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Hey everyone — random question but might be useful for some of you too. Has anyone here ever found "hidden money" they forgot about from old jobs? I was cleaning out a drawer and found a dusty pay stub from 2018 and now I’m wondering if I might have missed any unclaimed bonuses, back pay, or even retirement contributions. Is it worth digging into old paychecks?
Yes — definitely worth checking! A few months ago, I dug through old files and discovered I had unclaimed retirement contributions from a job I left in 2016. After contacting HR and the plan administrator, I recovered over $600 I didn’t even realize I had. It was a great surprise and super easy once I got started. If you’re curious, this article on hiding cash has helpful tips on where else to look. You might be sitting on forgotten money without knowing it!
Good topic. I’m a bit of a nerd about this — every January I check my state’s unclaimed property website (in the U.S., it’s usually [yourstate].gov/unclaimed-money). I’ve found two things that way:
An old cell phone rebate check
A final paycheck from a job I left in college (I’d moved apartments and never got it)
