Team,

In 2017, I launched the YourMoney program to proactively send unclaimed property checks to hard-working Rhode Islanders. Before I took office, people had to take the initiative to look in a database for any money they are owed by banks, utility companies, and other big corporations and then filed a claim to the state to get their own money back. If they didn't claim their money within a year, the state would spend it.

The old way of doing things was to wait around and let red tape get in the way of getting people their money. I decided to do things differently because I believe getting Rhode Islanders their money is the right thing to do and is good for the state's economy. Since we started this program, more than $80 million has been sent back to Rhode Islanders. This month, nearly 15,000 individuals and small businesses will receive a total of $2.5 million in unclaimed property checks.

We didn't have to spend a lot of money or change a bunch of laws to do this -- all it took was a willingness to be a leader where others had just done the same thing they always did.

It's simple -- this money doesn't belong to the state or to corporations, it belongs to Rhode Islanders.

Many Rhode Island residents have already received checks in the mail, and if you're wondering if you have money left to claim, you can check here.

As we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, far too many families are struggling to make ends meet, and every bit of help we can get people right now is critical.

My priority as Treasurer right now is to strengthen our economy and improve financial stability for all Rhode Islanders, and I'm grateful to have you by my side in this fight.

Thank you,

Seth