Methodology

How recommendations are verified

Every opportunity surfaced by MoneyPotential links to an official or primary source — state unclaimed property portals, federal agency tools, insurer policy documents, or employer plan summaries. We do not invent programs or promise specific dollar amounts.

Source selection

1. Official first. Government (.gov) and regulated institution pages take priority over blogs or aggregators.
2. Jurisdiction match. State-specific rules reference the state where you live or previously lived.
3. Date awareness. Thresholds, deadlines, and program names include verification dates so you know when to re-check.
4. No paid middlemen. We never recommend fee-charging “finder” services when a free official claim path exists.

Audit structure

The questionnaire collects generalized household facts — not account numbers or identity documents. Rules engine triggers map answers to opportunity clusters (unclaimed property, benefits, insurance, recurring costs, etc.). Each action card includes what to verify, where to look, and what documentation to gather.

Human review

Content is authored and reviewed against primary sources. When regulations change, we update rule metadata and publish revised verification dates on affected guides and action cards.

Limitations

MoneyPotential cannot know every account, employer plan, or local program. Completeness depends on your answers and audit depth. See Limitations and Source Policy for more.