Treasurer Fitzpatrick Launches Annual 12 Days of Unclaimed Property on Social Media
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Jefferson City, MO – It’s the most wonderful time of the year—and Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick is reminding Missourians to channel their inner-Santa Claus and check the Unclaimed Property list. Beginning today and continuing through December 16, the @MOTreasurer official social media platforms will encourage Missourians to search the Unclaimed Property database for their names and others they know. All posts will use the hashtag #12DaysofUCP.
“Cyber Monday has come and gone but this deal lasts year round and always has free shipping,” Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. “My Office holds over $1 billion in Unclaimed Property and we want to return it to rightful owners—especially as we approach the holidays and continue weathering the impact of COVID-19. While these social posts take a tongue-in-cheek tone about some of the items in the unclaimed property vault and names on the list, I hope Missourians will take a serious look and maybe find an unexpected holiday gift.”
State law requires financial institutions, insurance companies, public agencies and other business entities to turn over unclaimed assets to the Treasurer’s Office. Most Unclaimed Property consists of cash from bank accounts, stocks, bonds, and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned. It can also include uncollected insurance policy proceeds, government refunds, utility deposits, and wages from past jobs.
Treasurer Fitzpatrick is committed to finding innovative ways to use available resources to reunite Unclaimed Property with rightful owners. Last week, the Treasurer’s Office announced that a new partnership with the Missouri Department of Labor that cross-references the Unclaimed Property list with Missourians who have applied for unemployment benefits had returned $700,000 in more than 4,000 claims in just one month.
Last year, Treasurer Fitzpatrick worked with the Department of Social Services to launch an automated system that matches Unclaimed Property with past-due child support. This new system has returned more than $3.5 million in past-due child support payments to Missouri families.
Since taking office in 2019, Treasurer Fitzpatrick has broken three Unclaimed Property records, returning the first $1 million of his administration in less than 10 days, returning over $45 million in one fiscal year, and returning Unclaimed Property to more Missourians in one year than any prior treasurer.
The Treasurer’s Office currently manages over $1 billion in unclaimed assets in more than five million owner accounts. Unclaimed Property is waiting for one in ten Missourians, and the average return is nearly $300. Missourians can search and claim Unclaimed Property year-round at ShowMeMoney.com.