(Part 1 of 2)

Despite returning a record $26.2 million in Connecticut unclaimed money in 2006, there are still tens of millions of dollars in forgotten funds waiting to be discovered and claimed by the rightful owners - average people who simply abandoned or forgot about these monies for one reason or another.

Recent efforts by the Connecticut State Treasury's "The Big List" program have handed over $110 million back to Connecticut residents in just the past eight years, but more money continued to come in than went out so the mounds of unclaimed property held by the government keep on growing. Due to the fact that new unclaimed cash outpaces the return rate, the odds of finding a claim for any given name are getting better every day.

The majority of people wonder how unclaimed property could be real, because the fact that across the country there are billions of dollars waiting to be discovered by the rightful owners simply boggles the mind. How could these citizens abandon their cash? Are they crazy? No, they're just regular people, and it has been estimated that 7 out of every 10 Americans are owed some type of claim!

So how is all this money being lost without the owners knowing it? In the majority of situations it is as simple as forgetting about a checking or savings account that was not a primary account, or not giving a forwarding address to all the right people when a person relocates. Further, the State Treasury's site lists the following as common kinds of lost assets in Connecticut: uncashed checks, deposits, stocks, bonds or mutual fund shares, travelers' checks or money orders, life insurance policies, and safe deposit box contents.

(to be continued)

-

Do you have unclaimed money? - WPTV

Do you have unclaimed money? WPTV, FL - Nov 24, 2008 If you’re from another state, Sink says Florida’s website can even link you to other states’ websites in case you have forgotten unclaimed cash sitting in …

Website Helps Police Auction Unclaimed Property - WCCO

Website Helps Police Auction Unclaimed Property WCCO, MN - Dec 5, 2008 "And when it can help me in my job and save some money, it's a win-win for me," he added. Most people wouldn't know what it was, but Hawkins recognized a …

Virginia May Owe You Hundreds of Dollars - WCAV

Virginia May Owe You Hundreds of Dollars WCAV, VA - Dec 3, 2008 One out of seven Virginians has unclaimed property. Charlottesville's Treasurer and City Council invited the state unclaimed property outreach team to City …

(Part 2 of 2)

So how is all this cash being lost without the owners knowing it? In the majority of cases it is as simple as forgetting about a checking or savings account that wasn't a main account, or not giving a forwarding address to all the necessary people when a person relocates. Further, the State Treasurer's website lists the following as common kinds of lost assets in CT: safe deposit box contents, stocks, life insurance policies, travelers' checks or money orders, deposits, uncashed checks, and bonds or mutual fund shares.

As these different kinds of accounts lay untouched past their dormancy periods (unique for each account type in each state), they are turned over to the state to be held until the rightful owner comes forward to claim them. So if the dormancy period on a particular account doesn't run out for another few years, a person searching today will find no record of their missing money, despite the fact that it is out there in pre-escheat, meaning the dormancy period has not yet expired. Further, states have no uniform law mandating when the records are actually added to their databases so a person could theoretically search and not find anything, while the record could be added the following day, week, month or year. The only way to be thorough about your search is to search frequently.

On top of limiting themselves to one search, inexperienced searchers often search only the state they reside in, not knowing that there is the potential for unclaimed funds owed to them in states they've never lived in or even been to, for a variety of reasons such as insurance company headquarters or employers' corporate headquarters.

The issues noted above, and many others, can be avoided once people become educated on proper search strategies. Seeking the advice and guidance of experienced unclaimed asset finders often makes the difference in whether or not someone with limited knowledge in these matters finds all money belonging to them or not.

-

State Treasurer has millions of dollars in unclaimed property - Wausau Daily Herald

State Treasurer has millions of dollars in unclaimed property Wausau Daily Herald, WI - 6 hours ago Under Wisconsin law, after one to five years of inactivity, Wisconsin businesses are required to turn all unclaimed money, stock and safe deposit boxes to …

Bingo powerball worth $1000 remains unclaimed - Casa Grande Valley Newspapers

Bingo powerball worth $1000 remains unclaimed Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, AZ - 7 hours ago Again, that is a lot of money to a single winner and could certainly make anyone's Christmas a lot brighter. I am sure you would all agree. …

Come Get Your Money — $266 Million Worth - ABC News

Come Get Your Money — $266 Million Worth ABC News - Nov 25, 2008 "We want people to get reunited with their money," joked IRS spokesperson Eric Smith. The unclaimed money goes back into the Treasury until its recipients …

(Part 1 of 2)

Despite giving back a record 26.2 million dollars in Connecticut unclaimed money in the year 2006, there are still tens of millions of dollars in missing money waiting to be found and claimed by the true owners - average citizens who simply abandoned or forgot about these monies for one reason or another.

