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

DES MOINES, IA (07/30/2014)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced today a stop at the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt booth during the 2014 Iowa State Fair may pay off. "With over a million names listed, fair goers could find they have unclaimed money waiting for them to claim," Fitzgerald said. "The State Fair is one of the most successful events we do to reach people who may have money in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt."

"Over the years, we have been successful in reuniting people with their lost treasures," Fitzgerald added. "Last year during the fair, over 8,500 claims of unclaimed property were discovered, totaling more than $1.9 million. The booth will have computers set up for people to search for their name and staff will be on hand to answer questions and to help treasure hunters print claim forms."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $180 million in unclaimed property to more than 434,000 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.

Visit the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt booth at the Iowa State Fair, August 7 - 17 in the Varied Industries Building. The building will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Go to greatiowatreasurehunt.com to search for your treasure today. Be sure to like Great Iowa Treasure Hunt on Facebook and follow the program on Twitter @GreatIATreasure.

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