Missing Money in Marshfield!
Today marks the beginning of the Central Wisconsin State Fair, my office’s last fair of the season. After having success locating unclaimed property owners at the Central Wisconsin State Fair, the Outagamie County Fair, the State Fair, and the Brown County Fair, we intend to close out the season by giving a way lots of money in Marshfield!
A staffer from my office will be at the fair today – Monday, and I’ll be there Thursday-Saturday. Our booth is located in Expo building 2, right off the Midway.
See you at the fair!
Show Me The Money!
Good Morning America has a very popular segment called “Show Me The Money” where they help people claim cash they never knew about.
We’ve posted two new videos to our YouTube page of segments from this week! Watch them and remember all you need to do is spend 10 minutes at www.statetreasury.wisconsin.gov and search for your name, your family members, your friends!
Related articles
- Unclaimed Money On Good Morning America (unclaimedmoney.wordpress.com)
Search for Missing Savings Bonds Online
Do you remember your parents talking about US Savings Bonds Grandma and Grandpa got you but no one could ever find? Did you buy Savings Bonds for the kids but maybe left them in a safe deposit box that you may no longer own?
Chances are the Wisconsin State Treasury is holding those missing bonds and we’ve made it easier to search for those bonds and claim them!
We are holding more than $350,000 (face value) in savings bonds – all types of US Bonds: Series E, EE, H and I as well as War Bonds, Patriot Bonds, Postal Savings Bonds. We even have bonds from China and Israel. There are more than 3,000 bonds in our vault waiting to be claimed by the rightful owners. Many of these bonds are well past the mature date, meaning you are missing out on your money!
Image via Wikipedia
When you head to www.statetreasury.wisconsin.gov and click on the magnifying glass on the front page you’ll be taken to our main database page. If you look on the left column, you’ll see another link called “US SAVINGS BONDS”. Click that and begin your search!
The bonds are held by the Wisconsin State Treasury as part of a safe deposit box where the owner did not pay the annual rental fee and the box was drilled open by the bank. The State Unclaimed Property law requires financial institutions to turn the contents of the box over to the State Treasury after 5 years of no contact with the owner. We hold those bonds until the rightful owner or their heirs claim them.
Treasurer’s Testimony on AJR 26 on Youtube
Check out our YouTube Channel!
www.youtube.com/user/TheWIStateTreasury?feature=mhee
Testimony to Committee of Judiciary and Ethics on AJR 26: Elimination of My Office and Sec. of State
I had the honor of testifying before the Committee of Judiciary and Ethics this morning on my resolution to amend the Wisconsin Constitution and eliminate my office as well as that of Secretary of State. Below is my official testimony. I also added my own, personal comments after this statement. They will be on our YouTube Page http://www.youtube.com/user/TheWIStateTreasury later this afternoon.
Testimony of Wisconsin State Treasurer Kurt Schuller before the Wisconsin State
Assembly, Committee of Judiciary and Ethics
Regarding Assembly Joint Resolution 26 (LRB-1544)
August 18, 2011
Introduction
Chairman Ott, Vice-Chairman Larson, members of the Committee, thank you for allowing me to provide testimony regarding AJR 26, a constitutional amendment which I, as State Treasurer, had drafted earlier this year. As a traditional conservative, I have a great deal of respect for our state’s constitution, and for its lengthy amendment process. Our three step amendment process, as laid out in Article XII, safeguards our constitution against flippancy, while giving the people ofWisconsinthe tools they need to reform government in the face of a changing world.
It is a full appreciation for the amendment process that compels me to offer support for AJR 26 at this time. The elimination of the offices of the State Treasurer and Secretary of State is a necessary reform whose time has come. These offices no longer serve the same function that they once did, and the programs under their purview, while efficiently run, are not given the tools necessary to thrive.
The elimination of the offices of the State Treasurer and Secretary of State is necessary for four reasons, which I will detail momentarily. In short, they are as follows:
1.) The duties of the State Treasurer and Secretary of State are administrative in nature, and need not be supervised by elected political partisans.
2.) Dedication to government efficiency demands that we transfer programs to agencies for which they are a good functional fit.
