Treasurer’s Top 5: Racine County
This week, we travel to Racine County. Here’s a look at the Top 5 people and businesses there with unclaimed assets. Do you see anyone on this list you know? If so, have check out www.wismissingmoney.com and search their name to make a claim. They can also call 855-375-CASH (2274)
Racine County
Murad Gengozian
Gail M Lloyd
Lance Clausen
Nancy Madsen
Ganton Technologies Incorporated
Wisconsin Saves Fun Tip: Keep Your Cool!
The Wisconsin Office of the State Treasurer proudly teams up with WWBIC (Wisconsin’s Womens
Business Initiative Corporation) for “Wisconsin Saves Fun Tip.”
The entire month of July, we are committed to helping you KEEP YOUR COOL and SAVE!
Here’s how you can start this week:
- Install a programmable thermostat for central air – raise your home’s temperature when you are away and save big money by not cooling an empty home! According to MGE.com, this can save you 20 to 60 cents per hour! You can buy one for between $30 and $100 at your local hardware store if you don’t have one already.
For more information on how to be a Wisconsin Saver, log onto our website: www.wismissingmoney.org or www.wwbic.com.
Treasurer’s Top 5: Polk County
This week, we travel to Polk County. Here’s a look at the Top 5 people and businesses there with unclaimed assets. Do you see anyone on this list you know? If so, have check out www.wismissingmoney.com and search their name to make a claim. They can also call 855-375-CASH (2274)
Polk County
Evelyn Green
Harold Leu
Joy Peterson
Esther Surkamer
Joyce Hill
FAQ Unclaimed Property: Where Do I Call for Help With My Claim?
Some of the Numbers have changed as the Unclaimed Property Program is now being adminstered by the Department of Revenue. The Office of the State Treasurer is still responsible for promoting the program and is happy to answer any questions we can for you. However, at the request of the Department of Revenue, direct lines to claims processors were removed from our website and they asks you to call and general line. That number is:
(608) 264-4594
Money Matters: Handling the Unexpected
Handling the Unexpected
There’s nothing harder to plan for than unexpected events that impact your life and finances. Yet loss of a job, the death of a loved one, illness or other unexpected occurrences happen at one point or another in most of our lives. The key to successfully surviving these life-changing events from a financial perspective is to anticipate hard times. Shore up your financial situation before you are hit with an unexpected expense, so you will be covered in the event something happens. Our friends at www.practicalmoneyskills.com help you map out a plan.
The Importance of an Emergency Fund
Because we cannot predict when life will throw us an unexpected challenge, it is important for everyone to build and maintain an emergency fund with three to six months’ worth of living expenses. The key to building an emergency fund is to set money aside every month, no matter how small the amount. This Emergency Fund calculator can help you get started.
Financial experts recommend that, unlike retirement funds, emergency savings should be kept fairly liquid, in a savings account or a money market fund. Hopefully you will never need it. But if you do, you’ll be glad it’s there.
A New Financial Picture
Once the immediate financial matters are taken care of after an unexpected life event, it will be time to take stock of your new financial situation and create a plan for yourself moving forward. Whether you have faced job loss, divorce, illness or another event, you should create a new budget reflecting your situation. This is the first step toward financial security and rebuilding your emergency fund, which you may have tapped into to manage a financial crisis.
To develop a budget, write down your current expenses, indicating whether each expense is a necessity or a luxury. Pulling out recent credit card bills and bank statements can help with this process. Next, estimate your monthly income, including only income that you are certain you will receive. Then compare your income to expenses. If your expenses are higher, you will need to trim your expenses until your income is higher than your expenditures.
You can learn much more about budgeting and utilize our free budgeting worksheet here.
Treasurer’s Top 5: Pepin County
This week, we travel to Pepin County. Here’s a look at the Top 5 people and businesses there with unclaimed assets. Do you see anyone on this list you know? If so, have check out www.wismissingmoney.com and search their name to make a claim. They can also call 855-375-CASH (2274)
Pepin County
Betty and Manley Kruger
Gilles Isaksson Insurance
Benedict L Bauer
Andrea Olson
Pepin County Nursing Services
FAQ Edvest: Who Can Open An Account?
