LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Scores of Kentuckians are missing out on massive amounts of money.
Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball announced Monday she's returned $150 million in unclaimed property back to Kentuckians, more than any other treasurer in the state's history.
Unclaimed property typically comes from payroll checks, safety deposit boxes, life insurance policies, stocks and vendor checks.
“Through my staff's diligent effort, we were able to return this record amount and return money to the rightful owners," she said.
However, the state's treasury is still sitting on more than $800 million in unclaimed property. Amounts range from one penny to $733,497.93, according to Ball's office.
"Really the idea is that you've just lost track of it somehow," Ball said. "Sometimes it might even be someone's passed away and you are the heir and you don't realize it."
Regardless, she says it's time for that money to get back to where it belongs.
"I love returning money back to people," she said. "This is a wonderful time to do that because it is the holidays, we are dealing with inflation. If you have some money that belongs to you, it's a great time to get it back."
How to check for unclaimed property
You can check to see if you have any unclaimed property nationally on Missing Money, or by state using secure government websites.
Both ways of checking are free of charge.
Simply search your name and if you have any unclaimed property, follow the steps to make your claim. Ball says some claims are eligible for the fast-tracking process.
"Even if you've looked in the past, check again, because we get new money that comes in all the time," she said.