$1 billion of investments up for grabs – could it be yours?

Whether it is moving often, heading overseas or simply forgetting, Australians are losing track of their money and investments, with more than $600 million sitting in unclaimed bank accounts and a staggering $450 million in shares, ready to be claimed.

It’s a staggering amount of wealth that could be checked easily with a quick search on the Governments Unclaimed Money website and it only takes a minute.

Here is what is up for grabs.

Money waiting to be claimed

• NSW: $380m ($319m Sydney, $14m Hunter, $1m Illawarra)
• VIC: $197m ($170m Melbourne, $5m Barwon, $4m Goulburn Valley)
• QLD: $112m ($58m Brisbane, $17m Gold Coast, $7m Far North)
• WA:  $75m ($56m Perth, $4m South West, $2m South East)
• ACT: $15m
• SA: $35m ($28m Adelaide, $1m South East, $1m Outer Adelaide)
• TAS: $9m ($6m Hobart, $2m Northern Tasmania)
• NT: $8m ($4.5m Darwin)

Types of lost money

• Bank accounts – $617 million
• Shares – $451 million
• Life insurance – $81 million

Search on ASIC’s MoneySmart to find unclaimed money.

Source:ASIC