Money Matters: Renting An Apartment
Renting an Apartment
While it doesn’t offer any investment potential, renting an apartment is the wisest financial choice for many people. Some may be saving for a down payment on a home, others may be unable to afford buying a home. For families or individuals who move often or for those not interested in the maintenance and repair of a home, renting can offer freedom to relocate and some relief from the costs of home ownership. No matter why an individual is renting, it’s a great idea to know about the financial and legal aspects. Our friends at www.practicalmoneyskills.com walk us through each step.
Leases
A lease is a binding contract that lays out the conditions and responsibilities of a rental agreement, both for the owner and the renter. It stipulates the monthly rental price, payment due date, the length of the lease and what happens if one of you breaks the lease. A lease generally also outlines whether the renter or landlord will pay the utilities, whether pets are allowed, and any other restrictions and requirements the landlord wants to include.
Read your lease agreement very carefully before you sign it. You will be held accountable for knowing everything included in the lease. Also, keep a copy of the lease for your records. It may come in handy if you have a question about what you are or are not allowed to do.
Cosigning
If the landlord is not convinced that you will be able to make your payments, he or she may require you to get a cosigner. This is someone who will share financial responsibility for the lease. If for some reason you are unable to make the payments, the cosigner will then be responsible for making the payments.
Breaking a Lease
You should avoid breaking a lease by moving out before the end of the agreed term if at all possible. Each lease agreement has its own penalties for breaking the terms—some only require the payment of a penalty but others require the renter to continue paying rent until the apartment is re-rented. For this reason, it’s critical to check your lease and make sure you can handle the financial ramifications before you break your lease.
Treasurer’s Top 5: Ozaukee County
Courtesy: www. travelwisconsin.com
This week, we travel to Ozaukee County. Here’s a look at the Top 5 people and businesses there with unclaimed assets. Do you see anyone on this list you know? If so, have check out www.wismissingmoney.com and search their name to make a claim. They can also call 855-375-CASH (2274)
Ozaukee County
Lawrence Kunesh
HH Spake
Kim Ziegelbauer
Brian, Darren, Todd and James Schmeling
Myron Haack
Money Matters: Employer Provided Benefits
Employer Provided Benefits
Whether you’ve just started a new job as a recent graduate or you’ve been with the same company for years, you need to make sure you’re maximizing your employee benefits. Our friends at www.practicalmoneyskills.com tell you how!
Most employers offer a host of company-sponsored benefits. Often, the combined value of these coverages is worth a third or more of your base pay. That’s too much money to leave on the table. And some employee benefits have valuable tax advantages you can’t afford to ignore.
If your employer provides a 401(k) plan or Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and you’re not participating, you could be missing out on hundreds – or thousands – of dollars in tax savings each year. That’s money that goes right into your pocket instead of Uncle Sam’s.
Here you’ll find the ins and outs of employee benefits and everything you need to maximize your job and all it has to offer.
FAQ Edvest: How Can I View Edvest’s Performance?
Edvest performance for the 22 investment options is available online. Go to Investment Performance.
Treasurer’s Top 5: Outagamie County
Outagamie County Courthouse, Appleton
This week, we travel to Outagamie County. Here’s a look at the Top 5 people and businesses there with unclaimed assets. Do you see anyone on this list you know? If so, have check out www.wismissingmoney.com and search their name to make a claim. They can also call 855-375-CASH (2274)
Outagamie County
Leroy H Johnson
Shirley R Kane
AAL Bank and Trust
Rebecca and Frances Applegate Beck
Brenda Winter
Money Matters: Welcome to the Workforce (A Nod to Our Recent Graduates)
Welcome to the Workforce
It’s time to roll up your sleeves and put that lifetime of education to work for you. Our friends at www.practicamoneyskills.com can tell you, finding the right job isn’t easy—it takes motivation to go after the industry or company you want, effort to ace the application and interview process and a bit of luck to land the job. Read on for tips, advice and tools that will help ensure a successful search.
