“1-in-9 Americans have over $20 billion in unclaimed assets. Are you one of them?”

A slew of websites online promise to help you find and claim your unclaimed assets.

For a fee.

And if you’re one of the roughly 1-in-9 Americans with unclaimed assets, you may have a forgotten stash of cash waiting for you.

Unclaimed assets are anything from inactive bank accounts to forgotten pay checks to lost inheritances. Even unused balances on prepaid phone cards and gift certificates can count as unclaimed property.

By law, companies that owe you money, but can’t find you have to turn that cash over to the state.

More examples of unclaimed assets are savings accounts, checking accounts, uncashed checks, telephone/utility deposits, rental security deposits, wages, insurance benefits/policies, safe deposit box contents, mortgage insurance refunds, stocks and dividends, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, trust funds and estate proceeds.

But you needn’t pay a dime to search online for your unclaimed assets.

Free and more accurate alternatives than pay sites Arizona residents can search for unclaimed property at: http://www.azunclaimed.gov

You can also search for unclaimed property state-by-state at: http://www.naupa.org

A friend of mine in New York claimed a little over $1,600 from an insurance policy refund.

Some people find the activity addictive.