to find unclaimed money they were unaware of. I have not been so fortunate, but have seen my father, 2 sisters, and a few cousins names on the list.

Where Do I Look for Unclaimed Money?

State Search

You should search in every state where you have lived. Start with your state’s listing of unclaimed funds and property. You can conduct a free multi-state search by going directly to Missing Money, the NAUPA-sponsored search engine, or search state-by-state on individual unclaimed property programs by clicking the appropriate jurisdiction on the map or dropbox below.

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Unclaimed Back Wages

Unpaid Wages – If you think you may be owed back wages from your employer, search the Wage and Hour Division’s (WHD’s) database of workers for whom it has money waiting to be claimed. WHD (Wage and Hour Division ) is a part of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). You search by the employer’s name.

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Life Insurance

Search the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for unclaimed insurance funds that are owed to certain current or former policyholders or their beneficiaries. 

Note: This does not include funds from Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) policies from 1965 to the present.  

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Unclaimed Retirement Money

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)a US Government agency, protects the retirement incomes of more than 37 million American workers in private-sector defined benefit pension plans. A defined benefit plan provides a specified monthly benefit at retirement, often based on a combination of salary and years of service.

You can use their online database to search for unclaimed pension money from former Employers companies that went out, of business or ended a defined plan.

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Bank Failures

Bank Failures – Search the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for unclaimed funds from failed financial institutions.

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Credit Union Failures

Credit Union Failures – Find unclaimed deposits from credit unions. When a credit union with federal insurance is liquidated, the NCUA’s Asset Management and Assistance Center is responsible for paying the share accounts to the members.

On rare occasions, the liquidation of a credit union may result in surplus funds. If a surplus remains, a distribution to the shareholders is required. This may occur several years after the credit union is liquidated and it is sometimes difficult to locate these members. The claim list is in pdf format.

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Mortgages

FHA-Insurance Refunds – If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be eligible for a refund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

To search the HUD database, you will need your FHA case number (three digits, a dash, and the next six digits—for example, 051-456789).

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Tax Refund

The Internal Revenue Service(IRS) may owe you money if your refund was unclaimed or undelivered.

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Money Owed Investors

SEC Claims Funds – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lists enforcement cases where a company or person owes investors money.

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Damaged Money

Damaged Money – The Treasury Department will exchange mutilated or damaged U.S. currency.

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