Iowa State Treasurer Roby Smith announced on October 7, 2026 that the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt has surpassed $450 million returned to current and former Iowans since it began. In fiscal year 2026 it returned a record $38.2 million and paid a record 53,194 claims, 8,302 more than the year before.
Unclaimed property can include forgotten checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, utility refunds, stocks, life insurance proceeds and the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes. The Treasurer’s office holds it until the owner or heir claims it. The office says one in seven Iowans has funds in the program.
In 2026 the Treasurer launched Money Match, which automatically returns certain qualifying properties without a claim. Not all properties qualify, so the office urges people to search their name, previous names, previous addresses, businesses and family members at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov.