While spring cleaning your finances this month or next, you may just come across evidence of a forgotten bank account or savings bond. Perhaps you opened an account as a kid and completely lost track of it once you fled the nest, or forgot about savings bonds given to you as gifts from relatives back in the day. According to estimates by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) there's $33 billion in unclaimed assets out there, and after three years with no activity your property is considered abandoned.

There are a couple of free websites that will help you find your long lost property, so don't fall prey to any letters from company's offering to assist you in finding your unclaimed assets for a fee. You can try and track down missing money by visiting the official database for the NAUPA. Search for unclaimed savings bonds by performing a "Treasury Hunt" on the Treasury Department's website, and someone will contact you if there are any bonds in your name.

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