Treasurer Fitzgerald Adds More Names to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt

DES MOINES, IA (04/28/2014)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald announced he has more money to return to Iowans. The spring publication of the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt is scheduled to begin soon and includes thousands of names that have been received in the last year.

"In upcoming weeks, the new names that have been added to the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt will be published," Fitzgerald said. The treasurer would also like to remind individuals they do not have to wait for the publication to begin to see if they have unclaimed property. "Simply go to greatiowatreasurehunt.com and start your search. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes and search for their name."

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $175 million in unclaimed property to more than 423,000 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.

Check the unclaimed property database to see if the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt has property belonging to you. Simply visit 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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