How to Check if You Have Unclaimed Money

YOU MAY HAVE TREASURE WAITING TO BE CLAIMED THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES SAYS IT HAS 4 AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF ABANDONED PROPERTY JUST WAITING FOR THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS TO CLAIM THAT INCLUDES 750,000 ACCOUNTS IN THE FORT MYERS, NAPLES AREA. AND THAT'S ACCORDING TO CFO BLAISE INGOGLIA AND GO YES. OFFICE LAUNCHED A NEW PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO HELP YOU FIND OUT IF YOU HAVE UNCLAIMED PROPERTY IN FLORIDA, THE PROPERTY CAN BE ANYTHING FROM AN UNCASHED CHECK TO TANGIBLE ITEMS THAT WERE LEFT IN ABANDONED, SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES, ONE BUSINESS AS THEY HELP CONSUMERS TRYING TO CASH IN ON UNCLAIMED PROPERTY. WE ARE NOW JOINED BY MALDONADO, THE CEO OF A NATIONWIDE ASSET RECOVERY BUSINESS. WE CLAIM DOT ORG. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US FROM MIAMI TODAY. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. >> LET'S START WITH WHAT'S CALLED SENATE BILL 1452. AND HOW THE STATE IS INFORMING PEOPLE THAT THEY MAY HAVE UNCLAIMED MONEY. CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA ABOUT WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS BILL? >> YEAH, SURE. SO A COUPLE OF BIG WINS BEFORE THE STATE WOULD NOT NOTIFY FOLKS FOR ANY CLAIMS UNDER $1000. AND NOW THAT'S THAT'S CHANGING, TOO, WHERE, YOU KNOW. FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO BE NOTIFIED A BETTER. BASICALLY THERE'S THERE'S THERE'S MORE REPORTING FROM BOTH. THE BUSINESS IS REPORTING THAT MONEY AS WELL AS THE STATE TRYING TO NOTIFY FOLKS INDIVIDUALLY. SO THAT'S ONE THING. AND THEN THE SECOND IS THAT $50 OR MORE GETS A DIRECT NOTIFICATION ATTEMPT FROM THE STATE PRESIDENT FOR THAT NUMBER WAS $250. SOME ARE SO IF YOU HAVE $50 OR MORE SITTING, YOU KNOW, AS I'M CLAY MONEY WITH THE STATE YOU YOU WILL NOW RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION OR SHOULD RECEIVE A NOTIFICATION FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA. >> WHY IS THIS SO IMPORTANT FOR FLORIDIANS TO BE AWARE OF? >> WELL, I THINK NOW MORE THAN EVER WE HAVE A STRUGGLING ECONOMY. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF JOB INSECURITY AND TO KNOW THAT THERE IS POTENTIALLY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS SITTING OUT THERE IN YOUR NAME IN THE HANDS OF GOVERNMENT. IT'S KIND OF A BIG DEAL. YOU KNOW, IT CAN MEAN THE FOLKS GET TO PAY THEIR RENT ON TIME. AND YOU CAN MEAN THAT THEY JUST HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA BREATHING ROOM FINANCIALLY. SO THAT THERE'S MORE MONEY THAN EVER. THAT IS THE SON CLAY. AND THEN WE THINK THAT AMERICANS SHOULD GET IT BACK. >> NOW I READ THAT FLORIDA'S CFO BLAZE IN GOAL YET RETURNED 847 MILLION DOLLARS. 2 RESIDENTS IN BETWEEN JULY OF 2025. AND THIS YEAR, HIS FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE. BUT BILLIONS REMAIN. CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THESE DOLLARS END UP IN THE STATE'S POSSESSION TO BEGIN WITH AND GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES. >> YEAH, OF COURSE. SO. >> YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE IT CAN BE MANY DIFFERENT REASONS ANYWHERE FROM LIKE A FORGOTTEN BANK ACCOUNT YOU KNOW, AN CLAIMS STOCK THAT YOU HAD IN THE COMPANY OR MAYBE AN UNCASHED CHECK FROM A PAST EMPLOYER. IN OUR CASE, WE DEAL WITH A LOT OF FOLKS WHO IT'S ABOUT ACTUALLY THERE IN MIAMI. BUT IT WAS A FAMILY MEMBERS WHO PASSED AWAY AND NEVER LEFT A WILL OR TRUST OR WHAT HAVE YOU. AND SO THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THAT MONEY. SO IT IT REALLY RANGES. ANY KIND OF FINANCIAL ACCOUNT IS KIND OF A UP FOR GRABS, IF YOU WILL. BUT THE THOSE ARE THE MOST POPULAR THAT WE SEE INCLUDING LIFE INSURANCE BOSSES. >> NOW, JUST RECENTLY, SEPTEMBER 15TH, THE STATE OF FLORIDA DID LAUNCH A WEBSITE CLAIM YOUR CASH FL DOT GOV TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS FO FOR FLORIDIANS TO SEE IF THEY DO HAVE ABANDONED PROPERTY. AND IT'S WHERE YOU CAN FIND OUT FOR FREE. IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE AND YOU CAN START THE PROCESS THEY'VE PREVIOUSLY DONE THIS UNDER ANOTHER WEBSITE. HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY TIE IN AND WORK WITH WHAT THE STATE OF FLORIDA ALREADY DOES? >> YES, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THE STATE OF FLORIDA BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF EFFORT AND RESOURCES INTO MAKING THIS WHOLE PROCESS MORE DISCOVERABLE FOR PEOPLE. AND THAT INVOLVES THEIR RECENT WEBSITE. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CLAIMS ARE VERY EASY TO FIND AND FILE AND CLAIM. AND THAT'S THAT'S FANTASTIC. WERE WHERE WE COME IN IS, YOU KNOW, FOR MORE COMPLICATED ASSETS THAT MAY HAVE MORE THAN ONE OWNER TO IT OR PERHAPS IT'S AN ACCOUNT FROM A LONG TIME AGO THAT FOLKS DON'T REALLY HAVE THE PROOF OF ACCOUNT FOR OR PROOF OF ADDRESS BECAUSE THEY'VE MOVED FROM THEN. SO WE HANDLE, YOU KNOW, ALL TYPES OF CLAIMS, BUT TYPICALLY WHAT WHAT FOLKS MOST RELY UPON US IS IS THE COMPLEX ONES THAT INVOLVE PROVING TO THE SAY, HEY, I AM IN FACT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT OF CANDOR AND IN THIS MONEY, EVEN THOUGH I CAN'T PROVE IT, THAT'S WHERE WE KIND OF PICK UP THE SLACK AND MAKE IT STREAMLINED AS POSSIBLE FOR FOLKS. >> ALL RIGHT. IT IS GREAT INFORMATION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. RICKY MALDONADO. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.