Found money is a gift. And with the internet, it’s easier than ever to find it.

Unclaimed assets may be sitting somewhere in your name, waiting for you to find and claim them. With some simple online searches, you can look for unclaimed money in seconds and possibly find a windfall.

Unclaimed money can come from a family member who has died. They may have a life insurance policy, retirement benefit and other policies you may not know about that are legally yours as an heir. Here are some resources for finding missing, unclaimed money:

Two websites offer free, multi-state searches for unclaimed property:

• National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators, or NAUPA.
• Missing Money, a service endorsed by NAUPA.

Both are simple to use. You only enter your first and last name, and the state where you live”a free government search for missing money in your name is done in seconds.

Missing Money is a database of governmental unclaimed property records. They include bank accounts, safe-deposit box contents, stocks, mutual funds, unwashed checks and wages, insurance policies, CDs, utility deposits, and escrow accounts.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has a free database to search for bank accounts or safe deposit boxes in your name or the name of a loved one who has died.

Paper Statements
Those overstuffed filing cabinets and drawers that you or a relative have been meaning to organize for years may be full of old paper statements from banks, life insurance companies and other businesses that may be holding money owed to you.

Anything that was reported to the IRS on a tax form could be an area where unclaimed money could be hiding. Also, be on the lookout for pay stubs, pension deduction and 401(k) contributions. They may show if a former employee owes a benefit.

An Old Pension Plan
If your former employee offered a pension plan but the company has gone out of business, you may have unclaimed pension benefits waiting for you.

Contact your former employer if you can find it. The company should also be looking for you. If it cant find you, the pension money goes to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., a government agency that protects retirement income.

Go to the PBGCs unclaimed pensions database to see if youre on its list from your former employer or as a beneficiary.

Life Insurance Policy
There isnt a national database of life insurance policies. The Insurance Information Institute has 12 ways to make finding life insurance documents for a deceased relative easier. They include searching for insurance-related documents, contacting financial advisors, contacting previous employers and contacting state insurance departments, such as through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners Life Insurance Company Location System.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If your child has a Social Security number, they can become a victim of identity theft.

With a clean credit history, a childs Social Security number can be more valuable to a thief than an adult’s. It can be used to apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, and apply for a loan.

This could lead to a poor credit history before your child reaches age 18. A poor credit score can make it difficult to get good terms on credit, a mortgage and insurance. Some employers and landlords also pull credit reports to predict what type of risk someone might be in the future.

Here are some ways to ensure your child has a clean credit history into adulthood:

Keep documents safe
Dont carry around your childs birth certificate or Social Security card. Keep them locked in a fire-proof safe at home. Have your home computer updated with virus protection software.

Also be cautious about who you give your childs identifying details to. Ask why the information is needed before giving it out. Ask if you can use a different identifier, or use the last four digits of your childs Social Security number.

Check if your child has a credit report
Your child shouldnt have a credit history at all before age 14, so any sign of credit history could mean fraud.

Check with the three main nationwide credit reporting companies for a free report. Start at annualcreditreport.com for a free report every 12 months.

Repair the credit report
If your childs information is being misused, ask each credit reporting company to remove all accounts, account inquiries and collection notices from any file associated with your childs name and Social Security number.

Also contact every business where your childs information was misused. Ask each business to close the fraudulent account and flag it to show it came from identity theft.

You can also file a fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission.

Add a teen as an authorized user ” maybe
A credit card account cant be opened for a young child, such as age 5-10, as a way to build their credit history early and protect their identity. It could open the door to identity theft, and creating a credit file could give a family member or stranger a chance to steal the childs credit identity.

Adding a young child to a parents credit card account as an authorized user is a bad idea. A clean credit history ” meaning no use of credit at all ” is best for children when they do apply for a credit card someday.

What you may want to do ” if youre comfortable with it ” is add your child at age 15 or so as an authorized user to your credit card. This can boost their credit score if you have a good credit record.

Once theyre 18, their credit will be their responsibility. Helping them start adulthood with a clean credit history can be one of the best gifts a parent can offer.

I hope you found this information helpful. Please contact me for all your real estate needs today!

