Har HaKesef: how to find money you forgot about
Old money and savings can be forgotten after changing jobs, banks, or addresses, yet they may still be registered in your name and waiting to be found. This page explains how to use the free government service Har HaKesef, which assets it can locate, and what to check before withdrawing, consolidating, or transferring any money you discover.
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Many people are surprised to discover that money exists in their name even though they had forgotten all about it: an old Keren Hishtalmut (קרן השתלמות)A medium-term savings product (six years) that benefits from a tax exemption on investment gains up to the applicable contribution limit. from a previous workplace, a Kupat Gemel (קופת גמל) opened years ago, an insurance policy with a savings component, or even an old bank account that still has a positive balance. This is exactly why the Ministry of Finance created Har HaKesef (הר הכסף)—a simple digital tool that lets you check whether money, savings, or dormant accounts exist in your name. The check is simple, completely free, and takes only a few minutes.
One of the biggest obstacles to building wealth is asset leakage—money left behind whenever we change employers, banks, or home addresses. This page explains how Har HaKesef serves as a financial locator, which assets may be hidden there—including old bank accounts and money belonging to deceased relatives—and how to act correctly after finding a dormant account without making costly tax mistakes.
What is Har HaKesef?
Har HaKesef is a secure, free government service operated by the Ministry of Finance. It helps the public locate money and financial accounts registered in their name that have had no activity in recent years.
The platform's main purpose is to bring together, in one place, the list of institutions that hold your money:
- Old provident funds and Kranot Hishtalmut
- Savings policies and Bituach Menahalim (ביטוח מנהלים)A savings product based on an individual contract between the saver and the insurance company, combining a savings component and insurance coverage.
- Inactive bank accounts and deposits
- Life insuranceProvides for payment of a sum of money to beneficiaries in the event of the insured person’s death. policies
What money may be hidden in dormant accounts?
Over the years, a typical life in Israel involves changing jobs and employers, switching insuranceA contract under which an insurance company undertakes to compensate the insured in the event of damage in exchange for a periodic payment. agents, and opening temporary bank accounts. At every such point, it is easy to leave behind financial traces:
- PensionA monthly payment made to a person after retirement from work in order to help maintain their standard of living. and medium-term savings: Employers open Kranot Hishtalmut or Kupot Gemel for employees. After you leave a workplace, physical letters from the managing company may stop arriving—or be sent to an old address—and the savings are forgotten.
- Insurance: Bituach Menahalim and life insurance policies you may not know about.
- Bank accounts from transitional periods: Accounts opened during military service, university studies, or for receiving a salary from a temporary job. They may still hold balances of hundreds or thousands of shekels, together with small deposits that were never closed.
- Money belonging to deceased relatives: This is one of the site's most important services. Legal heirs can run a search to check which financial assets the deceased left behind when there is no organized record of the accounts and policies managed during their lifetime.
How do you use Har HaKesef?
The website search is simple and secure. To begin, have your Israeli identity card ready, including its date of issue, and complete the identification steps.
The home page presents two options:
- Search for pension savingsA general term for long-term savings products (pension fund, managers’ insurance, or provident fund) intended for retirement. and policies, managed by the Ministry of Finance
- Search for bank accounts, managed by the Bank of Israel
The process
- Step 1: Enter the site and identify yourself securely.
- Step 2: Generate the report listing financial institutions.
- Step 3: Contact the institutions on the list directly.
After receiving the findings report, contact each financial institution listed in it and ask:
What is important to clarify?
- Which products exist in my portfolio?
- What is the exact current balance?
- Is the account still active and earning returns?
- Should I consolidate, withdraw, or transfer the balances?
It is worth making this check part of your regular routine and performing it once every two or three years, or immediately after leaving an employer.
Even if you checked in the past, it is worth checking again every few years.
Guide: how do you find old money and accounts with Har HaKesef?
What should you do if you find money?
Most people's first instinct after discovering an old account is to withdraw the money immediately into their current account. That can be an expensive financial mistake. Before making a decision, follow this order:
- Contact the managing institution: Contact the customer service team of the company listed in the report, identify yourself, and ask for an up-to-date balance report showing the amount, investment track, and management fees.
- Check the tax status: Products such as old Kranot Hishtalmut that have accumulated six years of seniority or more enjoy a complete exemption from real capital gains tax, which is 25% as of 2026. Withdrawing them means permanently giving up a powerful tax shelter.
- Consider consolidating accounts: Instead of withdrawing and spending the money, it may be better to transfer it to your active Kupat Gemel or Keren Pensia (קרן פנסיה). This concentrates your assets and may let you negotiate more effectively for lower management fees.
Important things to keep in mind
The bottom line
Har HaKesef is a reliable, free government search engine that maps where your dormant financial assets, or those of your relatives, are held. A simple check can help you recover forgotten savings and put them back on a path of growth.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to pay private companies that offer to locate lost money for me?
No. Many companies and agencies advertise online and offer a comprehensive money search in exchange for an upfront fee or a percentage of the amount found. The Ministry of Finance's system is open, simple, and completely free for every citizen. There is no reason to pay a business for a task that takes you exactly three minutes at the computer.
Is every product listed in the report necessarily new money I did not know about?
No. The system may show pension funds or Kupot Gemel that you know well, simply because its definition of an inactive account is based on no new money having been deposited in recent months. Do not build up expectations before asking the company exactly which product was found.
Can the bank charge me fees for all those years if I find an old bank account?
It depends. For inactive or dormant accounts, Bank of Israel regulations limit the bank's ability to charge ordinary management fees after a certain period. However, if the account remained overdrawn or had active standing orders, debts or interest may have accumulated. Contact the bank promptly to clarify the account's status and close it officially.
Can I see how much money there is?
No. You generally see which financial institution holds a product, and then need to contact it.
How often should I check?
Once every few years, or after significant changes such as changing jobs.
Can I check for money belonging to a deceased relative?
Yes. In some cases and subject to the applicable rules, legal heirs can submit the required documents on the website and run a dedicated search for the deceased person's assets.
In summary
Before looking for new and complex investment solutions to increase your wealth, the smartest consumer step is to make sure that no shekel belonging to you has been left behind. Har HaKesef is an excellent starting point for periodic financial housekeeping. A short check every few years helps ensure that your assets are consolidated, managed, and working solely for you.