🪖 It’s Memorial Day, friend. Join me as we honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. If you have a vet in your life, I included a special link below to get copies of their military awards, medals and records. My father’s awards hang proudly in my office. 🎖️

🖊️ A quick, important note: To make sure you never miss an issue, drag my emails to the “Primary” tab in Gmail, or click the little flag or star to mark them as important in just about any email provider. Help here if you need it!

Today’s top story came from the “Let's get you all your money!” part of my brain. Hope you enjoy it and find it useful in your life. — Kim

A few years ago, I helped a listener of my show get a check for $30,000. He had no idea about something called “unclaimed money.”

You’re entitled to any of your or a deceased relative’s old bank accounts, safe deposit box contents, uncashed checks, insurance policies, CDs, trust funds, utility deposits, stocks and bonds, wages, and escrow accounts. There’s a lot to check, I know!

Don’t hire a sketchy service or spend money. You can easily do it yourself. Think of it like a free, personal treasure hunt.

💰 If you’ve looked before, this is my annual reminder for you to check. New lost money can pop up, even if you’ve done these searches in the past.

Money, money, money

Skip Google — there are way too many scammers on searches like this.

Find the link for your state’s treasury website at the National Association of Unclaimed Property website. Scroll to select your state or province. Follow the instructions, enter your information, and let the database do the rest. Be sure to check MissingMoney.com, too.

💡 Pro tip: If you have a frequently misspelled name or name variations, search for each misspelling on the unclaimed funds’ sites. Include any former names and nicknames, too, just in case.

Retirement funds, bank accounts and investments

• Retirement: The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits is the spot for money held from prior employers.
• Banks and investments: The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) offers a specialized search to see if money in your name was left in failed financial institutions.
• Credit unions: Search for the money left in credit unions with the National Credit Union Administration.
• Bonds: At TreasuryHunt.gov, look for any matured savings bonds that have stopped paying interest.
• Refunds: Missing last year’s tax refund? The IRS might owe you money. Every year, the IRS reports millions in unclaimed tax refunds. File a claim to get yours here.

Be sure to check for VA life insurance benefits, too — it is Memorial Day, after all. Search for your or your veteran’s last name on VA.gov.

Pro tip: Set a reminder to perform these searches on an anniversary, your birthday or another date you’ll remember each year. You never know what money you’ll find! And if you do find any money, let me know!

It’s Memorial Day, and that means Amazon’s running a ton of deals! Here are some you don’t want to miss:

🔋 Charge it

• For batteries, Anker’s a top-of-the-line brand. This magnetic iPhone battery pack has a functional kickstand, too! Get it for 50% off now.
• If you’re looking for a portable power station for your home, RV or camping, this EF ECOFLOW solar generator with a 220-watt solar panel, battery and fast charging is $879 — $770 off!

🍎 Apple

• If you don’t have some yet (or you need a few to throw in your bags), save $20 on a four-pack of Apple AirTag trackers ($80).
• Want to track your steps and heart health, along with fall alerts? The Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatch with GPS and cellular capabilities is $329 after a $170 discount.

🏠 Around the house

• “Computer, clean my kitchen.” The Shark voice-controlled robot vacuum cleaner is $350 ($250 off).
• Tiki drinks, anyone? Take your cocktails to the next level with the Gevi countertop nugget ice maker for $380 (a total of $120 off when you check the coupon box!).
• Because you’ll use it, why not grab a 30-pack of Amazon Basics toilet paper while it’s just $24 ($4 off)?

📖 Beach reads

• Popular e‑books are up to 94% off this weekend in the Kindle Store.
• Prefer audiobooks? Amazon has Audible books for up to 83% off right now. Load up while they’re on sale!
• For the kiddos, score the Amazon Fire 7 Kids tablet for $70 ($40 off)!

📱 Other gadgets

• Raycon* is offering 20% off their Bluetooth headphones for Komando readers! Use promo code COLORFUL on any item on their site to cash in.
• Get a reliable Samsung Galaxy phone for $800 ($200 off).
• Bump some tunes by the pool with the Anker Soundcore waterproof speaker. Right now, it’s just $19.99 (save $10).
• Canon’s PIXMA all-in-one printer, copier and scanner is $69 this weekend — a $60.99 discount. Bonus: It works with Amazon Alexa!
• Chat with the fam on an Amazon Echo Show smart display, now $55 off.

