ASIC holds $3 billion in unclaimed money: Some of it could be yours
Key takeaways
- Regulator ASIC helped Australian consumers and investors get $580 million back in refunds and repayments in 2025–26.
- But there's still $3 billion in unclaimed funds just waiting for people to claim.
- What's next: You can use several registries to search for any money you may be owed.
Australians are leaving $3 billion in unclaimed money just sitting with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
According to ASIC's annual report, the regulator also helped Australian consumers and investors get more than $580 million back in repayments and refunds in 2025–26.
This comes as a result of investigations into financial misconduct by banks, super platforms and other financial firms.
ASIC also secured $830 million in civil penalties via court proceedings against entities including ANZ, HSBC, RAMS and Westpac.
$3 billion in unclaimed money
While ASIC's work has helped consumers get millions of dollars in compensation, it's also sitting on around $3 billion in unclaimed money.
This is not money owed to customers due to compensation for financial misconduct. It's money that was sitting in old bank accounts, share accounts, or insurance policies.
By law, money in a bank account over $500 goes to ASIC after seven years if the owner can't be found and the account is inactive.
Amounts under $500 remain with the bank or institution that held the lost money originally.
According to ASIC, some unclaimed money dates back to the 1950s. The largest unclaimed sum is $1.3 million.
There's no deadline for claiming lost money, but you will need ID and evidence the money is yours.
How can you find out if you have any unclaimed money?
The main way to find any unclaimed money you might have is via Moneysmart's registry. You need to enter your name and if any unclaimed money comes up, there will be an original transaction number (OTN).
You can use the OTN to submit a claim.
Other ways to find missing money
You can also find any lost super accounts using the ATO's website. If you have multiple super funds it's a good idea to consolidate them into one.
You can also search for unclaimed money via your state government's revenue office, public trustee or treasury department.
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