Garner, N.C. — Extra cash can be hard to come by these days. That is why 5 on Your Side helps people find unclaimed money.

The cash comes from forgotten bank accounts, investments and insurance policies. If the company holding the money can't find the rightful owner, the law says they must turn it over to the state treasurer's Division of Unclaimed Property.

Charles Boykin got a check for $4,057 after 5 on Your Side called him.

“At first, I thought maybe she (Monica Laliberte) had the wrong person. Then ... it all came down with the address they had, and I said, 'That address sounds familiar.' So I got checking into it and, sure enough, it was us,” Boykin said.

Boykin had an insurance policy on which he never had updated the address. He hadn't moved, but his street address was changed about four decades ago. He sent proof of the former address to the state.

“All that must have matched up. I got the check,” Boykin said.

Like a lot of people WRAL finds money for, Boykin was surprised.

“I thought I was more observant of what I was doing, but apparently, I must have been asleep at the wheel,” he said.

Boykin's $4,057 brings the total amount of missing money found by 5 on Your Side to nearly $240,000.

To find out of you have unclaimed cash, call the Division of Unclaimed Property at 919-508-1000.

If you find missing money for yourself, let 5 on Your Side know.