Forgotten Shares, Dividends and Insurance: Australia’s Hidden $3.8 Billion
Millions of Australians hold forgotten shares, unclaimed dividends and dormant insurance
policies — part of the $3.8 billion sitting in the ASIC register.
Search your name for free in under 2 minutes — no account or registration needed.
Choose an option below:
🔒 Safe browsing: clicking these buttons keeps you on this website.
Forgotten Shares, Dividends and Insurance: Could Any of the $3.8 Billion Be Yours?
Most Australians know about unclaimed bank accounts — but the ASIC register holds much more than forgotten savings. Share holdings transferred after three years of no shareholder contact, years of unclaimed dividend payments, and life insurance proceeds that insurers could not pay out all sit in the same free searchable database. Millions of people have never checked.
How investment assets end up in the ASIC register
Share registries are required to transfer holdings to ASIC after just three years of no contact with the registered holder — shorter than the seven-year threshold for bank accounts. Dividends accumulate separately as each unpaid payment is lodged individually. Life insurance proceeds are transferred when an insurer cannot locate the beneficiary after a policy matures or the insured person dies. The money is preserved in full, indefinitely, and the original nominal value is always returned to the rightful owner — no fees, no deductions.
The privatisation generation
Australians who applied for shares in the major privatisations of the 1990s — Commonwealth Bank (1991), Qantas (1995), Telstra (1997), AMP (1998) — and then lost track of their holdings are significantly overrepresented in the ASIC register. Many of these shareholders changed addresses, changed surnames through marriage or divorce, and simply stopped receiving shareholder mail. The shares, and any dividends that accumulated before transfer, are still there.
Avoid paid tracing services
A number of private firms advertise share and dividend recovery services for a fee or commission. There is no reason to pay. ASIC’s MoneySmart search covers shares, dividends and insurance proceeds in the same free database. Always search the official register yourself before engaging any third party — you may find everything you are owed in under two minutes at no cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does the ASIC database cover shares, not just bank accounts?
Yes. The ASIC MoneySmart register covers unclaimed bank account balances, share holdings, unpaid dividends, term deposits and life insurance proceeds — all in a single free search. No registration required.
2. I held Telstra or Commonwealth Bank shares in the 1990s — could they be in the register?
Quite possibly. Share holdings from the major privatisations of the 1990s are among the most common entries in the ASIC unclaimed register. Search your name — including any surname you used at that time — to check.
3. How long does it take to receive payment after claiming?
ASIC aims to process straightforward online claims within 28 days of receiving all required documentation. Claims involving name discrepancies or deceased estates typically take longer. There is no deadline — ASIC holds money indefinitely.