Resources
Your school career center is an excellent place to start when looking for work. As a resource provided to students, the point of a career center is to find jobs that relate to specific fields of study. Check in with a career counselor for advice on resume building or to sign up for on-campus interviews. Recruiters often come to schools and universities looking for future prospects. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door of an otherwise out-of-reach company.
Headhunters and employment services can also be a good source for job leads. One of the major benefits of working with placement agencies is that they already have established relationships within the industries they service and know exactly who to put you in front of. The downside is that some may charge you a fee for their services or require a percentage of your pay from the company who has hired you.
Networking has become the new buzzword in professional circles—and for good reason. Many of the best jobs out there are never advertised. The key to landing them is a lucky combination of being in the right place at the right time and talking to the right person. Don’t be afraid to go to social events and advertise yourself or talk about your goals. Or share your plans with friends and family. You’ll be surprised how supportive people can be. After all, everyone has been there at one time or another. If they can’t immediately connect you with a job, they can often provide valuable advice on where to look and who the best contacts might be.
Know What You’re Looking For
Think about the big picture and not just the job you want now. Beyond earning a paycheck, what skills and experiences do you want to take away from your new job? Look to the next step of your career and think about which job will get you closer to that goal. Also, look at the associated benefits. A high-paying job with no benefits may not be as advantageous as a lower-paying position with a complete benefits package.
Consider cost of living and your expenses before you relocate for a job. Every city is different, so a starting salary in one area may not be enough to support you in a new location. Moving costs are another factor to take into consideration. If your prospective employer isn’t going to pay your moving costs, make sure the salary will make up for these costs in the long run, or that you have additional funds to cover the expenses.
Wisconsin Saves Fun Tip: Get Grilling!
The Wisconsin Office of the State Treasurer proudly teams up with WWBIC (Wisconsin’s Womens Business Initiative Corporation) for “Wisconsin Saves.” This week, how you can become a saver courtesy of WWBIC.
Cook outside.Using the stove or baking in the oven can create a lot of excess heat that has nowhere to go except in your house. Consider taking meal plans to the barbecue grill outside so that you can keep your cool inside.
Money Matters: Buying A Car
Buying a Car
Buying a car is like jumping into a lake. Without some planning and research into what you might encounter, you could be in too deep before you know it. But if you take the car buying process one step at a time and put some time into researching your purchase and your finances before you stop on the lot, our friends at www.practicalmoneyskills.com explain how the process is likely to go a lot more smoothly.
What Can You Afford?
Before you begin shopping for a car, it’s important to take a look at your budget and figure out how much you can afford to spend on a vehicle, without strapping yourself or cutting into your savings. If you don’t have a budget, click here for information about creating one. Can you afford $200 a month for your new vehicle? What about $300? That number will be the total amount that you can pay for the car itself and operating expenses, like gas and maintenance.
Operating expenses can be about one third to one half of the monthly cost of a new car. So take the amount you’ve decided you can spend on your car each month and multiply it by .66. That is the most you should consider spending on monthly payments for the vehicle to be able to afford operating expenses as well.
The Down Payment
You’re also going to need a big chunk of change for a down payment. How much? The bigger the better. To get a loan for a car, and often for a lease, you’ll probably need to make a down payment of around 10% of the total price of the vehicle. The larger your down payment, the smaller your monthly payment will be and the less you will pay in total for the car in the long run. But make sure you don’t cripple yourself or deplete your savings account with too large a down payment. Find a comfortable balance.
For help anticipating your auto loan payment or determining how much car you can afford, utilize our free financial calculators here.
FAQ Unclaimed Property: How Long Does It take My Claim to Get Paid?
Wisconsin Statutes require we receive, process, pay out or deny a claim from any person or business within 90 days. The Office of the State Treasurer would usually have claims processed and paid within 30 days. Treasurers Sass and Schuller made it a personal policy to process and pay out all claims collected face-to-face at Wisconsin’s State Fair…. within 9 days. Record return times.
For more information on filing a claim, log onto our website: www.wismissingmoney.org
FAQ Edvest: Who Can Be The Beneficiary of An Account?
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Who can be the beneficiary of an Account?
