Proactive Owner Reunification: Minimizing Escheat & Strengthening Client Relationships

The MarketSphere team excels in locating property owners through advanced research methods and a vast global network of data resources. Once property owners are identified, we launch personalized outreach campaigns via phone, mail, and digital channels to enhance the engagement and facilitate resolution.

All contact operations, encompassing both inbound and outbound call handling, are fully managed in-house to ensure quality and consistency. This entire process is coordinated through MORT, tracking and managing each step from research to resolution.

In addition to general unclaimed property reunification, MarketSphere aids in compliance with SEC Rule 17Ad-17 by locating lost securityholders. We also provide a specialized death identification service that goes beyond standard tools such as the Death Master File.

Our proprietary mortality verification process utilizes multiple data sources to confirm decedents with high accuracy. Within the ERISA space, we support retirement plans, including pensions and 401(k)s, in locating missing participants and verifying deaths. This helps reduce fiduciary risk, enhance plan administration and ensure compliance with regulatory obligations.

Identifying and reaching rightful owners of abandoned property—such as uncashed checks or dormant accounts—helps reunite them with their assets. However, limited resources often prevent organizations from effectively locating account holders, resulting in delayed efforts that usually meet only basic legal requirements and typically resolve just 10% to 20% of cases.

A proactive owner reunification program, initiated ahead of required due diligence timelines, can dramatically decrease the number of accounts that are ultimately escheated or surrendered to a third party. MarketSphere’s Owner Reunification Service integrates people, processes, and technology to provide clients with convenient and cost-effective means to find and reconnect with disconnected owners of unclaimed assets, thereby reducing escheatment.

This service also mitigates the risks associated with managing ERISA-protected property by exceeding the missing participant guidelines set forth by the Department of Labor. Partnering with MarketSphere conserves time, internal resources, and costs related to at-risk items; lowers unclaimed property liability; establishes procedures for retaining owner and heir account activity; and develops solutions that drive action beyond mere regulatory search requirements.