Nearly 81,000 Names on the Louisiana Unclaimed Funds List

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Louisiana State Treasurer John Schroeder was recently in the KEEL studios and was asked what his favorite part of the job was, and he said, without hesitation, "Unclaimed Property." I don't think I have any unknown Aunt Bergot that might have left me a fortune, but you never know!

Beginning today, nearly 81 thousand new names of unclaimed property owners have been published in local newspapers. State Treasurer John Schroder says they are committed to reconnecting residents with money received by the Louisiana Treasury.

“This time of year we get all our new money in we got over a hundred million dollars in. So it’s a good reason to check because you just never know. There’s over 80 thousand new names added to the data.”

Actually, Unclaimed Property isn't just some long-lost relative that put you in their will, but consists of abandoned financial assets like checking and savings accounts, unpaid wages, life insurance payouts, proceeds from safety deposit boxes, and more.

Reasons You Might Have Unclaimed Funds

Due to changes in addresses or other reasons, people may not always be aware of money owed to them when businesses attempt to return the property to the owners. Schroder says they’ve been able to identify tens of thousands of recipients who are owed money, but it could also include relatives.

“This program’s 50 years old. So it could be your aunts and uncles and grandparents so I tell people if you don’t find your name, check for your immediate family as well because it could be anybody.”

How to Find Out if You've Got Unclaimed Funds

It's easy to find out if you've got money coming to you. To find the list of Unclaimed Property owners, Schroder encourages residents in every parish to check the Legal Notices section in their local newspaper. He says this is a crucial step in reuniting residents with unclaimed funds.