Recent efforts by the CT State Treasurer's "The Big List" program have given back 100 million dollars back to CT residents in only the last 8 years, but more money continued to come in than went out so the mounds of unclaimed funds held by the gov. continue to grow. Due to the fact that new unclaimed cash outpaces the return rate, the odds of finding a property for any given name are getting better all the time.

The majority of people wonder how unclaimed funds could be real, because the fact that across the nation there are billions of dollars waiting to be claimed by the rightful owners simply seems impossible. Why would these people abandon their money? Are they crazy? No, they're just regular people, and experts estimate that 7 out of every 10 Americans are due some kind of claim!

(to be continued)

-

Site tackles taxing issues (The New Zealand Herald)
A new website that helps workers check if they are entitled to any unclaimed tax refunds has given back $5 million to Kiwi taxpayers since August. Director of TaxRefunds.co.nz, Geoff Matthews, says his company is returning $100,000 a day into the pockets of New Zealanders.

Missing money found and still unclaimed - WTOC

Missing money found and still unclaimed WTOC, GA - Nov 28, 2008 By Melanie Ruberti - bio | email HARDEEVILLE, SC (WTOC) - A pile of twenties sits unclaimed behind Office Manager Charla Holder's locked door. The money …

IRS has unclaimed money - Liberty Vindicator

KCBS

IRS has unclaimed money Liberty Vindicator, TX - Nov 8, 2008 To view a list of Liberty County residents who have unclaimed money, visit www.thevindicator.com starting Sunday evening. Millions in Tax Refunds, Rebates Unclaimed WalletPop 105 stimulus checks for Racine County residents are unclaimed Journal Times Stimulus checks, refunds still unclaimed: IRS owes more than … TMCnet all 36 news articles

Man's Suspicious Request About Unclaimed Money Prompts Warning - Hartford Courant

Man's Suspicious Request About Unclaimed Money Prompts Warning Hartford Courant, United States - Nov 10, 2008 The reports list names and addresses of people who are owed unclaimed money, and sometimes Social Security numbers. That raises concern about the potential …

Come Get Your Money — $266 Million Worth - ABC News

Come Get Your Money — $266 Million Worth ABC News - Nov 25, 2008 "We want people to get reunited with their money," joked IRS spokesperson Eric Smith. The unclaimed money goes back into the Treasury until its recipients …

(Part 2 of 2)

A lot of people wonder how unclaimed property could be real, because the fact that across the nation there are billions of dollars waiting to be claimed by the rightful owners simply boggles the mind. How could these citizens abandon their money? Are they nuts? No, they're just regular people, and it has been estimated that 7 out of every 10 Americans are due some kind of claim!

So how is all this cash being forgotten without the owners realizing it? In the majority of situations it is as simple as to remembering a checking or savings account that wasn't a primary account, or not leaving a forwarding address to all the necessary people when a person moves. Additionally, the State Treasury's website lists the following as common types of lost money in Connecticut: uncashed checks, deposits, stocks, bonds or mutual fund shares, travelers' checks or money orders, life insurance policies, and safe deposit box contents.

As these various kinds of accounts lay inactive past their dormancy periods (unique for each account type and each state), they are handed over to the state to be held until the rightful owner comes forward to claim them. So if the dormancy period on a particular account does not run out for another year or two, a person searching today will find no record of their abandoned assets, despite the fact that it's out there in pre-escheat, which means that the dormancy period has not expired. Additionally, states do not have a uniform law mandating when the records are actually added to their system so a person could theoretically search and find nothing, while the record is added the following day, week, month or year. The only real way to be thorough about your search is to search frequently.

