"Nothing Compares" at the State Fair to State Treasurer Fitzgerald's Great Iowa Treasure Hunt

DES MOINES, IA (08/03/2015)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced today that a stop at the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt booth during the 2015 Iowa State Fair may pay off. "The State Fair is a tremendous opportunity for us to reunite people with their lost treasure," Fitzgerald said. "With over a million names listed in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, fairgoers could find they have unclaimed money waiting for them to claim."

"Over the years, we have been successful in reuniting people with their lost treasures," Fitzgerald added. "Last year during the fair, over 7,200 unclaimed property claim forms were printed off, totaling more than $1.6 million. Computers will be set up at the booth for people to search for their name and staff will be on hand to answer questions and help treasure hunters print claim forms."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $198 million in unclaimed property to more than 468,000 people since Fitzgerald created it in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions or companies that have lost contact with the property's owner for a specific period of time. State law requires these institutions and companies to annually report unclaimed property to the state treasurer's office. The assets are then held until the owner or heir of the property is found. Common forms of unclaimed property include savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits and safe deposit box contents.

Stop by the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt booth at the Iowa State Fair, August 13-23 in the Varied Industries Building. The building will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Visit the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.com to begin your search. Be sure to like Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter @GreatIATreasure.

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