The holidays always sneak up on me. One minute we’re cruising through fall and the next thing you know, we’re juggling gifts, travel plans, and end-of-year bills. That’s why this caught my attention again recently, because I completely forgot about it until now.
I Remember Seeing This on TikTok Years Ago
A few years back, I remember seeing a TikTok about checking for unclaimed money. You know the kind, someone typing in their name and suddenly finding out the state owed them cash. I remember thinking, “That’s cool,” and then immediately forgetting about it like most of us do.
Fast forward to now, and I’m realizing just how real this actually is.
Texas Is Holding Billions in Unclaimed Money
The Texas Comptroller’s Office says the state is currently holding more than $10.5 billion in unclaimed property. Even wilder, $185.3 million of that belongs to people right here in El Paso County. That money is not a loan, not a scam, and not government cash. It already belongs to real people who just never claimed it.
Acting Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock put it plainly: every dollar in the Unclaimed Property program belongs to a Texan, not the government. And especially around the holidays, even a small amount could make a real difference.
What “Unclaimed Property” Actually Means
This is not treasure buried somewhere. It is usually pretty boring stuff, but boring money still spends the same. We are talking about forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance refunds, utility deposits, or old accounts tied to places you lived years ago…