One in 10 people have unclaimed property

National Unclaimed Property Day is a reminder for everyone to do a free search for unclaimed property

Feb. 1, 2022, was National Unclaimed Property Day. "What better day to share news that one in 10 people in the United States have property waiting for them to claim," said Wisconsin Department of Revenue Secretary Peter Barca.  He went on to note, "Governor Evers recently signed a bipartisan bill to update our unclaimed property laws, making it easier for holders to report unclaimed property, so it can be matched to the person it belongs to."

In Wisconsin unclaimed property is held by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR). Around $37 million was returned to owners last year.  Anyone can search DOR's Unclaimed Property database for themselves or family members at revenue.wi.gov/UCP. There is no cost to search or file a claim.

Unclaimed property is generally any financial asset belonging to another person. Common unclaimed property types include:

• Annuities
• Bonds
• Checks
• Certificates of deposit
• Checking or savings accounts
• Customer overpayments
• Insurance payments or refunds
• Life insurance policies
• Money orders
• Mutual funds
• Refunds
• Safe deposit box content
• Stocks
• Unclaimed loan collateral
• Uncashed payroll checks
• Utility security deposits

For questions about unclaimed property or to search for unclaimed property, visit the Unclaimed Property page on the DOR website at revenue.wi.gov/UCP.