Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt

Is there a treasure waiting for you? It happens all the time. People move and forget to notify their bank or broker of their new address. Or they leave a job and never go back to pick up their last paycheck. Or they buy stock in a company, put the certificate in a "safe" place - and then forget it. Could it have possibly happened to you?

That's why former State Auditor Gus Wingfield created The Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt. To help Arkansans like you receive money that is rightfully yours. Names and address of 53,000 new owners were collected during the 2000-2001 fiscal year. More than 6,000 of these claims are valued at $400 or more.

Find out if you might be one of the thousands of Arkansans the State Auditor's Office is looking for. Visit either the Great Arkansas Treasure Hunt website or Auditor Jim Wood's website, or Call 1-800-Claim It

Don't let your assets be declared abandoned

• Keep a record of all bank accounts.
• Indicate your interest in and awareness of all accounts by contacting the holder at least every four years.
• Record all stock certificates and be sure to cash all dividends received.
• Record all utility deposits, including telephone deposits.
• Respond in writing to any requests for confirmation of account balances with banks, stockbrokers and utility companies.
• If you have a safe-deposit box, record the name of the bank and the number of the account - and give an extra key to a trusted family member or friend.
• Prepare a checklist of all accounts to be notified when you change your address. Share this list with a family member or trusted advisor.