And just for fun: The Holy Stone GPS drone with a 4K camera and remote control is $144.49 — save $85.50!

🤫 Want to browse more deals? Here’s the secret link on Amazon for all the Memorial Day sales.

Hotel booking scam: If you’re planning a trip, scammers are buying up Google search results with legit-looking hotel and travel sites. They’ll take your info and leave you nothing but a hefty credit card bill. Double-check URLs for typos, and don't trust a site just because it popped up first in your search results. Chances are, it’s a sponsored ad.

🇺🇸 Patriot Mobile’s big breach: The self-proclaimed “Christian conservative wireless provider” exposed its cellphone customers’ info, including full names, email addresses, ZIP codes and account PINs. Hard to ignore the timing on this one … If you’re a subscriber, update your login info ASAP.

Let the gun times roll: Google’s former CEO, Eric Schmidt, says AI systems eventually will be so smart that we’ll have to guard them with “machine guns on military bases” to keep them out of enemy hands. How far in the future does he think this will happen? About five years. Cool … cool, cool, cool.

Ear-replaceable: New AI noise-canceling headphones will let you listen to a single person’s voice in a crowd just by looking at the individual once. The wearer can then walk around as usual while tuning in to the person’s conversation. The headphones are still in development, but I can only imagine how they’ll use them in covert ops. I really just want them for group dinners ...

🔥 That’s a big bang: A SpaceX Raptor rocket engine exploded during a test at its Texas facility last week, and boy, was it a doozy. (Seriously, check out this video.) Elon Musk planned to use the engine in a test flight of the Starship reusable rocket in just a few days. I have a feeling they’re gonna miss that deadline.

📮 Stick with me, and we’ll go places: The prices for U.S. first-class postage stamps are going up to $0.73 in July, and lots of fake postage stamp sites and social media ads are popping up. PSA: There’s no such thing as half-price stamps. It’s a scam.

It’s not a regular bag: It’s a cool bag with a lock that could save you from your phone addiction. Schools and concert venues are shelling out thousands for these Yondr pouches to keep people off their phones. You could also just get a lockbox for $17. I know, I know … I’m a genius.

👉 I want to help you: Whether it’s a question about your business, your parents, your kids or your life, I’m your trusted friend indeed. Drop me your questions here, and know I read every single one myself. I look forward to hearing from you!

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Get your loved one’s military honors: My dad served during the Korean War. I requested copies of his medals and service records, and I’m so glad I did. The National Archives website lets you easily request a family member’s service records and medals. Here’s how.

DIY on the cheap: Some local libraries rent out power tools. Who knew? If you’re planning a summer project, it's worth stopping by your nearest branch to ask.

Stop leaving it up to chance: Today’s hackers have more tricks at their disposal than ever to fool even the savviest person. Protect your devices with a solid antivirus solution. It’s def worth $19 a year — trust me.

Sorry I missed your call: Voicemails can hog a surprising amount of space on your phone. Delete any you don’t care about. If you have voicemails you can't bear to delete, like from loved ones, save them.

Say a prayer and a quiet thank you today.

Phew, that was a packed newsletter. If you’re looking for movies to watch this Memorial Day, here are my top three picks: “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Saving Private Ryan,” and “Unbroken.” Here’s the secret link again to Amazon’s big Memorial Day sale.

One final tech tip: I’m feelin’ the keyboard shortcuts lately. Here’s a faster way to navigate when you have lots of tabs open. In Windows, hit Ctrl + 1 (or 2 or 3 and so on) to go to that tab number. On Mac, it’s Cmd + [number]. To cycle through your open tabs, hit Ctrl + Tab (Windows) or Cmd + Tab (Mac).

And one more for the road: Which keystroke combination beat all the rest in the shortcut contest? Win + R! (You can steal that one from me.)

🤓 If you learned something new or laughed, forward this email to a friend. It helps us grow and means more than you realize. See ya tomorrow with a fun (and highly requested) tip: Reddit for beginners. — Kim