Zweifel Urges Missourians to Check if They Have Unclaimed US Savings Bonds

Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel today announced Missourians can search on his website to see if he is holding a U.S. Savings Bond that bears their name. These bonds came to the Treasurer as Unclaimed Property in abandoned safe deposit boxes. Treasurer Zweifel currently holds more than 7,800 savings bonds for thousands of individuals and wants to reconnect them with their bonds. If you believe the Treasurer may hold an unclaimed U.S. Savings Bond for you, you can search treasurer.mo.gov/UnclaimedProperty/SavingsBondsSearch.aspx and begin the process of claiming your bond.

“I want to let Missourians know that I am taking all steps necessary to collect and return these U.S. Savings Bonds or their proceeds to individuals whose names appear on the bonds,” Treasurer Zweifel said. “If you believe you are one of these individuals, I encourage you to search treasurer.mo.gov/UnclaimedProperty/SavingsBondsSearch.aspx, and remember you can always search for any Unclaimed Property at ShowMeMoney.com.”

As required by Missouri law, Treasurer Zweifel has begun proceedings in the Circuit Court of Cole County to gain title to certain matured U.S. Savings Bonds, some of which he currently holds as Unclaimed Property. These proceedings also seek title to U.S. Savings Bonds that have been lost, stolen or destroyed and registered to people with last known addresses in Missouri. These proceedings are a necessary first step for Treasurer Zweifel to get Missourians their bond proceeds from the U.S. Treasury. If you currently own a matured U.S. Saving Bond held as Unclaimed Property, you may soon receive a letter from Treasurer Zweifel notifying you of your bond and explaining more about the Treasurer’s proceedings.

“The U.S. Treasury holds billions of dollars in proceeds from matured and payable U.S. Savings Bonds, but has failed to make sufficient efforts to notify bondholders that they are owed funds,” Treasurer Zweifel said. “States are uniquely positioned to return these proceeds, utilizing their successful efforts in returning Unclaimed Property to their respective citizens.”

If you have questions about unclaimed U.S. Savings Bonds, you can contact Treasurer Zweifel’s office at ucp@treasurer.mo.gov. The website, treasurer.mo.gov/UnclaimedProperty/SavingsBondsSearch.aspx, also includes helpful FAQs that provide answers about U.S. Savings Bonds in general as well as the proceedings currently underway.