Unclaimed Money and Free Makeup

Will You Participate in the Free Makeup Settlement or Will You Let This Opportunity Go by the Wayside, like so Many Let Free Money Remain Unclaimed?

Sylvia Cochran
Unclaimed Money in Tax Returns

The Gaston Gazette reports that in Gaston County alone, somewhere between $3 and $4 million of available tax refund money went unclaimed by local taxpayers. This unclaimed money is usually owed to taxpayers who fail to take all the tax exemptions to which they are legally entitled, leaving a lot of free money laying around. Most commonly overlooked are the child care credits and the earned income credit.

The IRS estimated the numbers for the tax year 2003, and figured that it is holding $2,166,886 of your money, if you did not file a return. Not surprisingly, the most money is owed to taxpayers in California, while North Dakota has the most conscientious filers and thus is owed the least.

Unclaimed Money in Savings Bonds

The Chicago Tribune suggests that in addition to tax refunds, savings bonds are also overlooked. According to the Treasury Department, some 41 million savings bonds are ready and waiting to be cashed in and have ceased earning interest.

The Treasury set up a Treasury Hunt site which allows interested residents to see if they are among the recent 15,000 whose savings bonds were returned or part of the 25,000 whose payments were stamped "return to sender."

What to do if you Have Unclaimed Money

Visit the website for the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators. In conjunction with the local governments, they act as a central point for connecting residents with money potentially due to them. From there you are sent to your state of residence, where the controller will maintain a property search function for you. Consumers should be aware that these searches are free of charge.

Now what is this about Free Makeup?

Another way that consumers miss free money that should be coming to them is by disregarding lawsuit settlements, specifically class action settlements. Take for example today, 01-20-09; it marks the day that Saks, Macy's and also Dillard's (as well as others) will give away free makeup as part of a lawsuit settlement.

The Wall Street Journal reports that anyone who purchased cosmetics at any department store between 05-94 and 07-03 is eligible to receive a free cosmetics product from Estée Lauder, Clinique, Lancôme, Chanel, Boucheron, L'Oréal and others.

Will you participate in the free makeup settlement or will you let this opportunity go by the wayside, like so many let free money remain unclaimed?

Sources: http://www.gastongazette.com/news/tax_29497___article.html/credit_money.html; http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/chi-ym-unclaimed-0111jan11,0,7432237.story; http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=168424,00.html; http://www.treasurydirect.gov./indiv/tools/tools_treasuryhunt.htm; http://www.unclaimed.org/; http://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2009/01/16/free-cosmetics-at-saks-macys-and-dillards-et-al/

Published by Sylvia Cochran - Featured Contributor in Automotive, Politics, Travel and Lifestyle

Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing -- full-time -- since 2005. SEO-optimized Internet copy includes news analysis, political Op/Ed and parenting as well as a...   View profile

9 Comments

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  • Janet Roof 1/23/2009

    Great work.;-}

  • Tony Vega 1/20/2009

    Interesting post..you're right this is def. something most don't pay attention to.

  • Roberta Baxter 1/20/2009

    Good post. I don't have any coming and no make up can help me now. Roberta Baxter

  • jpsixbear 1/20/2009

    fraid i'm just not eligible for either, don't wear make up and if the IRS owes me anything, i make sure i get it the first time.

  • Shanika 1/20/2009

    Great info. Free make-up? Wow. I'm not a fan of the stuff but I know it costs loads.

  • jcorn 1/20/2009

    Until today, I didn't realize that they were giving away free makeup on the same day as the inauguration or am I just hopelessly confused?

  • jcorn 1/20/2009

    Got a bond we didn't know we had, thanks!

  • Charles Drengberg 1/20/2009

    can i get some free makeup for some chicks i think need it?...lol

  • Carly Hart 1/20/2009

    I do have a fairly old bond from 1986 I won in a school spelling bee... however, they told me once that it was rare in that it would keep accruing interest past maturity and that if I didn't need the money to let it ride. I do think folks should check their values on the yearly basis as part of a fiscal check up. That 20 odd year old bond is earning 4% right now, so it is a good investment still. http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/tools/tools_savingsbondcalc.htm is where others can go to check values.

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