3.) The cost savings associated with the elimination of the offices, while not massive, do exist. As stewards of the people’s money, it is our responsibility to act in as efficient a manner as possible.
4.) The elimination of these offices has the widespread, bi-partisan support of a majority of Wisconsinites.
Nature of the Programs
Image via Wikipedia
The programs administered by the offices of the State Treasurer and Secretary of State are administrative in function. The State Treasurer oversees the unclaimed property program, which seeks to unite Wisconsinites with misplaced funds. The Secretary of State maintains the acts of the Governor and Legislature, keeps and affixes the Great Seal of Wisconsin, and provides authentications and apostilles for documents. These duties do not necessitate an elected official’s oversight, and requiring such insures a system of redundancies.
Functional Fit
Respect for governmental efficiency dictates that programs be placed in agencies that have a similar range of operation. The recent removal of authority over notaries public and trademarks from the Secretary of State’s Office, and their subsequent placement with the Department of Financial Institutions is an example of the kind of logical transfer to which I am referring. Disbursement of programs from the offices of the Treasurer and Secretary of State to appropriate governmental agencies will enhance the receiving entities and allow for more efficient management.
Cost Savings
Passage and enactment of AJR 26 would create cost savings by eliminating the redundant elected positions, in addition to allowing the programs’ new agencies to further streamline operations. Though some may argue that these savings are minimal, I believe that it is an important step toward creating a more responsible and efficient government.
Broad Support
Figures from across the political spectrum have shown support for the passage of AJR 26. The bill has co-sponsors from both parties, and in addition to being a central part of my platform in last fall’s election, the idea of eliminating the offices of the State Treasurer and Secretary of State was a much publicized element of Democratic Mayor Tom Barrett’s gubernatorial campaign. In this time of need for the state, it is important for Republicans and Democrats to pursue areas of government efficiency and the fiscal health of our state, and success is more likely if work is begun from a point of common ground.
Conclusion
Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my support for AJR 26. As someone who fervently believes in good government, I think that it is critical that this amendment pass the legislature and end up in front of the people. Passing the amendment this session is the first step in that process.
Committee Will Hear From State Treasurer on Elimination of Office
I will appear before the Committee on Judiciary and Ethics Thursday August 18th to offer testimony on AJR 26, the legislation I drafted that would eliminate the Office of State Treasurer and Secretary of State’s Office from the Wisconsin Constitution.
I ran for the Office of State Treasurer on the pledge to work to eliminate his position as well as that of Secretary of State. Immediately after beginning my term, I began working on the resolution to change the Wisconsin Constitution.
Changing the constitution is not an easy task. After the committee hearing, should they forward AJR 26 to the legislature, it will require votes from both houses in this session. If passed, legislators would have to vote on it again, in the same form with no changes, in the next session. If passed again, it would be placed on a statewide referendum allowing state voters the final decision. The earliest that could happen would be 2013.
Following my testimony, the transcript will be placed here on this blog and will be made available to the media.
State Treasurer Schuller Testimony on AJR 26
Committee on Judiciary and Ethics
State Capitol
417 North
11:00am
More $$$ Than She Realized!
The Pewaukee woman who came to the State Fair and claimed $65,000 will be getting a check for nearly double that. While processing her claim, an Unclaimed Property Examiner, using the woman’s social security number, found nearly $60,000 more for her under her maiden name!
So, she knows she’s getting $65,000 – but will actually get a check for a little more than $120,000!
It pays to come to the State Fair and look for unclaimed property!
More Than $200,000 Claimed at the Wisconsin State Fair
For 11 days at the Wisconsin State Fair, State Treasurer Kurt Schuller and the Unclaimed Property Unit helped nearly 7,000 people find money they either never knew they had or had forgotten about. Unclaimed Property Examiners are already working hard returning the more than $200,000 claimed from August 8th thru August 14th.
I personally helped hundreds of Wisconsinites make their claims at the Fair. It’s a privilege to go to these events, talk to people about their missing money and help them get it back quickly!
