McRae: Your Money, Reclaimed!
By Treasurer David McRae
As a fiscal conservative, I believe it is a core responsibility for every office holder to do all they can to get more money and control out of the government’s hands and back into local communities and households. To this end, I have made returning unclaimed money one of your State Treasury’s top priorities.
Thus far, we have returned around $75 million to Mississippians in just over three years. That is $75 million families and businesses could pour back into our economy, or as I like to view it: It’s an economic stimulus that didn’t come with a hefty taxpayer-funded price tag attached to it.
The rate of return we’ve been able to achieve has been one for the record books (quite literally). Since taking office, our team has set three consecutive state records, outdoing our own historic performances year after year. And as cliché as it is to say, what keeps us going is the people and the impact these newly found funds can have on their lives.
On average, we return about $2,000 per claim. Sometimes, it’s just enough to buy a new pair of shoes. Other times, however, the sum is large enough to fund a child’s education, dig out of debt, or purchase a new car. No matter the amount, however, the sensation is similar: What’s once was lost has now been found.
Despite all the success, we have a long way to go. About 4 million parcels of property have been sent to the Treasury and are still waiting to be claimed by their rightful owners. This is where I need your help. Please visit Treasury.MS.gov/search to look for money listed in your name or a family member’s name. If you find some, claim it and we’ll begin the verification process.
Now, I know a lot of folks worry the verification process will be burdensome, but I want to assure you that we’ve made some significant changes in recent years to make it much less painful.
First and foremost, I implemented an eClaims system that lets us complete most claims 100% online – no longer is there a need for a cumbersome notary! Second, we just invested in system upgrades to ensure returns are made faster than ever.
These changes have all been part of my broader push to modernize your State Treasury and recenter the organization around a customer-service mindset. And with each bit of progress our team makes, we’re moving control away from the government and into the hands of We the People – where it should be.
To learn more, please visit treasury.ms.gov.
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 Savings Mississippi, and has returned nearly $65 million in unclaimed money to Mississippians. For more information, visit Treasury.MS.gov.
