The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt

For Iowans looking to see if they have missing money that the state owes them, the politicians in Des Moines wants them to check out how they can find unclaimed assets in the state of Iowa.

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt program has returned over $122 million in unclaimed property to more than 310,000 individuals since Fitzgerald began the program. "We get millions of dollars in each year," Fitzgerald stated."We believe the best way to find people is to ask others in their community to help us. That's why we are sending out the top 25 list."

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 and deliver unclaimed property to the State Treasurer's Office, where it is 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.