State Treasury to return $7 million in unclaimed funds directly to Oregonians

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner announced Friday that the Treasury will return about $7 million in unclaimed property this month to about 13,000 people as part of the agency’s 2026 “Checks Without Claims” initiative.

Typically, people need to file a claim with Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program to receive their unclaimed funds. Through “Checks Without Claims,” Treasury can proactively identify eligible owners of unclaimed property and return their funds without requiring them to file a claim.

Checks ranging from $50 to $10,000 will be mailed this month, with a letter from the Treasurer. Recipients were notified in September that they may have unclaimed property. The funds were reported in 2024 by businesses and organizations that could not return them to their rightful owners. Common examples of unclaimed property include uncashed checks, forgotten bank accounts, tax refunds, credit balances, investment accounts, and payroll checks.

Treasurer Steiner said, “At Treasury, we believe money belongs in Oregonians' pockets, not sitting unclaimed. Checks Without Claims is a simple, efficient way to fulfill our mission of reconnecting people with their money and supporting their financial well-being.”

Since the initiative began in 2020, the Unclaimed Property Program has returned about $30 million to over 70,000 people.

Oregon’s Unclaimed Property program has returned more than $745 million to owners in the last 20 years, and $1 billion more is ready to be claimed. Nearly one in seven people in the United States has unclaimed money. Treasury encourages everyone to visit the unclaimed property website, unclaimed.oregon.gov and search for their name. Funds never expire and claiming them is easy and always free.

Learn more about “Checks Without Claims” at unclaimed.oregon.gov/app/checks-without-claims. Questions about unclaimed property or this project can be sent to Oregon’s Unclaimed Property Program via claims@ost.state.or.us or by phone at 503-378-4000.

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About Oregon State Treasury 

Oregon State Treasury improves the financial well-being of all Oregonians. We provide low-cost banking, debt management, and investment programs for governments and empower Oregonians to invest in themselves and their loved ones through Upward Oregon savings programs: Embark, Oregon ABLE Savings Plan, and OregonSaves. Treasury also manages the state's Unclaimed Property Program and issues bonds that foster economic development across the state.