Illinois State Treasurer’s Office News Releases

About 40 high school students posing with Treasurer Frerichs

Naperville Central, Neuqua Valley High Schools Take Top Spots in Statewide Financial Literacy Contest, Win Bright Start College Savings Scholarships

Key Points: VIDEO is available here: Additional video available here: A team of four students from Naperville Central High School will compete in the National Personal Finance Challenge in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 31-June 1 after winning a statewide financial literacy contest sponsored by Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs. Naperville Central students Harsh Patel, Krish Patel, Taran Nathan and Rohan Jain outscored nine other teams in the finals of the Illinois Personal Finance Challenge. The contest is designed to provide students with an opportunity to build, apply, and demonstrate…

Read MoreNaperville Central, Neuqua Valley High Schools Take Top Spots in Statewide Financial Literacy Contest, Win Bright Start College Savings Scholarships
A field of yellow-green wheat, with trees and the sky taking up part of the frame

Treasurer Michael Frerichs Opens 2026 Cream of the Crop Photography Contest for Young Illinois Residents

Top Winners Will Receive $1,000 Bright Start College Savings Scholarships Key Points: Young people ages 8 to 18 are eligible for the photo contest, which focuses on Illinois agriculture. First-, second-, and third-place winners in each of three age categories will receive Bright Start scholarships of up to $1,000. Entry deadline is June 12, 2026. Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs is calling on young Illinois photographers to submit their agriculture-related photos for the 2026 Cream of the Crop Photography Contest . Winners in three different age categories will be awarded…

Read MoreTreasurer Michael Frerichs Opens 2026 Cream of the Crop Photography Contest for Young Illinois Residents
Treasurer Frerichs returns a Purple Heart medal to the daughter of a World War II veteran

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs Returns WWII Purple Heart Medal Earned by Chicago Soldier

VIDEO, SOUND BITES, B-ROLL FOR MEDIA USE AVAILABLE HERE Ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is announcing the return of a missing Purple Heart medal to the family of a World War II veteran who loved to celebrate his Irish heritage every March 17. Little is known about how Russell J. Reilly lost his right leg in combat other than the simple, short explanation he offered his daughter: saving a friend. “No one leaves the battlefield without scars, and Mr. Reilly’s was more visible than most,” Frerichs…

Read MoreIllinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs Returns WWII Purple Heart Medal Earned by Chicago Soldier
Treasurer Frerichs with the 8 recipients of awards in honor of Women's History Month 2026

Treasurer Michael Frerichs Presents Awards to Eight Illinois Leaders in Honor of Women’s History Month

Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today hosted a celebration to commemorate Women’s History Month and pay tribute to the enduring impact of women in shaping history and benefiting society. The event, held in the Illinois Room at 555 W. Monroe St. in Chicago, was an opportunity to reflect on the great achievements and ongoing contributions of women leaders in Illinois. The eight honorees included a senior vice president at Old National Bank, the CEO of Feeding America, the president and CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank, a retired Illinois State…

Read MoreTreasurer Michael Frerichs Presents Awards to Eight Illinois Leaders in Honor of Women’s History Month
Treasurer Frerichs stands at a podium as four people, including one using a wheelchair, are beside him

State Treasurer Frerichs Announces 250,000 More Illinoisans with Disabilities Eligible for ABLE Accounts

Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs today announced that an estimated 250,000 Illinoisans with a disability are now eligible to open ABLE accounts that allow them to save and invest money to improve the quality of life without risking federal benefits. The A chieving a B etter L ife E xperience (ABLE) Act, which Congress passed in 2014, required that people had to have acquired their disability before their 26th birthday. A change in the law, effective this year, raised the age limit to before a person’s 46th birthday, meaning about 6…

Read MoreState Treasurer Frerichs Announces 250,000 More Illinoisans with Disabilities Eligible for ABLE Accounts