Don’t Accidentally Leave Your Money Behind
The first time I visited Old Comiskey Park, I forgot to bring my shoes.
My family usually went to Cubs games, but they didn’t have lights yet at Wrigley Field. Dad bought White Sox tickets so we could experience a night game.
We left straight from my brother’s early afternoon baseball practice and headed to my aunt and uncle’s house in Bourbonnais. It was a frequent stop to break up the ride and spend time with my mother’s sister, who we didn’t get to see as often as other relatives.
As a kid, I had a lot of energy and didn’t like to wear shoes. As soon as we arrived, I kicked off my shoes and ran around until Dad told me it was time to go. Excited to see my first White Sox and first night game, I flew into our family van.
It wasn’t until we pulled into a parking lot, and Mom told me to put on my shoes, that I realized I had left them at my aunt’s house. My parents weren’t happy.
It was too far to drive back to get them. I think I remember Dad offering to carry me into the ballpark. My brother offered to let me wear his cleats. That was the less embarrassing option.
I don’t have a photo from that game, but I did find a photo of old Comiskey Park and one of me as a kid at Wrigley Field.
My brother’s shoes were way too big, and I clomped awkwardly into the ballpark. I felt like everyone was staring at me. I barely moved from my seat that night, and I missed out on fully experiencing a historic ballpark.
Here’s the thing: We’ve all left something important behind at some point. Maybe for you it wasn’t shoes, but it could have been money.
You don’t need to be embarrassed if you have missing money with us.
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Maybe you were so excited to leave a former job that you ran out without collecting your last paycheck — just like I left without my shoes.
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Maybe a company mailed your rebate to the wrong address.
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Maybe they mailed it to your correct address, but disguised it to look like junk mail and you threw it away.
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Maybe during a move, you didn’t collect a deposit and the utility didn’t have your new address.
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Maybe a relative had money for you in an account you didn’t know about, so you didn’t know to claim it when they died.
No matter the reason, if it’s yours, I want you to have it back.
One-in-four people who visit ourICash website discover we have something for them. The average amount is $1,000. That might be enough to take your family of four to a Bears game, if not to eat or drink once you’re inside.
It might only be $15, but that might be enough money to buy a hot dog at a Bulls game and have enough left to tip the vendor. Either way, it’s your money, you ought to have it. Don’t leave it behind like I did my shoes.
Sincerely,
Michael
P.S. Many ICash claims are easy. But if you’re trying to recover money that belonged to a late relative, it is a little more complex. We have to follow probate law. It is more work than claiming for yourself, but we do want to return it to the rightful heirs.
Honoring Leaders during Hispanic Heritage Month
There are leaders all around us. We recently recognized amazing leaders in our Hispanic community. Take a look. I’m sure you will be impressed as I was by their altruism and community service.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, my office recognized eight inspiring leaders who make Illinois a better place to live, work, and raise a family.
Our awardees were:
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Eduardo Rodriguez, founder and CEO of San Jose Imports, Ltd. and Dulcelandia— Outstanding Service in Business
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Andrea Sáenz, president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust— Outstanding Service in Leadership
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Dulce Ortiz, executive director of Mano a Mano Family Resource Center— Outstanding Commitment to Community Service
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Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills, president of Aurora University— Outstanding Commitment in Education
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Honorable Eva-Dina Delgado, Illinois State Representative for the Third District and House Assistant Majority Leader — Outstanding Commitment as an Elected Official
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Christopher Hernandez, business manager of Chicago Pipefitters Local 597— Outstanding Achievement in Workforce and Labor
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José Antonio González, head coach of South Suburban College Men’s and Women’s Soccer and director of South Suburban Soccer Academy— Outstanding Achievement in Sportsmanship
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Rosario Vargas, co-founder & co-artistic director of Aguijón Theater— Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Humanities
Give Teens a Head Start on Smart Money Habits
Naperville Central High School students Michael Antipov, Rohan Jha, Audrey Cheng, and Rohan Jain were on the championship team from last year’s Illinois Personal Finance Challenge.
Here’s a chance for the teens in your life to gain a better understanding of money. They might teach you a thing or two, like the real cost of goods or how to budget for small and large purchases.
Those are some of the lessons that students will learn as part of the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge (IPFC). Last year, more than 600 teams participated in the challenge, with Naperville Central High School winning the statewide competition and advancing to nationals!
Teachers will receive a full classroom toolkit that includes engaging activities, videos, and lessons to prepare students.
Visit our website to learn more about the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge.
Share with a High School Teacher
Welcome to “The Mailbag,” where I answer your questions about our programs, state government, or anything else you’re curious about.
Q. Are unclaimed safe deposit boxes included in unclaimed property? — Roger S.
A.They are — and they’re some of the most fascinating things that come through our office. When a safe deposit box has been abandoned for years, the bank eventually turns it over to us. And inside, we find all sorts of treasures: coins, jewelry, stamp collections, baseball cards, even boxes of old letters.
Every now and then, we open a box and discover something that really stops us in our tracks — a Purple Heart medal. These medals were often tucked away for safekeeping, but over the years, the box gets forgotten. That’s how they sometimes end up in our care.
When that happens, we don’t just store the medals on a shelf. We launched Operation Purple Heart to find the service members who earned those medals — or their families — and return them. Since I became Treasurer, we’ve proudly reunited 16 Purple Hearts with their rightful owners. I’ll never forget the look on a family’s face when we’re able to hand that medal back.
But there are still more Purple Hearts waiting to find their way home. If you’d like to help, take a look at the Operation Purple Heart website. If you recognize a name, please reach out to that family or to my office — together we can return even more of these medals to the heroes who earned them.
If you’ve got a question for “The Mailbag,” please send me an emailwith the subject line “Mailbag.” I can’t promise we’ll publish every one, but we do read them all — and I enjoy hearing from you.