Newsroom

McRae: Meet Us at the Fair!

By Treasurer David McRae

Your Treasury is heading back to the Trade Mart this week for the State Fair, and we couldn’t be more excited! Our Unclaimed Money and College Savings teams will be there, ready to assist you from 11AM to 5PM every day of the Fair (except Sunday). If meeting our team isn’t enough reason to stop by, read on to learn about some cash we’ll be distributing over the next week or so!

One of the Treasury’s most important responsibilities is returning unclaimed money to Mississippians. But what is unclaimed money? Good question! It is cash, checks, stocks, security deposits, and more that go unclaimed for at least five years. With no obvious owner, businesses and financial institutions send the money to the state, and we set out to find the rightful owner.

About one in 10 people have unclaimed money. Sometimes, it’s a few bucks. Other times, it can be thousands of dollars. Regardless of the amount, it almost always surprises those who find it. For example, my team held an event at Brandon City Hall earlier this month. For the 100 people who attended, $20,000 was reclaimed! We’re going to help fairgoers find their money too. Stop by our booth, and our unclaimed money team will go to work trying to find cash in your name. Of course, you can always search the unclaimed money list on your own anytime. Just visit treasury.ms.gov/search.  It’s that easy.

If that’s not enough of an incentive, you might want to talk with our College Savings Mississippi team too. With college costs rising quickly, every bit can help. Stop by to sign up for a chance to win one of two $500 scholarships during the State Fair.

These scholarships will be given out in the form of a Mississippi Affordable College Savings (MACS) account. MACS allows families to start saving for college with as little as a $25 contribution. Once you open the account, your deposits will have the opportunity to grow over time, compounding the benefits of each dollar saved!

If you’re looking for an even bigger boost, talk to our team in person about a Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (MPACT) plan. MPACT allows families to lock in today’s tuition rates and pre-pay their child’s college education. Imagine being free of debt by graduation day!

Whether you’d like to search for cash, enter to win a scholarship, or get your Treasury-related questions answered on the spot, please take a moment to visit our booth in the Trade Mart during this year’s State Fair. My team and I are here to serve you.

Of course, if you don’t make it to the Fair this year, you can always reach us online at treasury.ms.gov or by phone at (601) 359-3600.

Have a great time at the State Fair!