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Scrutinizing a bill from your health care provider or insurer is probably one of the last things you want to do after getting out of the hospital, but it can pay off.

Medical bill errors should be corrected so that you don’t have to pay for a service you didn’t receive, for example, or for medication that was ordered for you but you didn’t use while in the hospital, among other potential errors.

Here are some ways to dispute medical bill errors so that your insurance company doesn’t overcharge you:

Get an itemized bill.
Some medical providers may only send a “bottom line invoice” with a total amount due. Ask for an itemized bill that fully explains the charges. If youre unsure what a charge is for, ask the provider.

Document and compare.
You or a family member should document whatmedicines you received and when during your hospital stay. It will help you dispute any unnecessary charges.

Once you have an itemized bill, compare it to the explanation of benefits from your insurance company or your medical chart. The explanation of benefits is sent to you by your insurer, and hopefully you’ve kept it. It may charge for a chart, which should match the services listed on the bill.

Notify the biller, then others for help.
Any errors you find should first be taken up with the healthcare provider’s billing department. It may audit the bill, asking you to provide evidence or documents to back your claim.

If it won’t correct the bill, ask your insurance company for help. You can also file a complaint with the state medical board or hire an attorney.

You can also hire a patient advocate who works on billing disputes. Such services include HealthCPA and Medical Bill & Claim Resolution. They can appeal erroneously denied charges and guide you through your insurance plan’s appeal process.

Companies such as Simplee offer free online services to gather your medical bills and insurance payments so its software can find if there are any mistakes.

Follow up.
Lastly, when you appeal a bill or are told a problem is being fixed, follow up with a phone call or letter to ensure it has been resolved. Upon first contact, ask for an estimate of how long it will take to fix the issue, and contact them on that date.

If you don’t understand something, ask. It’s your right as a patient to be involved in your billing just as you’re involved in your medical care.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Teaching children manners and how to tie their shoes is one thing, but financial lessons are often pushed to the wayside until it’s too late. Budgeting and financial planning should be a focus in every household. Whether you are passing along your lessons to your children, nieces or nephews, keeping financial sense in the family can have longstanding benefits.

Here are some financial lessons you can teach children before they leave home:

How to Budget
Whether its through a household budget that you let them become a part of, or a weekly allowance on which they have to determine how to spend and save, budgeting is a skill they will be able to use throughout their lives.

Show the younger generations how to budget for monthly expenses, such as a mortgage, groceries, utility bills and other expenses, and then show them what your monthly income is. If the expenses are higher than the income, then work together to cut expenses and live within your means.

Go Over Automatic Payments
Discuss the importance of an emergency fund, retirement account, vacation fund, college plan or other long-term expense that you save money for. Show them how you contribute to it monthly with an automatic withdrawal from your checking account or paycheck every few weeks or so.

From there, you can go over how compound interest works and how earning interest each month can pay off.

Preparing for Emergencies
Big expenses pop up in life, and its a good idea to be prepared for them financially. If you have an emergency fund, explain what its for and why its important. You may be saving to have 12 months of income in case you lose your job, for example. Or you may be saving to buy a new car in a few years because the car you drive now is having a few too many mechanical problems lately. Whatever the reason, point out how an emergency fund can save you from going into debt with a credit card to cover such expenses.

What Debt Looks Like
A credit card debt calculator is an easy way to show adolescents how credit card debt can be overwhelming.

You can use your own credit card bill as an example if you dont mind sharing the details. Show how long it takes to pay off the balance by only paying the minimum balance each month, versus how much more youd need to pay to clear the balance within a year. That may be enough incentive to get them to avoid credit card debt entirely, and to start an emergency fund soon so that they dont have to use a credit card to pay for expenses that pop up.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Somewhere on your credit card statement”or maybe even on the back of the card”is contact information for a credit card concierge. The service is usually free, and while it isn’t available on all credit cards, many travel rewards cards offer it as a way to have someone do some tasks for you. Requests can be made over the phone or by filling out an online form.

Here are some of the best ways to use a concierge service offered through your credit card:

Sports Tickets
Is that hockey game you want to go to sold out? Is the game in two days and you really want to go? A credit card concierge can check resale markets for you, and should have a number of price ranges for you within a few hours.

