In January 2024, the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office made a significant impact by returning nearly $17.2 million in missing money to rightful owners. This sum comprised over $15.7 million in cash and interest, along with more than $1.4 million in stock value. The returned funds benefited 25,434 individuals who successfully claimed their unclaimed property.
Illinois Treasurer Urges Citizens to Reclaim Unclaimed Cash and Property! Explore the Treasure Trove at icash.illinoistreasurer.gov with I-CASH Initiative!
Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs emphasized the positive economic ripple effect of putting money directly back into people’s hands rather than letting it remain dormant in a bank. He encouraged everyone to check the Treasurer’s website at any time, providing a simple and accessible way for individuals to determine if they or someone they know might have unclaimed cash or property awaiting recovery.
Unclaimed property encompasses various items, including rebate checks, uncashed vendor checks, stocks, unpaid life insurance claims, and the contents of safe deposit boxes. When companies and banks are unable to return these items to their rightful owners, the law dictates that the money ends up with the State Treasurer’s Office. I-CASH, one of the state’s oldest consumer protection initiatives, aims to reunite people with their missing money.
Illinois Treasurer Returns $276 Million in 2023! Discover How to Claim Your Share from $5 Billion Treasure at icash.illinoistreasurer.gov
In the previous year alone, the Treasurer’s Office successfully returned nearly $276 million through 314,154 claims. Since assuming office in January 2015, Treasurer Frerichs has been instrumental in returning over $1.9 billion in missing money to its rightful owners.
Approximately one in four people in Illinois may have unclaimed property, and the average claim amounts to $1,000. To check for unclaimed property in Illinois, individuals can visit icash.illinoistreasurer.gov. Since unclaimed property is reported to the treasurer’s office twice a year, it is advisable for individuals to check the database every six months. Currently, Illinois holds an impressive sum of over $5 billion in unclaimed property, waiting to be reclaimed by its rightful owners.