Max explains
How the money ends up on a state's list
Here is the mechanism. When a bank, an old employer, a pension, or a utility loses track of you — a move, a maiden name, a closed branch — the money does not vanish. State law makes them hand it to the state, which parks it on an official list under your name and waits for you to notice. Old checks, deposits, refunds, and dormant accounts all land there. It is not a loan, a benefit, or an insurance product; it is money that was already yours.
Under Florida law (Fla. Stat. 717.135, 2026), a recovery company that finds it for you can take up to 25% of it. That number is the whole reason the desk does this for free instead — you never have to give up a share of your own money to get it back.
Who this is not for: if you have already searched your state's official unclaimed-property website this year and came up empty, you are current and there is nothing here for you today. Check again next year — new money is turned over all the time.
The trap Max circles in red
You may already have gotten the letter: a company offering to "recover" your money for you, in return for a slice of it. It is legal, and it is unnecessary. You never owe anyone a share. The search is free, and you claim the money yourself, straight from the state.
Others charge to get this money. Members here do not.
You may have already gotten a letter about this. Companies that call themselves "asset recovery" or "locator" firms watch the state's lists of unclaimed money. They offer to get your money for you — in return for a share of it. If one of those letters showed up in your mailbox, you are not alone. Many members tell us they have gotten one.
These companies are allowed to charge. Under Florida law, Fla. Stat. 717.135, a recovery company can take up to 25% of money the state has held for more than two years. Once their costs are added in, the total can reach 30%. Most unclaimed money has sat for years, so the 25% share is the real-world case.
Here is what that share looks like in real dollars:
- On a $5,000 claim, 25% is $1,250.
- On a $20,000 claim, it is $5,000.
- If the money was turned over within the last two years, the share is smaller — up to 15%.
- For a small amount under $250, the charge is limited to $25.
Members of The Senior Desk pay nothing for this. Not a percentage. Not one dollar. We are not one of those companies. We show you where your money is listed and point you to the official state website. You claim it yourself, straight from the state. We never file a claim for you, we never act for you, and we never take a share.
These companies are not breaking any rule — they stay inside the limit the state sets. The point is simple: you do not have to give anyone a share to get money that is already yours.
What the check actually is
The search is free. If there is a possible match, The Senior Desk points you to the official state unclaimed-property website so you can review the listing and claim it directly with the state. We do not file for you, and we do not stand between you and your money.
What the club keeps doing for you after that
Some members only want the found-money check. Others use the same relationship to ask about Social Security timing, Medicare, or what changes around age 65 — the club keeps working through the list of things you are already entitled to. Insurance help is handled by Marc Nock, a licensed insurance agent, NPN 21010294. The found-money check and general education from The Senior Desk are free.
Desk’s open. — Max