4 - Jewish E-Books

op- ed
You May Already Be a
“Winner”!
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF UNCLAIMED FUNDS GATHERING DUST
We have all seen those sweepstakes
ads that say you may
have won $10,000 or a brand
new car. Realistically, however,
the chances of your winning these are slim to
none. Well, in New York State, we are sitting
on $11 billion in 26 million different accounts,
and some of it may already be yours. And
we’re not kidding!
Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars
in unclaimed funds are turned over to the
from a wide variety of sources: dormant bank
accounts, un-refunded utility deposits, for-
cards, life insurance policies that were never
cashed in, or tax refund checks that never
found their way home.
When the rightful owners don’t claim their
money, the law requires companies, after a
certain period of time, to turn the money over
efforts to inform the public that we are holding
abandoned or unclaimed property. We’ve
been to dozens of fairs, conferences, town
hall meetings, senior events, and other
venues statewide with our Unclaimed Funds
booth, where people can check to see if
we’re holding any of their unclaimed money.
In addition, we’ve made it even easier to
get your money back through our new online
New Yorkers claim their funds in six easy
steps, and get their money back in up to 10
business days.
STATE COMPTROLLER THOMAS P.
DINAPOLI-
the operations of all State agencies and
local governments; managing the State’s
$146.9 billion pension fund; overseeing
the New York State and Local Retirement
System; reviewing the State and NYC
budgets; approving State contracts; and
administering the State’s payroll and central
accounting system.
Last year, we reunited $296 million with
their rightful owners. While we occasionally
process claims for thousands of dollars, most
even a single unclaimed fund account in the
money might belong to you.
holding your abandoned property, and to
claim your money, is by following these easy
steps:
Visit my website at www.osc.state.ny.us
and click on “Search for Unclaimed Funds.”
Enter the Last Name and First Name or
Company Name that you want to search for
unclaimed funds. Review the search results
for items that match your search criteria.
After you select the item you wish to claim
from the search results, if the item is eligible
to be claimed online, you will be asked
to answer a few questions. Based upon
your answers, and the information we have
in our system about the item, you may be
given the option to claim it online. Step-bystep
instructions are provided throughout the
process.
If you choose not to claim online, or if the
item is not eligible to be claimed that way,
select the item you wish to claim from the
search results, and then select the “Mail
Form” link. After you enter the required
information, print and sign the form. Have
your signature notarized and attach all the
required documentation. Mail your com-
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26 AMI MAGAZINE // DECEMBER 7, 2011 // 11 KISLEV, 5772