$157 million in Central Illinois Counties Waiting to be Claimed Through I-Cash
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is looking to reunite hundreds of thousands of Springfield, Champaign and Decatur-area residents with more than $157 million in unclaimed cash and property.
The money is waiting to be claimed under the office’s I-Cash program, which safeguards unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards until they can be returned to their rightful owner.
“It’s often a surprise for people to find out they have an overlooked investment account or final paycheck through no fault of their own,” Frerichs said. “This money and property belong to the people of Illinois. It should be in their pocketbook rather than the state’s safe.” Frerichs’ reminder is part of a statewide digital media, newspaper and direct mail push to reunite residents with more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property. State law requires the Illinois Treasurer’s Office to publish newspaper ads in all 102 Illinois counties every six months and to send letters to residents who have newly reported unclaimed property of $100 or more.
Here are the unclaimed property totals for Springfield, Champaign and Decatur-area counties:
*In Sangamon County, there are more than 337,180 unclaimed properties totaling more than $42.8 million.
*In Champaign County, there are more than 328,140 unclaimed properties totaling more than $28.3 million.
*In Macon County, there are more than 169,470 unclaimed properties totaling more than $32.4 million.
*In Vermillion County, there are nearly 113,000 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $24.3 million.
*In Mason County, there are nearly 19,000 unclaimed properties totaling more than $5.4 million.
*In Menard County, there are nearly 14,000 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $700,000.
*In Christian County, there are nearly 41,000 unclaimed properties totaling more than $7.1 million.
*In Greene County, there are nearly 15,500 unclaimed properties totaling more than $372,000.
*In Macoupin County, there are more than 60,700 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $2.2 million.
*In Montgomery County, there are more than 32,760 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $326,000.
*In Shelby County, there are 18,680 unclaimed properties totaling more than $1.1 million.
*In Moultrie County, there are more than 14,300 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $51,500.
*In Piatt County, there are more than 18,680 unclaimed properties totaling more than $3.7 million.
*In DeWitt County, there are more than 21,130 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $1 million.
*In Ford County, there are more than 15,160 unclaimed properties totaling more than $198,400.
*In Fulton County, there are 43,240 unclaimed properties totaling more than $1.1 million.
*In Coles County, there are more than 67,400 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $4.3 million.
*In Cumberland County, there are more than 10,140 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $1.5 million.
*In Douglas County, there are more than 24,180 unclaimed properties totaling nearly $180,000.
An estimated one-in-four adults in Illinois who search I-Cash find unclaimed property, and the average claim is $1,000. Treasurer Frerichs has returned a record more than $1.6 billion in unclaimed property through more than 1.3 million claims during his tenure after he prioritized changes in technology, efficiency and state law to streamline the process.
Thousands of items are reported and remitted to the state annually, and residents are encouraged to check the unclaimed property database twice each year. Set up a reminder on your smart phone’s calendar or fire up your computer and do a search when you change your smoke detector batteries every six months. Visit About the Illinois Treasurer As Illinois State Treasurer, Michael Frerichs is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer and actively manages approximately $52 billion. The portfolio includes $26 billion in state funds, $17 billion in retirement and college savings plans and $9 billion on behalf of local and state governments. Frerichs’ office protects consumers by safeguarding more than $3.5 billion in unclaimed property, encouraging
savings plans for college or trade school, increasing financial education among all ages, assisting people with disabilities to save without losing government benefits, and removing barriers to a secure retirement.
The Treasurer’s Office predates Illinois incorporation in 1818. Voters in 1848 chose to make it an elected office.
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