SEC — Unclaimed Fund Distributions
Statutory term: Fair Fund / Disgorgement Fund Distribution
Overview
Search for Unclaimed Property
This program provides a public search portal where you can look up unclaimed property.
Search Now →Key Statistics
Dormancy Periods
The dormancy period is how long property must be inactive before it is considered unclaimed and reported to the state.
| Property Type | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| fair_fund | None | Fair Funds established under Sarbanes-Oxley section 308(a). SEC combines civil penalties and disgorgement into a fund for distribution to harmed investors. Created since 2002. Claims period set per case by the distribution plan. |
| disgorgement_fund | None | Disgorgement-only funds (pre-2002 authority). Court-ordered return of ill-gotten gains. No dormancy period - each fund has a case-specific claims deadline set by the court or SEC. |
| unclaimed_residual | None | Unclaimed residual amounts after distribution. When distribution is not feasible or after claims deadlines pass, remaining funds are typically transferred to the U.S. Treasury general fund under 31 U.S.C. section 3302. |
Unlike state unclaimed property, SEC distributions have no dormancy period. Each enforcement action creates a separate fund with its own claims process and deadline. The SEC or a court-appointed Distribution Agent administers each fund individually. Investors are identified through brokerage records, and claims periods typically last 60-120 days from notice. After the claims period, unclaimed residual funds go to the U.S. Treasury. Since 2002 (Fair Fund authority), the SEC has distributed over 20 billion dollars cumulatively to harmed investors, with 2.7 billion dollars returned between FY2021 and FY2024 alone. In FY2024, the SEC obtained a record 8.2 billion dollars in financial remedies (6.1B disgorgement + 2.1B penalties) though only 345 million dollars was distributed to investors that year.
Finder / Helper Restrictions
Restriction Level: Moderate
Solicitation Rules: No federal statute specifically regulates solicitation for SEC distribution claims. The SEC and NASAA issue investor alerts warning about third-party asset recovery companies that solicit fraud victims. The SEC emphasizes that filing claims with the SEC, CFTC, FTC, CFPB, FINRA, and state regulators is free.