Many Hoosiers are discovering that luck isn’t the only way to find unexpected funds. If you’ve been eyeing that brand new grill for your back porch, maybe it’s time you check in with the state government. After all, there’s nothing to lose but unclaimed money.

The Indy Star recently posted a story about unclaimed property in Indiana. According to state records, Attorney General Greg Zoeller’s office has more than $350 million in unclaimed assets.

“Almost all of this is cash, and there’s a lot of it,” [Zoeller] said. “The largest amounts are in stocks and securities, but there’s a lot of insurance companies that owe people money, too.”

To bring public awareness, Zoeller has been traveling statewide encouraging Indiana residents to not only look up their own names, but the names of further family, friends and neighbors. Claims range in value, but for one family at least, $18,000 in retirement benefits is simply waiting to be retrieved.

Who needs the lottery when you’ve got money with your name on it?

Ironically, as excited as Hoosiers may be with this discovery, our lack of awareness represents a serious disservice. After all, who knows how long the money has been sitting around? Given the economic hardships that have fallen upon many individuals, this cash may have come in handy weeks, months or even years ago. The more important question, though, is why does the state need citizens to request their unclaimed funds?

The current system may appear sufficient—just type in your name and see what you are owed. But why does the Attorney General need to ask Hoosiers to visit a website when the state is practically in constant contact with citizens? Every time you receive a tax bill, update your drivers license, register to vote, pay a traffic ticket, submit a change of address form or receive any official correspondence the government has to look up your name. Why can’t these systems automatically include a notice about unclaimed funds?

Although such a fix might be easy to describe, change is tough to embrace. We cannot improve the experience by simply describing a better outcome  but instead by understanding the process.

Your business operation might not be as big as the Indiana unclaimed property division, but you likely have business processes that don’t leverage what you already do. Slaughter Development helps organizations improve business process by empowering your stakeholders. We may not be the lottery, but we’ll help you hit the jackpot. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you cash in on productivity in your office.

Not sure if you have unclaimed assets in Indiana? Visit www.indianaunclaimed.com or call the Unclaimed Property Division toll-free 24 hours a day at (866) 462-5246 (IN-CLAIM).

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