By Grant MercerLast updated Oct. 7, 2026Image: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
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A furnace that quits, a dental crown, a car repair. On a fixed income, a $1,000 surprise can knock the whole month sideways, and taking a part-time job isn’t realistic for a lot of retirees.
The good news is that most retirees have more ways to cover the gap than they realize. Some put cash in your hands in days. Others cut a bill so the same gap doesn’t open up again next month.
Here are 21 ways to raise the money, starting with cash that may already be yours:
Unclaimed Money: Claim cash that's already in your name
Start here, because this money is already yours. Old bank accounts, utility deposits, insurance refunds and uncashed checks get turned over to the state when the owner can’t be found, and retirees, with decades of moves behind them, tend to have the most waiting.
To actually get it paid, RetireShield’s Settlement & Refund Recovery System gives you a tracker pre-filled with all 51 state unclaimed property offices, a filing walkthrough, and how to read a settlement notice’s real deadline.
Get the Settlement & Refund Recovery System
State unclaimed property offices returned $4.25 billion to owners in a single year, from forgotten bank accounts, deposits, refunds and uncashed checks.
Class-Action Settlements: Let an app file the claims for you
New class-action settlements open every week, and most people covered by them never file. MoneyPilot lists open settlements, shows which ones may match you, files the claims for you and tracks the payouts.
It’s a paid subscription, so it makes sense if you expect to file several claims a year and don’t want to hunt for them yourself.
See which open settlements MoneyPilot finds for you
Missed Tax Refunds: Get back tax withheld from your pension or IRA
If you stopped filing taxes when your income dropped, but federal tax was still withheld from a pension or IRA withdrawal, you may have a refund sitting with the IRS. You have three years to claim it. After that, it’s gone.
RetireShield’s IRS Refund Recovery Kit walks through claiming a missed refund, tracing one that never arrived, and reading the IRS notices along the way.
Get the IRS Refund Recovery Kit
Old 401(k)s: Find retirement money you left at a former job
If you worked several jobs, there’s a good chance a small 401(k) or pension is still sitting at one of them, sometimes moved into an IRA at a company you’ve never heard of.
An advisor can help you track down old accounts, roll them into one place and work out how to draw from them without a surprise tax bill. WiserAdvisor matches you with financial advisors in your area at no cost to you.
Ask any advisor exactly how they’re paid.
Get matched with a financial advisor through WiserAdvisor
Online Shopping: Earn cash back on what you already buy
Rakuten pays you a percentage back when you shop at thousands of stores through its site or browser extension. The cash builds up and gets paid out by check or PayPal on a regular schedule.
It won’t cover $1,000 this week, but it chips away at the next gap on purchases you’d make anyway.
Join Rakuten and start earning cash back
Emergency Loans: Compare personal loan rates before you borrow
When a $1,000 bill can’t wait, a personal loan from a reputable lender costs far less than a payday loan, a pawn shop or a cash advance on a credit card.
Credible shows prequalified personal loan rates from multiple lenders in one place, and checking your rates uses a soft credit check that won’t affect your score. Funds from many lenders can arrive within a few business days.
Only borrow what you need, and make sure the monthly payment fits your budget before you sign.
Compare personal loan rates with Credible
Walk away from any lender that wants a fee before you get the money. Legitimate lenders take fees out of the loan or add them to it, never upfront.
Home Insurance: Lower a bill that keeps climbing
Homeowners insurance prices have climbed sharply in many states, and renewal notices rarely explain why. Shopping your policy is one of the fastest ways to free up money every month.
A higher deductible, a newer roof on file or bundling with your car insurance can bring the premium down. SmartFinancial gathers quotes from several insurers at once.
Compare the same dwelling coverage, and check whether each policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value after a claim.
Compare homeowners insurance quotes
Credit Card Debt: When minimum payments take up the monthly budget
If money comes up short each month, card payments may be part of the reason. At an average of 22% interest, a $10,000 balance costs about $185 a month in interest alone.
CuraDebt connects consumers with independent debt relief providers. If you have $15,000 or more in unsecured debt, such as credit cards, medical bills or personal loans, a free evaluation shows the options that may be available before you decide anything. Debt amount is one factor and does not determine qualification.
Here's how it works:
- Answer a few questions about what you owe.
- A specialist reviews your balances and explains the options that may be available.
- If a program fits, you see the estimated cost and timeline before you decide.
Advertisement. CuraDebt connects consumers with independent debt relief providers. Results not guaranteed. Debt amount is only one factor and does not determine qualification. Not all consumers qualify, and not all debts are eligible. Creditors are not required to agree to settlements. Debt relief services may adversely affect your creditworthiness. Typical program duration is 24 to 48 months. This site may be compensated for referrals to CuraDebt.
Debt Consolidation: Swap several payments for one lower one
If your credit is in decent shape, a consolidation loan can pay off every card at once and leave you with one fixed payment at a lower rate, which often frees up money every single month.
LendingTree lets you compare personal loan offers from multiple lenders at once, and checking rates won’t affect your credit score.
Compare debt consolidation loan rates on LendingTree
Car Insurance: Lower a bill you pay every month
Retirees often drive far fewer miles than they did while working, but their insurance rate never caught up. Low mileage, a clean record and a mature-driver course can all bring the premium down.
