How to Look Up Old Bank Account Numbers
KATHRYN HATTER
TECH
If you uncover information about an old bank account, you might have a mystery on your hands. Finding more details about the account can help you learn about the possibility of abandoned assets that the account owner left in the bank account. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation keeps information about insured banks, which might help you research the old bank account and locate the information you want.
Search the FDIC database of insured banks to find the bank that housed the bank account in question. Search the Institution Directory, including both open and closed institutions in your search. When you find the bank, click on the certificate number within the database to view the bank’s history, including mergers.
Contact the bank directly using information found in the FDIC database, if it’s still in operation. Provide the full name of the account holder(s), the address associated with the account and a rough estimate of the time period during which the account was active.
Look for information about an acquiring institution if the bank is no longer in operation. The FDIC database should list this information, along with the other details about the bank’s history and closure. If you find an acquiring institution, contact this bank to see whether you can get information about the old bank account number. Give the acquiring institution information about the bank account, including full name of the account holder(s), the address associated with the account and the approximate time period during which the account was active.
Check through personal records if you can’t find the account number by contacting banks. You might find old bank statements filed away in a file cabinet or a used bankbook hiding in a shoebox in the closet.
- Visit the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators website to search for assets associated with an old bank account. (see Resources) Click on your state, and you will be transferred to the state’s website, which should have information about searching for missing assets. To complete the search, include information such as last name, first name and city where the bank is or was located. The website should return information about any unclaimed property that you might be able to claim.
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