The Takeaway
Banks and credit unions take note of accounts that show no transactions for a long period of time. The dormant account process starts with one year of no activity. After three to five years, depending on your state, ends with your money being turned over to the state.
If you ignore your savings bank account and let it become dormant, you'll face limitations. You won't be able to write checks, renew your ATM/debit card, change your address on file, or perform any transactions through ATM, internet banking , or phone banking.
We take part in the Dormant Accounts Scheme, established under the Dormant Bank and Building Societies Act 2008. If your account is in credit and has been dormant for 15 years or more, we may transfer the balance to Reclaim Fund Limited (RFL).
The Savings Account becomes Inactive or Dormant
For instance, if you haven't carried out any transaction through your Savings Account for more than a year, then it is classified as "Inactive." Similarly, if you do not transact using your Savings Account for more than 24 months, it is classified as a Dormant Account.
Bank accounts become inoperative (or dormant), if they remain unused over a period of time. As per RBI guidelines, a savings/current account will be inoperative if there are no transactions in the account for over a period of two years.
When an account becomes dormant, it remains open but inactive, and the account holder cannot use certain features like online banking or ATM withdrawals. Banks may have policies to handle dormant accounts, such as charging fees, restricting access, or transferring funds to a separate account.
Yes. Generally, banks may close accounts, for any reason and without notice. Some reasons could include inactivity or low usage. Review your deposit account agreement for policies specific to your bank and your account.
The simplest answer is Yes! You should close a dormant account! Not only do you lose access to funds in the account and open yourself up to fraud, but monthly fees can nibble away at the account's balance.
If you know where the account was held, contact the bank or provider directly. If not, there are free services you can use. These use your details to track down any missing accounts on your behalf. If an account is found, you'll normally need ID to reclaim the money and any interest due.
Once submitted, the bank will inform you via SMS and email that your account is active again based on the KYC documents provided. There are no fees for reactivating dormant accounts, and banks cannot impose penalties for not maintaining minimum balances in such accounts.
While a dormant account does not directly affect your credit score, the ancillary effects of not addressing one can be significant. Closing credit card accounts can alter your credit utilization ratio, an important factor in scoring models.
Your bank might close your account if it consistently remains negative. If you find yourself in this position, do what you can to get your account into good standing by depositing money to cover the negative balance right away.
Risks involved with dormant accounts
A dormant account's biggest weakness is the age of its password, and because credential reuse (specifically passwords) is a widespread issue, cybercriminals look for these signs to attack. Password reuse is the number one enabler of breaches.
After an account has been designated as dormant, you are not permitted to log onto it, make payments, transfer money, or withdraw money. However, dormant accounts can still earn interest on their balances, which must be reported as income on tax returns.
Often, if a financial institution receives a request for transfer and doesn't have an account with a matching account number, or the account has been closed, the transfer will be declined. No money will be exchanged. The funds will remain with the sender.
An account is considered dormant when it's been inactive for 15 years or more. Under the scheme, we may transfer balances of dormant accounts to Reclaim Fund Ltd (RFL). RFL is a not-for-profit reclaim fund that's authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No 536551).
What happens to the money in a bank account if closed? If your bank account is closed with a balance remaining, the bank will issue a refund, typically by mailing you a check.
Financial institutions are required by state laws to transfer property (e.g. money) held by inactive accounts, typically to your state's treasury department, if the account has been inactive for a certain period of time.
State law can dictate when a bank account is considered to be dormant and what happens to the money in it. A typical time frame is three to five years, though again, the rules can depend on where you live.
If a bank receives a transfer or direct deposit to a closed account, it may reject the transaction outright. Depending on how quickly this happens, the money may never leave the sender's account, or it may get returned several days later.
Generally, an abandoned account is one for which there has been no customer-initiated activity or contact for a period of three to five years. States' abandoned-property programs require banks to turn over the funds of such bank accounts to the custody of the state treasurer.
A dormant account with a very small balance may simply evaporate, reaching a zero balance due to monthly bank fees that exceed any interest paid. If not, the balance is turned over to the state, which will return it to the rightful owner upon request.
While the exact timeframes and policies can vary among financial institutions, generally, an account is considered inactive after 12 to 24 months of inactivity, while dormancy typically sets in after a longer period, often exceeding two to five years.
A company is called 'dormant' by Companies House if it has had no 'significant accounting transactions' during the accounting period. A significant accounting transaction is one which the company should enter in its accounting records. Significant transactions don't include: filing fees paid to Companies House.