Any U.S. citizen or resident alien, including the account holder, can be the beneficiary. The beneficiary must have a valid Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number.
Wisconsin Saves Fun Tip: How to Become a Saver (It’s EASY!)
The Wisconsin Office of the State Treasurer proudly teams up with WWBIC (Wisconsin’s Womens Business Initiative Corporation) for “Wisconsin Saves.” This week, how you can become a saver courtesy of WWBIC.
To start, simply CLICK HERE
Treasurer’s Top 5: Oconto County
This week, we travel to Oconto County. Here’s a look at the Top 5 people and businesses there with unclaimed assets. Do you see anyone on this list you know? If so, have check out www.wismissingmoney.com and search their name to make a claim. They can also call 855-375-CASH (2274)
Oconto County
Donald A Taylor
Lillian Ratter
Clifford J Brown
Rudolph Saffran
David A Mauer
FAQ Unclaimed Property: How Can I Avoid Having Unclaimed Property?
HOW CAN I AVOID HAVING UNCLAIMED PROPERTY?
Here are ten ways to ensure that your property is not turned over to our office:
1. Make sure that you update addresses with insurance companies, investor relations and utility providers.
2. Promptly cash all refund, rebate and dividend checks.
3. Respond to stock shareholder service requests for action.
4. Resolve insurance claims in full.
5. Identify co-owners or beneficiaries of financial and investment accounts.
6. Automaticwithdrawal for safe deposit box rental fees.
7. Purchase cashier’s checks and money order at finacial institutions where you have accounts.
8. Use store or vendor credits within 1 year.
9. Update financial/investment accounts following marriage, divorce, death of a spouse or name change.
10. Inventory type/location of financial assets and provide to trusted advisor/friend.
Wisconsin Saves Fun Tip: How To Become A Saver
The Wisconsin Office of the State Treasurer proudly teams up with WWBIC (Wisconsin’s Womens Business Initiative Corporation) for “Wisconsin Saves.” This week, how you can become a saver courtesy of WWBIC.
To start, simply CLICK HERE
Treasury Fun Fact: More than $800K to ONE Couple!
Under Treasurer Schuller, the greatest amount of Unclaimed Property paid more than $800K to a Wauwatosa couple in 2011
Treasurer’s Top 5: Monroe County
Sparta in Monroe County, “The Bicycling Capital of the World.”
This week, we travel to Monroe County. Here’s a look at the Top 5 people and businesses there with unclaimed assets. Do you see anyone on this list you know? If so, have check out www.wismissingmoney.com and search their name to make a claim. They can also call 855-375-CASH (2274)
Monroe County
Richard W. Johnson
PIC Investment Club
Quinn P Clark
Richard O and Mary Jane Hem
James McEssy
Money Matters: Renting An Apartment
Renting an Apartment
While it doesn’t offer any investment potential, renting an apartment is the wisest financial choice for many people. Our friends at www.practicalmoneyskills.com walk us through the process in this week’s “Money Matters” blog.
Leases
A lease is a binding contract that lays out the conditions and responsibilities of a rental agreement, both for the owner and the renter. It stipulates the monthly rental price, payment due date, the length of the lease and what happens if one of you breaks the lease. A lease generally also outlines whether the renter or landlord will pay the utilities, whether pets are allowed, and any other restrictions and requirements the landlord wants to include.
Read your lease agreement very carefully before you sign it. You will be held accountable for knowing everything included in the lease. Also, keep a copy of the lease for your records. It may come in handy if you have a question about what you are or are not allowed to do.
Cosigning
If the landlord is not convinced that you will be able to make your payments, he or she may require you to get a cosigner. This is someone who will share financial responsibility for the lease. If for some reason you are unable to make the payments, the cosigner will then be responsible for making the payments.
Breaking a Lease
You should avoid breaking a lease by moving out before the end of the agreed term if at all possible. Each lease agreement has its own penalties for breaking the terms—some only require the payment of a penalty but others require the renter to continue paying rent until the apartment is re-rented. For this reason, it’s critical to check your lease and make sure you can handle the financial ramifications before you break your lease.
Wisconsin State Treasury 
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