McRae: Largest Unclaimed Money Match in State’s History
By Treasurer David McRae
Mississippi is no stranger to natural disasters. We prove resilient through hurricanes, heat waves, tornadoes, and most recently, ice storms.
The latest round of winter weather downed trees, cut power, and closed schools. Linemen worked overtime to restore electricity; the Mississippi National Guard helped clear roads; the American Red Cross opened shelters and helped keep people warm. While the State Treasury does not stand on the front lines as these Mississippians do, we still fought to do our part.
More specifically, the Mississippi Treasury conducted our largest Money Match ever in counties affected by the winter storm, returning $5 million. To expedite the process, my team and I worked for hours to personally sort, stuff, and mail thousands of checks to families in these areas.
To be clear: This money was theirs to begin with, but they’d lost track of it somewhere along the way. Maybe they never cashed their tax refund check or perhaps they’d forgotten about a stock they owned. Whatever the reason, they hadn’t seen this money for at least five years – and the financial institution that held it couldn’t find them. This is when my team comes in. We found the rightful owners of the money and mailed them their check. In doing so, we also created an economic windfall in communities suffering the most.
It is important to note these funds do not replace state or federal disaster aid. As such, if you are entitled to disaster funds, please continue pursuing them.
At the same time, if you receive a check, it is legitimate; please cash it immediately. You are also welcome to verify the funds by calling my team at (601) 359-3600 or emailing unclaimed@treasury.ms.gov. If you did not receive a check but still wish to search for unclaimed money, please visit treasury.ms.gov/search.
At the end of the day, Mississippi has always bounced back. Why? Because we show up. We prove resilient. We rebuild. That’s just who we are.
Mississippi Treasurer David McRae is the 55th Treasurer for the State of Mississippi. In this role, he helps manage the state’s cash flow, oversees College and Career Savings Mississippi, and has returned more than $150 million in unclaimed money to Mississippians. For more information, visit Treasury.MS.gov.
