Colorado Treasurer wants to help put money in your pocket with payback program
Funds are tight for many Coloradans, and a state-run program is helping you get more of your money back in your pocket. It's called the Great Colorado Payback.
Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young says he wants to ensure residents are reunited with unclaimed funds.
"The treasury is actually giving you money. It's your money," Young told CBS Colorado. "It's money you've been separated from. It might have been a last paycheck, or deposit on utility. Sometimes it's a substantial amount of money and we want to be sure that you're aware that. We have over $2 billion, and you can claim it. We've reunited people with $160 million this year."
Young says it's personal for him as well. "My grandmother took out a life insurance policy, and we didn't know it, and the checks didn't arrive at the right location so we could claim life insurance proceeds. It made a big difference in my parents' life to get this money," he explained.
The payback program is part of a larger effort nationwide to help people get some extra cash.
"People can go to Unclaimed.org or MissingMoney.com," Young said. "You can click on states where you've lived and check to see if you've left some money behind. It's all across the nation, and we have states and provinces in Canada as well."
In Colorado, the average claim is $918. The Treasurer says every bit counts and makes a difference in bank accounts.
"We've had people; they were destitute, and it made a big, big difference in their ability to make ends meet," Young said. "In this day and age where inflation is high, affordability is tough, people are scraping for any additional money they can get. It's always a joy to discover you have some money."
To discover your unclaimed money, visit the Colorado Treasurer's website.
There are in-person options as well. The Colorado Department of Treasury will have booths at the upcoming July 22 Colorado Rockies game, the Pueblo Chile Fest in the fall, and the Home and Garden Show in Denver in 2027.