EverQuote compares quotes from several insurers at once so you can see what the same coverage costs elsewhere.
Here’s how it works:
- Enter your ZIP code and a few details about your car and driving.
- See quotes from multiple insurers side by side.
- Switch only if the same coverage costs less, or keep the policy you have.
Compare car insurance quotes with EverQuote
Home Equity: Get cash from your house with no monthly payment
If you’re 62 or older and own most of your home, a reverse mortgage can give you a lump sum, monthly payments or a line of credit to draw from when surprises hit, with no monthly mortgage payment.
Mutual of Omaha Reverse Mortgage can show you how much you could access. The loan balance grows over time, you still pay property taxes and insurance, and a counseling session is required first.
Here’s how it works:
- Share your age, ZIP code and a rough estimate of your home’s value.
- A licensed loan officer shows how much you could access and how you’d receive it.
- Complete the required HUD-approved counseling session before anything is final.
Learn how a reverse mortgage works with Mutual of Omaha
Home Equity Without a Loan: Sell a share of your home's future value
Not ready for a reverse mortgage? A home equity investment gives you cash today in exchange for a share of your home’s future value, with no monthly payments and no interest.
Hometap settles up when you sell, refinance or buy them out, within 10 years. If your home rises a lot in value, you give up a meaningful share of that gain, so compare it carefully against other options.
See how much cash Hometap could offer on your home
Structured Settlements: Turn future payments into cash now
If you receive regular payments from a lawsuit settlement, lottery or annuity, companies like JG Wentworth will buy some or all of those future payments for a lump sum today. Most sales need a judge’s approval, which adds a layer of review.
You’ll get less than the total of the payments you sell, so get more than one quote and sell only what you need.
Learn how selling future payments works with JG Wentworth
Fair Credit: See loan offers even if your score isn't great
A lower credit score doesn’t automatically shut you out of a reasonable loan. Many lenders work with fair credit, and the only way to know what you’d be offered is to check.
Monevo sends one short form to dozens of lenders and shows the offers you prequalify for, without affecting your credit score.
Compare the APR and any origination fee, and steer clear of any lender that asks for money upfront.
Compare loan offers with Monevo
Benefits You Never Applied For: Check 11 programs at once
Programs like SSI, SNAP, Medicaid and Extra Help can add hundreds of dollars a month in cash or lower bills, but each one has its own agency and its own form, so most people never check them all.
RetireShield’s Benefits Checklist puts 11 programs on one list with the current income limits and a 50-state phone directory.
See the 11 programs in the Benefits Checklist
Medicare Premiums: Get $200-plus a month back in your check
The Part B premium, more than $200 a month, comes out of most Social Security checks before they’re deposited. A Medicare Savings Program from your state can pay it for you, and when you’re approved, your check goes up by that amount.
Many states set their limits higher than people expect, so it’s worth applying even if you were turned down before.
RetireShield’s Medicare Cost & Coverage Protection Kit has a cost-help pack for every state, so you know exactly which program to apply for and where.
Get the Medicare Cost & Coverage Protection Kit
Tax Debt: Stop the IRS from taking part of your check
If you owe the IRS, penalties and interest grow every month, and the IRS can take part of a Social Security check to collect.
Community Tax works with the IRS on your behalf to set up payment plans, ask for penalty relief or negotiate a settlement where it’s possible.
See if Community Tax can help with your IRS balance
Phone Bill: Cut it with a plan built for retirees
Many retirees are still paying for a family-style phone plan with features they never use. A plan built for older adults can lower a bill you pay every single month.
Lively, the company behind the Jitterbug phone, sells easy-to-use phones and simple plans designed for seniors, with optional urgent response services built in.
See Lively's phones and plans for seniors
Medicare Giveback: See if a plan puts money back in your Social Security check
Some Medicare Advantage plans include a Part B premium reduction, sometimes called a giveback, which lowers the Part B premium taken out of your Social Security check. Availability and amounts vary by plan and ZIP code.
You can switch Medicare plans every fall, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. GoHealth has licensed agents who compare plans from multiple insurers and can tell you whether any plan in your area offers a giveback that also covers your doctors and prescriptions.
It costs nothing to use, because the insurers pay them.
Compare Medicare plans in your area with GoHealth
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Property Taxes: Claim the senior break your county won't apply for you
Most states offer some kind of property tax relief to older homeowners: a homestead exemption, an assessment freeze, a deferral until the home is sold, or an income-based circuit-breaker credit. Several states extend circuit breakers to renters too.
Very few counties apply these automatically, and missing the deadline can cost a full year of savings.
RetireShield’s Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit lays out all five kinds of relief, plus heating and home-repair help, with an application log and renewal calendar.
Get the Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit
Scam Protection: Keep the money once you have it
People who are short on cash get targeted with fake grants, fake refunds and fake loan offers that ask for a fee upfront. Scammers find their targets on data broker and people-search sites.
Incogni sends removal requests to those sites on your behalf and keeps re-sending them. Less of your information on those lists can mean fewer scam calls, texts and emails.
See how Incogni removes your info from data broker lists
You won’t need all 22. The first few, money that’s already yours, are worth checking no matter what. After that, pick the two or three that fit your situation.
Want one money move like this each weekday? The free Retirement Money Brief takes about two minutes to read.
