OFFFICE OF ILLINOOIS STAATE TREEASUREER
MMICHAEL W. FRERRICHS
FOR IMMMEDIATE RRELEASE: CCONTACT:
April 1, 22015 PParis Ervin 217.524.55749
Illinois Treasuurer Seeeks to RReunitee Metroo-East
Resideents with Asseets, Weealth
$559.4 millioon waitinng to be claimed by Metroro-East reesidentss
SPRINGGFIELD – TThe Illinois SState Treasurrer’s Office is searching for tens of tthousands off Metro-Eaast residents who have uunclaimed prroperty. Throough the I-CCash programm, the treasurrer’s office saffeguards moore than $2.1 billion in unnclaimed prooperty belonnging to milllions of Illinnois residents. Hundreds oof thousandss of new properties havee been reportted in recentt months, includingg lost bank aaccounts, insurance policcy proceeds, and utility rrefunds. Thoose new repoorts bring thee total availabble to be claaimed by resiidents of Jerrsey, Madisoon, Monroe, and St. Clai r counties to $59,459,2205 from 29 0,977 prope rties as of Jaanuary.
“Whether it is a savinngs account someone st aarted for youu as a child, or U.S. savinngs bonds frrom World WWar II that yoour grandparrents forgot aabout in a saafe deposit box, the propper place for these items is wwith their rigghtful ownerrs.” Starting AApril 5th, naames of 78,8895 individuaals who havee unclaimedd property woorth more thhan $100 or sstock, bonds, mutual funnds, or safe ddeposit box ccontents thatt was reporteed over the ppast six monthhs will be feeatured in neewspapers adds across Illinnois. Those listings reprresent a fracttion of the 14 million propperties reporrted since thhe program bbegan in 1962 that are waaiting to be claimed. All Illinoisaans are encouuraged to vissit illinoistreeasurer.gov tto search forr property annd initiate a claim in as little as threee minutes. OOnce the claiim is filed wwith proof of ownership, individuaals will receiive their propperty in as liittle as three e weeks. Lastt year, the avverage amouunt returned was $1,000..
Hundreds of thousannds of new prroperties aree collected frrom businessses by the Sttate Treasureer’s I-Cash prrogram eachh year, so ressidents are enncouraged too check the SState Treasuurer’s I-Cashh database every six mmonths. For mmore informaation about tthe State Treeasurer’s I-CCash programm, visit illinnoistreasurer.gov or call 2217-785-69998.
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