Don’t Leave Money on the Table

With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping Hollywood productions shut down and the overall economy at a standstill for the foreseeable future, members are searching for new revenue streams. In some cases, that search could lead members to money that was owed to them that they didn’t know about.

For instance, the California State Controller’s Office has a handy unclaimed property database containing information reported annually by corporations, businesses, associations, financial institutions and insurance companies. Visit the state controller’s website to see if you have money coming to you. The Motion Picture & Television Fund recently uncovered $24,025 it was owed. For members who’ve worked on the East Coast, New York’s State Comptroller’s website has a similar search function. Visit unclaimed.org for links to your state’s website. Also, be sure to check the union’s unclaimed residuals tracker, which catalogues funds that could go to a member, a beneficiary or a loan-out company owner.

And, for recording artists, there’s the possibility that the union is holding unclaimed foreign royalties because it cannot contact you. The SAG-AFTRA website has a similar search function for these funds. Over the last year, the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund has distributed $62 million in royalties to non-featured musicians and vocalists — the largest distribution in its history — but there’s still more money to be claimed. Musicians and vocalists should check to see if they may be owed money.

For child performers or former child performers, there’s another search option. The Actors Fund maintains a database for unclaimed Coogan account funds. If you were or are a young performer who worked in California after 2000, you may have unclaimed wages held in trust through the Coogan Law. Go to the Fund’s website to find out. Why wait?

This item originally featured in the SAG-AFTRA magazine spring 2020 issue.