Restaurant Reservations
If the OpenTable app or calling a restaurant directly doesn’t get you a dinner reservation at the time you want, try the concierge. They may be able to find availability that you can’t, getting you in to a popular restaurant.

Hotel
If you have a hotel rewards credit card, you may be better off calling the card’s customer service line for help. After all, hotels are their specialty, so they should be able to find you a great room at a great price.

Otherwise, ask the credit card concierge for hotel recommendations. The hotel chain doesn’t have to be tied to your credit card, though that can’t hurt if it allows you to collect more rewards points from the trip. Just tell the concierge your travel dates, price range and location, and see what they can do.

Gifts
If you don’t like to shop for gifts, give your concierge a few ideas on what your friend likes”along with their age”and, chances are, they can find a few gift ideas for birthdays or other events that you may not find on your own. You can direct the concierge to charge them to your credit card, or you can go purchase them yourself online.

If you’re pressed for time and don’t mind that you won’t be comparison-shopping yourself, a credit card concierge can be one of the best free services on your credit card.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Here are five features that millennials look for when purchasing a home.

Privacy

Whether its a gated community, a building with security, or a backyard enveloped by trees, privacy is important.

Eco-friendly

By investing in sustainability, youre increasing the value of your home.

Smart Tech

Millennials see smart home technology as a way to save time while also delivering extra peace of mind.

Proximity to Nature

Whether theyre in the city or the suburbs, communities with walking, hiking and biking trails will speak to millennials.

Home Office

Having an office or designated workspace is conducive to their lifestyle, which mixes work and play more freely than past generations.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Looking to add some of your own personal chicness to your bathroom? Below are a few ways you can add a little oomph to your powder room.

Climbing plants. Climbing vines indoors can add a jungly, naturalistic element to your space. Some of the coolest vines for interiors are ivy, heartleaf philodendron, jasmine and betel leaf plant.

Art. Don’t be afraid to add some unique art to your bathroom! A cool painting or sculpture can make a great focus piece.

Lighting options. From an interesting lighting fixture to a colored bulb or recessed lighting beneath, don’t be afraid to get funky with your lights.

Mirroring. Add an expressive picture frame to the edge of your vanity mirror, or create an entire mirrored wall to open up the space and add light.

Playful patterns. If you’re a fan of patterns, consider placing a bold pattern on your ceiling, floor or on one wall to make the space more interesting.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Haggling may not be one of the funnest things youll do on any given day, but if youre anywhere near good at it, you can save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.

For people who dont want to haggle in person or dont want to send emails back and forth, the simplest option is calling on the phone. This can be done to reduce your costs for phone, cable TV, Internet service or other monthly bills, and for big-ticket purchases such as a car or household appliance.

Here are some tips for haggling over the phone:

Research
If youre looking for a better price on your cable TV package, for example, look online for deals your cable provider and other companies are offering new customers, and ask for the same deal. The more information you have, the better prepared youll be to haggle by suggesting youll go to a competitor that has a better price.

Know who to call
Most businesses have customer service phone numbers. If you get lost in a phone tree, press the number 0, which should usually connect you directly to an operator. Ask for a customer service representative. If that person isnt much help within a few minutes, ask to be transferred to their supervisor or a customer retention specialist who can usually offer the bigger discounts that you want.

Dont argue
Dont debate the person on the other end of the line. Being mad will likely cause the other person to lose interest in helping you, so stay calm and on point. Ask for what you want and explain how long youve been a loyal customer and how much longer theyll have you as a customer if they offer the discount.

Use silence
Being silent can give the other person the incentive to fill the space by talking and hopefully offering options. These may include a free add-on service, such as free delivery of a new mattress if youre negotiating the price of a new bed, or they may all of a sudden find a deal on their computer that they didnt offer during the first few minutes of your conversation.

Say goodbye
If the rep or retention specialist didnt offer you the best deal you expected, then thank them for their time and say goodbye and that youll be checking with their competitors. This message that you may soon be dropping their service gives them one last chance to put you on hold and come up with a solution. If they dont, then either go find a better price at another company, or call back a few days later and talk to another customer service representative. The people you talk with later may be willing to help you.

Published with permission from RISMedia.