Illinois State Treasurer’s Office News Releases

CHICAGO — A signed 1983 Ryne Sandberg baseball card, Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair souvenir medallions, a Hohner 6 sided “paddle wheel” harmonica, and Spanish shipwreck coins from the 1622 shipwreck of the Atocha are among thousands of unclaimed property items worth $113,500 to be auctioned live on August 19 on the Lincoln Stage at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. “We are excited to bring the unclaimed property auction back to the Illinois State Fair to give the public another opportunity to bid on rare, valuable items,” Frerichs said. “To…

CHICAGO — The state board overseeing the Secure Choice retirement savings program selected Ascensus to manage the day-to-day operations of the program, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. Secure Choice will increase the number of workers saving for retirement by providing an investment plan that is connected to the worker, not the employer. When the worker leaves to accept a new position with a different company, the retirement plan follows. “We have a retirement savings crisis in our country,” Frerichs said. “A retirement savings tool that travels from job-to-job…

SPRINGFIELD — A record-breaking $159 million in forgotten cash and stock was returned to individuals, employers and non-profits by the state treasurer’s office this past fiscal year, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. It is the largest amount in the program’s history and exceeds last year’s total by about $4 million. More than 58,000 claims were fulfilled with an average value of $2,744. This was accomplished despite the budget impasse because unclaimed property money is held forever and is completely separate from the funds used to pay state bills. The…