How to access a really old, untouched bank savings account?
I was just going through old things and found a Wachovia account opened for me by my aunt - specifically, I found the checkbook and transaction record. The transaction book is dated April xx, 1998 and has one record in it: "Happy Birthday", deposit, balance.
I vaguely remember having discovered this a few years ago, calling Wachovia, and confusing the operator on the phone with an account number which was not their usual format - she couldn't even type it into the computer, it was too short or something. She supposed that they changed their account number scheme some years in the past. I must have just put it away, and now I rediscovered it and want to give it another shot.
I suppose I will call Wachovia and try again, but is there anything else I can do to try and access this account? I don't know anything about the savings account (interest rate, etc.), but I have this fantastical thought that maybe the has grown into a hefty chunk of money by collecting interest over these 13 years it's just been sitting there. Or maybe it was emptied and closed due to some stupid bank fees. Either way, I'd like to know what happened to it.
Is there any special course of action for this kind of thing?
Also, the address on the account is of course WAY old. I was 8 years old at the time (which is why I didn't know what to do with this, I just put it in a drawer with the rest of my stuff) and I've moved several times since then. I guess the chances of being able to get anything from this are very slim, but I want to pursue it anyway.
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Check with the state that you lived in. Inactive accounts typically get turned over to the State Treasury or Comptroller to be claimed. The time is typically set by statute.
Hopefully, you don't live in a state like California or Arizona that treats abandoned property like booty.
Most likely the account funds have been handed over to the government of the state in which the account was established. Generally it can be recovered if reasonable proof of ownership is provided (which you seem to have).
You should try going to unclaimed.org/ and selecting the account's state. That site is run by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, and generally selecting the state will take you to the web site of the particular state's unclaimed property department and give information on how to find out about the funds and/or file a claim.
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