Editorial policy
Editorial standards
How we source, write, review, and correct the content on this site.
Last reviewed by David Dorfman, CEO & President of CollectRefund
Purpose of our editorial content
CollectRefund publishes state guides, blog articles, and educational content to help people understand unclaimed property, what it is, how it gets escheated, where to search, and when professional help is worth it.
Our editorial mission is to be the most accurate and trustworthy public-facing resource on U.S. state unclaimed property programs. Our business depends on people trusting our content; intentionally misleading or sensationalized claims would be self-defeating.
Authorship and review
Every state guide on this site is reviewed by David Dorfman, CEO & President of CollectRefund, and carries his byline along with a ‘last reviewed’ date. Methodology and editorial-policy pages are also reviewed by the CEO before publication.
Blog posts that cite specific statutes, dollar figures, dormancy periods, or named state offices are fact-checked against the official state unclaimed property office’s published materials at the time of writing. Author bylines are attached to every blog post.
Sources we use
Primary sources: official state unclaimed property office websites (e.g. California State Controller, New York Office of the State Comptroller, Georgia Department of Revenue), state statutes (e.g. California Code of Civil Procedure §1500-1582, New York Abandoned Property Law), the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), and the multi-state aggregator MissingMoney.com.
Secondary sources: published press releases from state treasurers and controllers, BBB profiles, court filings, and reputable national reporting on unclaimed property programs.
We do not cite Wikipedia, social media posts, or anonymous tip-line sources as primary references.
Updates and accuracy
State unclaimed property programs change. Dollar totals, dormancy periods, and search portal URLs are reviewed at least quarterly. State guides display a ‘last reviewed’ date so readers know how fresh the information is.
When a state materially changes its program (e.g. a new search portal, a new dormancy period, a structural change to its escheatment law), we update the affected guide within 30 days of the change taking effect.
Corrections policy
If we publish a factual error, we correct it as soon as it is verified. For substantive corrections, wrong dollar figure, wrong statute citation, wrong agency name, etc., we update the page and add a brief correction note dated to the day of the fix.
Minor edits (typos, formatting, broken links) are made silently and do not require a correction note.
If you’ve spotted an error, please contact us. We treat reader corrections seriously and turn them around quickly.
AI and automation disclosure
We use software automation to monitor state databases, format published data into readable summaries, and assist with editorial drafts. All published content is reviewed by a human editor, and where it concerns specific statutes, dollar figures, or recovery procedures, by the CEO, before going live.
We do not publish raw, unreviewed AI-generated content as authoritative guidance.
Advertising and conflict of interest
CollectRefund does not run paid display ads on this site. Educational content is not influenced by external advertisers because there are none.
CollectRefund is itself a recovery firm, we have a financial interest in some readers becoming clients. We disclose this transparently and explicitly note in every state guide that the reader can file directly with the state at no cost.
Submit a correction
Spotted an error in one of our state guides or blog posts? Email us with the page URL and the specific correction. We confirm receipt within one business day and post substantive corrections with a dated note.