Ana C. Ward is available for comment on unclaimed property policy, reform, and the structural conflicts of interest documented in her research.
Who She Is
Ana C. Ward is a Texas attorney with thirty years of experience, licensed in Texas, California, New York, and Massachusetts, and registered with the USPTO. She is the founder of the Unclaimed Property Owners Network at upon.fyi and the author of the forthcoming field guide Taken: How to Rescue Your Money.
What She Has Found
The official unclaimed property websites of Texas and California are powered by Kelmar Associates — the same private company that conducts contingency fee collection audits for state unclaimed property programs.
Kelmar Associates also operates MissingMoney.com, the national unclaimed property search database endorsed by NAUPA, and provides claims processing and call center services to multiple states.
A substantial percentage of Texas unclaimed property records contain insufficient identifying information to be claimed — a finding the Texas Comptroller's office confirmed it could not quantify without building a new database.
The unclaimed property claims process imposes documented learning costs, compliance costs, and psychological costs on claimants that states have never systematically studied or attempted to reduce.
What She Has Done
April 14, 2026 — Transmitted a formal written inquiry to NAUPA's full leadership raising five questions about conflicts of interest, data governance, and the structural asymmetry between collection and reunification infrastructure.
April 2026 — Filed open records requests in Nebraska, Indiana, California, Maryland, and Delaware seeking documentation of state outreach efforts and barrier reduction initiatives.
Upon.fyi — Founded the Unclaimed Property Owners Network, a consumer advocacy organization for unclaimed property owners.
Taken: How to Rescue Your Money — Forthcoming field guide to unclaimed property, including the first systematic taxonomy of claim types and claimant skill requirements.
What She Is Saying
"The same private company that profits from maximizing collection is running the websites through which owners try to claim their money back. That is not a vendor relationship. That is vertical integration of a public program by a private company with a financial interest in one specific outcome."
"The states have built world class infrastructure for collecting your money. They have built almost nothing to help you get it back."
"You did nothing wrong. They should have found you. They shouldn't have this money in the first place."
"If the states aren't trying to get money back to MakeAWish, they are definitely not trying to get your money back to you."
Contact: press@upon.fyi
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