Euros

Misplaced, forgotten and lost Accounts

Please pass on to your family, friends and colleagues.

Pensions – company or personal
Insurance Policies
Bank Accounts
Building Society savings
Premium Bonds
Shares
Inheritances

A few straightforward checks can be extremely valuable

One of the most obvious sources of lost accounts is banks and building societies. For those of you who have moved, especially to another country, it is easy to forget an old account. If you have lost accounts or think you may have unclaimed assets, as long as you can identify yourself, you can reclaim your money.

Financial institutions have literally billions of pounds in unclaimed assets, waiting for their rightful owners to collect. Did you know that uncollected inheritances, in the UK, go to the HM Treasury?

If you have pensions you cannot trace, then a financial adviser may be able to help. Many companies have been taken over or merged and can be difficult to trace. I will recommend a regulated adviser if you email me. Finding a lost pension plan could be valuable but equally if it is said to be ‘trivial’ you may get the benefit in cash

The same is also true about life assurance. It’s amazing how many ‘household’ names of a few years ago no longer exist. You might even benefit from a deceased relative but you don’t know you’re a beneficiary and the Life Company doesn’t know you exist.

National Savings & Investments (NS&I) is a UK Government company which, amongst other things, runs Premium Bonds. They recently carried out a survey of people which found that the main reason for claims, after the event, was change of address. It’s easy to forget one or two items, when moving house or emigrating!

Just as it’s easy to forget, it’s also easy to trace & claim.

I can give you four sources where you can look

www.mylostaccount.org.uk

www.unclaimedassets.co.uk

www.assetsreunited.co.uk

www.uar.co.uk (Try this last as there may be a charge)

What’s more you could be doing your family, friends and neighbours a great favour by passing on this information. You just never know……….

David Goodall

davidgoodall.spain@gmail.com

financialServices

David Goodall is Editor & Publisher of ‘Financial Pages in Spain’ which he started over five years’ ago. Financial Pages in Spain is an information site which has up to date news and views but also has an extensive archive. David tells us that the readership is mainly, either resident expats who have moved to Spain or non-resident property owners.