Image via Wikipedia
The largest claim at the State Fair belonged to a Pewaukee woman who found more than $65,000 waiting for her among the $395 million we are holding in Unclaimed Property. More than $30,000 was claimed instantly by people choosing the “fast track” option for claiming money. If the claimant’s social security number matched what we had in the system, their claim was “fast tracked” and they received a check within 5 days. 355 people chose to use “fast track”. More than 4,000 people had claim forms mailed to their homes and approximately 2,500 more took claim forms home with them.
The next stop for the Unclaimed Property Unit – The Brown County Fair later this week!
Unclaimed Property Outreach Event
Brown County Fair
1500 Fort Howard Ave
De Pere, WI 54115-2320
August 17th – August 21st
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A Visit to the Wisconsin State Fair: $65,000 for One Lucky Lady
In the past 7 days at the fair, we’ve helped Wisconsin Residents claim an estimated $150,000. One Pewaukee resident came yesterday knowing we had some of her money – she will get more than $65,000 after filing 7 pages of claims! While it took some time and a bit of paperwork, once our claims specialists do a little investigative work, she will get her check! Her son and husband also found money for themselves!
Come to the Wisconsin State Fair and find your cash! It’s “udderly” ridiculous how much we have – $395 million waiting to be claimed!
11 Days of Wisconsin Traditions: The Wisconsin State Fair!
The Wisconsin State Fair kicked off August 4th, 2011 and, as always, the first day tends to be the most packed; excited kids ready for the Midway, old friends bumping into each other as they rush for the Cream Puff Pavilion, 4-H members showing off their hard work and vendors selling their wares.
For us, the State Fair is where we reach the most people face-to-face and try to hook them back up with money they may have forgotten about or didn’t even know they had! Last year we met with more than 16,000 people and returned money to almost 8,000 of them!
Image via Wikipedia
On the first day this year, we averaged 100 people an hour from 9am to 10PM; 100 people per hour stopping and searching for their names or their relatives in our database of 1.8 million properties. We had two extremely happy people come and find $7,000 and $2,500! Imagine coming to the fair and leaving a few thousand dollars richer!
Of course, there’s the food…and by that, I mean the “anything-on-a-stick” you can find at the fair. We’ll be trying to hit all of the places that offer what many consider the best part of the fair.
On day one, we tried the Scotch Egg on a stick. It was fried perfection!
Make sure you stop by our booth at the Expo Center, right across from the Wisconsin Lottery! And be sure to follow our tweets at @wistatetreasury and at #wistatefair!
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- Claim Your “Moo-La” at the Wisconsin State Fair (wistatetreasury.wordpress.com)
BCPL helps Beloit invest in public safety
http://www.wrex.com/story/15189305/beloit-receives-loan-interest-to
Claim Your “Moo-La” at the Wisconsin State Fair
If you spend just 5 minutes at the Office of State Treasurer’s Booth at the Wisconsin State Fair, you might end up finding cash you never realized you had!
The Unclaimed Property Unit will be at the Wisconsin State Fair August 4th thru 14th, 2011 inside the Exposition Center helping people search the database. The unclaimed property database has more than 1.8 million properties listed worth nearly $395 million! Unclaimed property is any financial asset, such as savings and checking accounts, stocks and bonds, dividend checks, insurance policy benefits, utility deposits or payroll checks that has been “abandoned” for up to 5 years.
Image via Wikipedia
I have been on the road at fairs and other outreach events for several months now and you would be surprised at how many people have no clue we are holding their money. It’s a great feeling being able to help someone claim their cash…especially right now when money is so tight for so many families.
Our booth is in the same location as always – right next to the Wisconsin Lottery booth in the ExpositionCenter. You can escape the heat outside for a few minutes, visit the booth, type in your name into our computers and if you find yourself, make a claim. Our new fast tracking system will make it even easier to claim amounts less than $750! You can input all your information into the computer and, if it all matches, have your check in just a few weeks.
See you at the Wisconsin State Fair!
Unclaimed Property Booth at the WI State Fair
August 4th – 14th
Exposition Center
9:00am-10:00pm
Follow our tweets @wistatetreasury and #wistatefair
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Wisconsin State Treasury 