$10.3 million in Lee, Whiteside Counties Waiting to be Claimed Through I-Cash
SAUK VALLEY — Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is looking to reunite tens of thousands of Sauk Valley residents with more than $10.3 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. In Whiteside County, there are nearly 75,000 unclaimed properties valued at nearly $7 million. In Lee County, there are nearly 45,300 unclaimed properties valued at more than $3.3 million.
“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.
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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