FDIC and NCUA Unclaimed Funds: Money Left at Failed Banks and Credit Unions
If your bank failed, search the FDIC’s free Unclaimed Funds database at closedbanks.fdic.gov/funds by name or check number and file a claim with the FDIC. For a failed credit union, check the NCUA’s unclaimed deposits page. You have 18 months after a failure to claim from the FDIC; after that, the money moves to your state. Both searches are free.
When a bank or credit union fails, insured deposits are protected — but the money doesn’t always reach the depositor. Checks get returned, accounts get overlooked, and after a while the funds sit unclaimed. Two federal agencies hold this money, depending on the type of institution.
Failed banks: search the FDIC
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures banks and savings institutions. When one fails, the FDIC becomes the receiver and pays out insured deposits. If it couldn’t reach you, the money may still be waiting.
Search the FDIC Unclaimed Funds database by your name, a business name, or a check number. You can narrow it by the failed institution’s name, city, or state. If you find a match, note the FDIC Reference Number shown next to your name and file through the FDIC’s claim process — you can do it through the online service center or by mailing the Claimant Verification form to the FDIC Claims Department. For background on how this works, see the FDIC’s bank failures page.
Failed credit unions: search the NCUA
Credit unions aren’t covered by the FDIC. They’re insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). If a federally insured credit union was liquidated and you have an unclaimed share deposit, the NCUA may be holding it.
Check the NCUA unclaimed deposits page for the list of recent liquidations and instructions for claiming.
The 18-month clock (and where the money goes next)
Here’s the catch to know: under federal law, you have 18 months after a bank fails to claim your insured deposit from the FDIC. If you don’t, the FDIC transfers the money to the state listed as your address of record when the bank failed.
That’s not the end of the road — it just changes where you look. Once funds move to a state, they go into that state’s unclaimed property program, which usually holds money indefinitely. So if a bank failed years ago and the FDIC search is empty, search your state unclaimed property site next.
Is there a middleman fee? No.
Both the FDIC and NCUA searches and claims are free. The government never charges to return an insured deposit, and no third-party “recovery” service can move it faster. If a company offers to retrieve failed-bank funds for a percentage, read our finder-fee guide first.
The bottom line
Match the agency to the institution: FDIC for banks, NCUA for credit unions. Search, note your reference number, and file directly — all free. And if the failure was long ago, follow the money to your state’s unclaimed property office.
This is one of several federal sources. See the full federal money hub, or start with how to find unclaimed money in your name for free.
Common questions
Search the FDIC's free Unclaimed Funds database at closedbanks.fdic.gov/funds by your name, business name, or check number. If your bank failed and you didn't claim your insured deposit, the FDIC may still be holding it. You can then file a claim with the FDIC Claims Department.
Credit unions are covered by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), not the FDIC. If a federally insured credit union was liquidated and you have an unclaimed deposit, check the NCUA's unclaimed deposits page at ncua.gov. Both the FDIC and NCUA searches are free.
Federal law gives you 18 months after a bank fails to claim an insured deposit from the FDIC. After that, the FDIC transfers the unclaimed funds to the state listed as your address of record when the bank failed, where you can then claim it through that state's unclaimed property program.
Yes. Both the FDIC and NCUA searches and claim processes are completely free. The government never charges you to return an insured deposit from a failed institution, and no paid service can do it faster.
Not necessarily. After the FDIC's 18-month window, unclaimed deposits move to your state's unclaimed property office, which typically holds money indefinitely. So if the FDIC search comes up empty for an old failure, search your state's unclaimed property site next.
This guide is maintained by the Unclaimed Guide Editorial Team and reviewed each quarter. Found something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it, or check the corrections log.