Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced that the Pennsylvania Treasury returned more than $135 million in unclaimed property during 2021. Treasury also returned 229 military decorations and memorabilia to veterans or their families.

“Treasury has more than $4 billion in unclaimed property - and I will work tirelessly to get it back to the people it rightfully belongs to,” Garrity said. “This money is owed to hardworking Pennsylvanians across the state, and I encourage everyone to visit our website to see if you have any unclaimed property waiting to be returned.”

To search the Pennsylvania Treasury’s unclaimed property database, visit patreasury.gov/unclaimed-property.

Treasury also has a dedicated unclaimed property database to help reunite veterans and their families with military decorations and memorabilia. The 229 pieces returned in 2021 included two Purple Hearts and one Bronze Star, which were returned to veterans’ families.

Unclaimed property can include dormant bank accounts, abandoned stocks, uncashed checks and more. Property is always available for the rightful owner to claim. Tangible property may be auctioned after three years, but proceeds remain available to claim in perpetuity.

Military decorations and memorabilia - often turned over to Treasury from abandoned or forgotten safe deposit boxes - are never auctioned and remain in the vault for safekeeping until a veteran or their family is found.

“One in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed unclaimed property, and the average value of a claim is $1,500,” Garrity said. “That can make a huge difference for a family trying to make ends meet.”

To prevent your money from becoming unclaimed property:

• Inform financial institutions of any address changes.

• Communicate with financial institutions at least once every three years.

• Keep up-to-date records of bank accounts, stocks, insurance policies, safe deposit boxes, and all other financial information.

• Tell a family member or trusted adviser where you keep your financial records.

• Cash all checks as you receive them.