How to Track Down Lost Cash

Does the government owe you money? Federal and state governments are sitting on billions of dollars in unclaimed assets. Here are three places you may be able to find hundreds of dollars.

More than $15 billion in savings bonds have stopped earning interest but haven't been cashed, and more than 15,000 savings bonds are returned to the U.S. Treasury as undeliverable every year. Use the "Treasury Hunt" tool at www.treasurydirect.gov to see if your bonds have been returned or should be cashed.

States receive about $3 billion in unclaimed property every year, primarily from uncashed dividend checks, unclaimed state-tax refunds and uncollected insurance benefits. Find your state's unclaimed property database through the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, or check 39 states' databases through www.missingmoney.com.

Millions of dollars in tax-refund checks are returned to the IRS every year because checks were sent to an out-of-date address. Use the Where's My Refund? tool at IRS.gov to see if you're owed an old refund.