(Part 1 of 2)

Most people know Tennessee is famous for its country music and world famous barbecue, but the state is also home to one lesser-known treasure – unclaimed funds. In fact the TN Treasury Dept. adds tens of millions of dollars in Tennessee Unclaimed Money to its rolls annually, and just a fraction of it is ever reunited with the rightful owners. In turn, this mountain of cash grows bigger and bigger annually.

The TN Treasury Dept. %took in% approximately 40 million dollars in unclaimed funds in 2006 alone, and only returned $20 million to the actual owners. This means that another $20 million was thrown on top of the already swollen heap of money that continues to be unclaimed. This trend of returning only a small portion of what the state takes in is consistent across the nation because of a lack of education about these monies. The truth is, the majority of citizens are just unaware of the tens of billions out there waiting to be claimed.

States do things like publishing names every year in local newspapers of the residents who are owed cash and setting up tables at county fairs to help awareness, but the word still just reaches a tiny fraction of the population. Even among the handful who are in the know about the potential to find these lost assets, very few know where to start their search. Many fall in to the trap of thinking that any old forgotten funds web site will do, while others do not realize that they need to search more than one time. There are a lot of issues that searchers just starting out run in to, but those are the most common.

(to be continued)

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Unclaimed money in Bryan County
DO YOU HAVE UNCLAIMED MONEY? Bryan residents who have unclaimed money or safe deposit box can find out in the newest database available through bryancountynow.com.

The state has millions of