The Bank of Canada might owe you some unclaimed money — here's how to get it

The Unclaimed Properties Office (UPO) is an organization that provides Canadians with information and tools to access unclaimed properties held by the Bank of Canada. This includes unclaimed bank balances, Canada Savings Bonds, Government of Canada bonds, RSP, and RIF amounts.

Simply go to this website and enter your legal given name (or business name), last name, city, and province you live in. Alternatively, you can also enter your bank account number.

Here’s what that will look like:

UPO

You will then be directed to a list of accounts matching your description. Some might have just under $100 to claim and others might have more than $500.

If you spot your name, you can click on “claim” and complete the checkout process, but you must make sure you have a few things in order to prove the money belongs to you.

To be an eligible claimant, you must be one of the following:

• A living account owner or the authorized representative such as power of attorney, public guardian, and trustee
• An heir or beneficiary to an estate with no will
• An executor, administrator, or liquidator for an estate with a will
• A signing officer for a business or corporation

If you’re requesting the claim on someone else’s behalf — meaning you’re a third-party representative (their lawyer, for example), you have to get authorization from the primary claimant.

“The signed authorization form will need to be included in addition to the required documents in the claim submission,” the UPO states.