In addition to holding themselves to a single search, inexperienced searchers often search only the state they reside in, not aware that there is the potential for unclaimed property owed to them in states they've never lived in or even been to, for a variety of reasons such as insurance company headquarters or employers' corporate headquarters.

The issues noted above, among others, can be worked around once people learn about proper search strategies. Using the advice and guidance of experienced unclaimed asset finders often makes the difference in whether or not a person with limited knowledge in this area finds all money owed to them or not.

-

Conn. trims deficit, but won’t seek bottle deposit money (Journal Inquirer)
HARTFORD — The legislature on Monday shaved a modest $72 million off the budget deficit in special session, approving most measures proposed by Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

Come Get Your Money — $266 Million Worth - ABC News

Come Get Your Money — $266 Million Worth ABC News - 14 hours ago "We want people to get reunited with their money," joked IRS spokesperson Eric Smith. The unclaimed money goes back into the Treasury until its recipients … More than $100 million worth of stimulus checks remain unclaimed KARE all 2 news articles

Man's Suspicious Request About Unclaimed Money Prompts Warning - Hartford Courant

Man's Suspicious Request About Unclaimed Money Prompts Warning Hartford Courant, United States - Nov 10, 2008 The reports list names and addresses of people who are owed unclaimed money, and sometimes Social Security numbers. That raises concern about the potential …

(Part 1 of 2)

Despite returning a record 26.2 million dollars in Connecticut unclaimed money in 2006, there are still tens of millions of dollars in abandoned assets waiting to be found and claimed by the true owners - average people who simply abandoned or forgot about these monies for any number of reasons.

Recent efforts by the Connecticut State Treasury's "The Big List" program have given back 100 million dollars back to Connecticut residents in only the last 8 years, but much more money continued to come in than went out so the heaps of unclaimed property held by the gov. continue to grow. Due to the fact that new forgotten funds outpace the return rate, the odds of finding a property for any given name are getting better all the time.

(to be continued)

-

Money: Lost And Found - CBS 46

Money: Lost And Found CBS 46, GA - 21 hours ago Cousins, there’s money out there,” said Sellers. You can search to see if you have unclaimed property or money in Georgia and in other states.

Unclaimed Property: tracking down what's yours - WKOW-TV.com

Unclaimed Property: tracking down what's yours WKOW-TV.com, WI - Oct 31, 2008 Sass says they've had seven internet auctions on eBay so far, sometimes making as much as $15000, which goes into the state's unclaimed money account. …

In the Region - New York Times

In the Region New York Times, United States - 15 hours ago Those unclaimed five-cent deposits paid by consumers have always gone to beverage distributors, who have fought hard to keep money they say helps offset …

Man's Suspicious Request About Unclaimed Money Prompts Warning - Hartford Courant

Man's Suspicious Request About Unclaimed Money Prompts Warning Hartford Courant, United States - Nov 10, 2008 The reports list names and addresses of people who are owed unclaimed money, and sometimes Social Security numbers. That raises concern about the potential …

(Part 2 of 2)

On top of limiting themselves to a single search, inexperienced searchers often search only the state they reside in, not aware that there is a possibility for unclaimed money owed to them in states they have never lived in or even passed through, for a number of reasons such as insurance company headquarters or employers' corporate headquarters.

The issues mentioned above, among others, can be worked around once people become educated on proper search strategies. Seeking the advice and guidance of experienced unclaimed asset experts often makes the difference in whether or not a person with limited knowledge in this area finds all cash owed to them or not.

-

IRS seeks owners of unclaimed money - Ventura County Star

CaymanMama.com (press release)

IRS seeks owners of unclaimed money Ventura County Star, CA - Oct 25, 2008 The checks total $643785 in unclaimed money. The average amount on the stimulus checks is $617; the average for the refund checks is $1007. … IRS Looking to Give Back Unclaimed Money San Diego 6 Wisconsinites Missing out on Money WEAU-TV 13 BRIEF: Are you 1 of 30000 Floridians owed money from IRS? TMCnet WLWT - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel all 470 news articles

