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Billions of dollars are still going unclaimed in Illinois — and some of it could be yours.
The Illinois State Treasurer is hanging onto about $3.5 billion in unclaimed funds for citizens. “The State holds these lost funds until they are claimed by either the original owner or their heirs. Property is returned at no cost with the proper identification,” the state explains online. Here’s what Illinoisans should know about unclaimed property, according to the state treasurer:
“Unclaimed property consists of accounts and other financial instruments, usually intangible, being held at corporations, financial institutions, financial intermediaries, courts, and life insurance companies, that have gone dormant for a specified period of time based on property type.
“Common types of unclaimed property include: checking and savings accounts, uncashed wage and payroll checks, uncashed stock dividends and stock certificates, insurance payments, utility deposits, customer deposits, accounts payable, credit balances, refund checks, money orders, traveler’s checks, mineral proceeds, court deposits, uncashed death benefit checks and life insurance proceeds. Unclaimed property does not include real estate or vehicles.”
If you think some of the unclaimed $3.5 billion could be yours — or need to check the status of an existing claim — search online here.