By Trish Svoboda

Today, February 1st, Kansas State Treasurer Steven Johnson marked National Unclaimed Property Day, noting his office’s continuous efforts to return unclaimed funds to Kansans.

“Our office currently holds more than $575 million in unclaimed property for Kansans,” Johnson said. “It is estimated that one in seven people nationwide has unclaimed property – so it’s worth checking regularly to see if you, your family or friends have funds available to claim. National Unclaimed Property Day is the perfect opportunity to do a quick, easy, free online search.”

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) approximates that nearly 33 million individuals across the U.S. possess unclaimed property: financial assets or valuable items for which no activity has been initiated by the owner for an extended period. In such cases, when companies are unable to locate the rightful owners, the funds or properties are transferred to the state. Common examples are unpaid life insurance benefits, stocks, bonds, forgotten bank accounts, and items stored in safe deposit boxes.

NAUPA launched the initial National Unclaimed Property Day on February 1, 2021 to to increase awareness of unclaimed property.

Occasionally, third parties reach out to individuals offering help in filing claims for a fee. While some of these third-party “finders” operate legally, there are also fraudulent ones that use the promise of assistance for scams.

Johnson wants Kansans to know that searching for unclaimed property and filing claims through the State Treasurer’s website at https://kansascash.ks.gov is free of charge. Kansans who have resided in other states should also conduct searches on MissingMoney.com, the only national site endorsed by NAUPA and the National Association of State Treasurers.