When looking to earn more money, it’s worth first focusing on the money that you’re already legally owed. There could be a voluntary or mandatory sum of money that you’re entitled to that you haven’t received yet. Below are just some of the instances where many of us are owed money without realizing.
Wages Readjustments
It’s easy to tell if you’re getting underpaid if you’re getting paid a salary. If you’re getting paid hourly pay and your hours change each week, you’re more likely to overlook an underpayment. By counting up your hours manually each week, you can calculate how much you are owed and you can then make sure this matches the wage you’re getting. If you’re working a minimum wage job, make sure that you are indeed being paid minimum wage or more. It’s also important to understand which company benefits you are legally entitled to in your state, as well as which benefits you are legally entitled to in your contract (if you’re promised a certain amount of sick pay, make sure you’re getting this when you’re sick).
Benefits
This is less finding money but rather finding things that can save you money such as subsidies and discounts on food, electricity, even upgrading your appliances or choosing to carpool.
You may be entitled to federal or state benefits that you are currently not receiving. This includes social security, disability benefits, welfare benefits, retirement benefits and help with utility bills. You can research federal and state benefits online. You can also find handy tools online such as this disability calculator that can tell you exactly how much you should be getting. Most benefits are not handed to you unless you apply for them, so make sure you have tried applying.
Grants
There are a number of grants provided by the government, individual states and charities that some people may be eligible for without realizing. This includes grants to help with disaster recovery, disability home improvements, starting a business and even making eco-friendly home upgrades like installing solar panels. Make sure that you’re not missing out on this free money by regularly looking into grants. You can find sites dedicated to listing grants.
Overpayments
Have you been paying too much tax? Or perhaps you’ve overpaid a bill? It’s important that you make a formal request to get this money back if you believe you’ve made an overpayment. Some people don’t realize that they’re in the wrong tax bracket or that they’re being incorrectly billed - doing your online research could help to clear things up. There are lawyers who may be able to help you retrieve money that has been overpaid if a company or institution is refusing to pay the money back.
Class Action Lawsuit Compensation
There may be times when you’re legally owed some form of compensation. The most obvious example is insurance. If your insurance policy states that you are obliged to receive compensation under certain circumstances, it’s important that you claim this compensation. Legal compensation is also an option in many situations. Some people are quick to sue others when they are wronged, while others never consider filing a lawsuit even in obvious situations where they have been mistreated. Make sure that you’re not the latter person - talk to a lawyer if you think you have a case.
Unclaimed Funds
Unclaimed funds refer to money or assets that have been left dormant or forgotten, often due to oversight, changes in address, or the death of the account holder. To find unclaimed funds, individuals can start by checking with national or state government websites that maintain databases of unclaimed assets. In the U.S., the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) provides a directory that directs users to their respective state's unclaimed property website at www.unclaimed.org. Additionally, individuals can check with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for unclaimed tax refunds at www.irs.gov or with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for unclaimed bank funds at www.fdic.gov. It's essential to regularly review and update personal records to avoid assets becoming unclaimed in the first place.
