The Connecticut unclaimed money pile is getting bigger by the day in the state of Connecticut. An unprecedented drive is being undertaken by the State Treasury to create a list of rightful owners who have failed to claim their long forgotten money and properties.
In the fiscal year 2006 only, the CT State Treasury returned $26.2 million to its rightful owners. It is estimated that the department refunds almost $2 million per month as part of the unclaimed money and property. In 2007, the unclaimed refund amount was nearly $25.3 million and in 2008 it had risen to $32 million.
Most of the unclaimed money and property owe their origin to - dormant or lost accounts, lost securities, bonds, refunds, insurance claims, deposits, jewelry or coins. In addition to money and securities, the Connecticut holdings include tangible property such as watches, jewelry, coins, currency, stamps, historical items and other miscellaneous articles. A lot of unclaimed funds have also accrued because of the unnatural death of a person or because of a change in address and name.
In the last 8 years, Connecticut State Treasurer has refunded almost $110 million back to CT residents under the "The Big List" program. As part of this program this year, State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier has published more than 34,000 names in newspapers throughout Connecticut as part of the Treasury's effort to return millions of dollars of unclaimed funds to state residents.
The state treasurer's office says the unclaimed funds include dormant balances in savings and checking accounts, unclaimed wages and uncashed checks for insurance benefits. The agency says the money belongs to 887,000 people.
Nappier said, "The Treasury is one of the few agencies in government with an express mission to give money back. We have millions of dollars waiting to be returned to rightful owners. Just scan the newspaper or search a specially-dedicated web site, and you may find that you've got money coming your way." The 104-page insert in newspapers, called the CT Big List, is part of an effort to reunite residents with their unclaimed property. Copies of the list are also available in libraries and town halls throughout the state.
Connecticut citizens can inquire about their unclaimed funds through the State Treasury website (www.ctbiglist.com ). You can also utilize the vast database of www.cashunclaimed.com covering almost all the states. CashUnclaimed also has a patent pending Name Match technology, which makes the search for unclaimed cash much easier for the majority of Connecticut.
