April 2021 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs There is no doubt that the past year has been challenging. However, at the treasurer’s office, we have good news: Illinois has surpassed $1 Billion in state investment earnings since I took office. How did we do it? We worked with the…

March 2021 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs It was about one year ago that I spoke with a group of local leaders about economic development. I remember the North Central Illinois event because it was the last large, in-person gathering before COVID 19 restrictions gripped our state. While the…

February 2021 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs We have reached another milestone: A record-shattering $15 billion is invested in the state’s two most popular college savings programs, Bright Start and Bright Directions. In a short five years, we have more than doubled the amount saved for college and saved…

January 2021 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs An early holiday gift greeted Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. The non-profit social services organization will receive $8,763 in unclaimed cash that was surrendered to our office after it could not be delivered to the Des Plaines-based organization. This money is considered…

December 2020 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs Merriam-Webster’s 2020 Word of the Year is “pandemic.” Collins Dictionary chose “lockdown.” Oxford English Dictionary could not agree on just one word. These choices are not surprising. Many of us have strong opinions on COVID 19, novel coronavirus, or many other terms…

November 2020 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs Odds are that you or someone you know will receive a gift card during the holiday season. It’s easy to see why. The cards are easy to purchase and (typically) easy to use. They can be the perfect gift for that difficult-to-buy-for-friend or a great stocking stuffer for a college…

October 2020 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs Unclaimed property might be one of the state’s most misunderstood programs. Most people I know are convinced they know the exact location of their money and valuables. Yet, the state treasurer’s office safeguards more than $3.5 Billion in misplaced investment accounts, bank safe deposit boxes, and unpaid life insurance policies…

September 2020 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs COVID-19 continues to challenge us, especially children and parents as they determine how school and learning works best for them. For too many families, however, uncertainty about the school year is not the only challenge. This pandemic’s economic fallout is felt hardest by those with only a high school education…

August 2020 Treasurer’s Note by Treasurer Michael Frerichs $1 Billion. That is the record-shattering amount of money we returned to Illinoisans and their families since taking office in 2015. It is the most that has been returned in any five-year period in the program’s 58-year history. We accomplished this historic (and personal) goal by working smarter. The results…