IRS has unclaimed money - Liberty Vindicator

KCBS

IRS has unclaimed money Liberty Vindicator, TX - Nov 8, 2008 To view a list of Liberty County residents who have unclaimed money, visit www.thevindicator.com starting Sunday evening. Millions in Tax Refunds, Rebates Unclaimed WalletPop 105 stimulus checks for Racine County residents are unclaimed Journal Times Stimulus checks, refunds still unclaimed: IRS owes more than … TMCnet Cape May County Herald all 36 news articles

EDITORIAL: Schools must cash tech check: Unspent Microsoft … - TMCnet

EDITORIAL: Schools must cash tech check: Unspent Microsoft … TMCnet - 7 hours ago But two years later, nearly 80 percent of the money is still in the vault, unclaimed by California schools. Only a few Kern County school districts have …

Father, son give dignified last journey to unclaimed bodies (New Kerala)
By Maitreyee Boruah, Bangalore, Nov 17 : It is a difficult, low paying job that most would shy away from, but Bangalore-based Mahadeva has made giving a decent burial to unclaimed bodies his life's work. And now the legacy has been passed on to his son, Praveen Kumar.

(Part 1 of 2)

Despite giving back a record 26.2 million dollars in Connecticut unclaimed money in 2006, there are still tens of millions of dollars in abandoned assets waiting to be found and claimed by the rightful owners - average citizens who simply abandoned or forgot about these assets for one reason or another.

Recent efforts by the Connecticut State Treasury's "The Big List" program have given back $110 million back to Connecticut residents in just the past eight years, but more money continued to come in than was returned so the mounds of unclaimed money held by the government continue to grow. Due to the fact that new unclaimed cash outpaces the return rate, the odds of finding a claim for any given name get better all the time.

A lot of people wonder how unclaimed money could be real, because the idea that across the country there are billions of dollars waiting to be discovered by the rightful owners simply seems impossible. Why would these citizens abandon their money? Are they crazy? No, they're just normal people, and experts estimate that 7 out of every 10 citizens are owed some kind of claim!

So how is all this cash being lost without the owners realizing it? In most situations it is as simple as to remembering a checking or savings account that wasn't a main account, or not leaving a forwarding address to all the necessary people when a person moves. Additionally, the State Treasury's website lists the following as common kinds of lost assets in Connecticut: deposits, uncashed checks, bonds or mutual fund shares, safe deposit box contents, stocks, life insurance policies, and travelers' checks or money orders.

As these different kinds of accounts lay untouched past their unique dormancy periods (unique for each account type and each state), they are handed over to the state for safe keeping until the owner comes forward to claim them. So if the dormancy period on a particular account does not run out for another year or two, someone searching today will not find a record of their abandoned assets, even though it's out there in pre-escheat, meaning the dormancy period has yet to expire. Additionally, states do not have a uniform law mandating when the records are actually updated in their databases so a person could theoretically search and find nothing, while the record could be added the following day, week, month or year. The only real way to be thorough about your search is to search frequently.

(to be continued)

-

One-shop stopping for regular payments - Sydney Morning Herald

One-shop stopping for regular payments Sydney Morning Herald, Australia - 12 hours ago Lost super gets plenty of publicity, but there is also about $500 million in unclaimed money held in trust by the Australian Securities and Investments …

IRS Holding Millions in Unclaimed Stimulus Checks - MyFox Spokane

IRS Holding Millions in Unclaimed Stimulus Checks MyFox Spokane, WA - Nov 10, 2008 Most of the unclaimed money is in the form of returned rebate checks. They total $163 million compared to the $103 million in returned regular refund checks …

SMUD lists 1,300 potential unclaimed checks (BizJournals)
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District may owe you money.

State budget woes: Help from the Bottle Bill (The Post-Standard)
In "extended reading," Laura Haight of NYPIRG makes the case for why an expanded bottle bill could help with the state's budget crisis. Seems as if it's an inevitability, now that the state Senate has flipped, but there's still a lot of lobbying money up against it.

Do you have unclaimed money lying around? - NEWS.com.au

NEWS.com.au

Do you have unclaimed money lying around? NEWS.com.au, Australia - Nov 4, 2008 "Unfortunately, most Australians haven't checked to find out if they too have unclaimed money.'' When contacted by a member of the public, ASIC consultants …