McRae: Returning Mississippians’ Money, Not Growing Government
By State Treasurer David McRae
When I first came into office, I made a simple promise: to run the Treasury in a way that is efficient, accountable, and always working for the people of Mississippi. For me, that meant keeping government lean, modernizing outdated processes, and most importantly, fighting to put more money in your pocket.
That’s why I’m especially proud to share that my team has just crossed another major milestone in our Unclaimed Money program. Over the past 43 years, the program has returned $290 million to Mississippians. More than half of that total – some $150 million – has been returned in just the five short years I’ve been your Treasurer.
This is more than a statistic. It’s real money back in the hands of hardworking Mississippians, fueling our local economies, paying bills, and supporting small businesses.
How did our team do it? We eliminated the outdated requirement for paper-only claims and in-person notaries. We launched a user-friendly online claims system. We even have a system now that can rapidly return money, sometimes without the owner even having to file a claim!
I also prioritized returning funds in times of greatest need, making special efforts to identify owners in storm-impacted communities, getting more money into these areas that can help households and communities recover.
Of course, the job is never finished. New unclaimed money comes in every day. Sometimes it’s a utility refund mailed to the wrong address. Other times, it’s money left behind in an estate. Whatever the case, my team will keep working tirelessly to return those dollars where they belong: with Mississippi families.
At the end of the day, unclaimed money isn’t the state’s money, it’s yours. My job is to make sure you get it back. If you haven’t checked recently, I encourage you to visit treasury.ms.gov/search or call (601) 359-3600. Even if you’ve searched before, check again. You may be surprised at what you find.
As long as I serve as Treasurer, I’ll continue to fight for a government that respects taxpayers, safeguards your dollars, and returns what is rightfully yours. After all, this is what fiscal responsibility looks like.
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 $140 million in unclaimed money to Mississippians. For more information, visit Treasury.MS.gov.
