<prompt> Human: Personally I dont have any dependents, and I dont have any beneficiaries set up on any of my accounts. Would my immediate family have to claim access and apply to get the money, or would the US government automatically hand everything off to them? Could the various financial institutions claim the money as theirs and just swallow it?  <response>: In the US, specific rules vary from state to state. You probably want to read up on estates and probate to begin to get an understanding. If you have significant assets, you should probably establish a Will and perhaps a Trust 