Have an old bank account that you never actually closed? Or maybe a relative died and you’re unsure if all their accounts were located to be given to those mentioned in their will? Luckily there is a simple way to search for money left in unclaimed bank accounts.
Canadian banks will hold the balance on a dormant account for 10 years, then they transfer the outstanding balance to the Bank of Canada. The Bank of Canada will then maintain custody of the funds for an additional thirty years for accounts under $1,000, balances of $1,000 or more will be held for 100 years.
The Bank of Canada will hold onto a variety of Canadian dollar accounts from Canadian banks, including:
- deposit accounts
- bank drafts
- certified cheques
- deposit receipts
- money orders
- traveler’s cheques
To search a name, go to the Bank of Canada’s Unclaimed Balances page. Since the names are exactly the same as how they were entered at the original financial institution, be sure to try all possible variations of your name. This could include maiden names, an initial for your first name, or maybe even some common misspellings. The search form also allows “and”, “or” and “*” for more precise searching.
If you find that there is an account that you may have a claim to, you will need to fill out the claim form and provide proof of your entitlement through either your own signature, identification and a will, if applicable.
Wondering if there are really that many accounts that are unclaimed? At the end of 2008, the Bank of Canada reported that they are holding approximately 1,023,000 accounts with a total value of about $351 million!
I searched every possible name variation of me and other family members, unfortunately I didn’t find anything. After you search, if you find out that you may have money to claim, please leave a comment to tell us about your find!
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Tom Drake is the owner and head writer of Canadian Finance Blog.
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There is a similar scheme in the UK that allows you to find lost accounts. I urge anyone to fill in the forms because you can also fill in for relatives that have passed away.
lived in toronto ontario back in the early 80′s.can not remember if i closed my bank account. i lived in scarborough ontario.
my fathers uncle opened a bank account for him 65 years ago for his education can he get that money back
wow, just visited the website and it’s unbelievable how much money hasn’t been claimed. Alot of people could be really well off right now if they knew where to look.
Thankfully for Canadians, their government is like the US’s. I’m sure if the FED was holding that kind of money it would be gone in much shorter time than 100 or even 30 years. Go Canada on this one.
i am a dissabled long distance truck driver 63 years of age(limited pension)travelled all over canada us.and canadian territories,just curious to find if i left money behind anywhere