In 2025, Treasury returns nearly $60 million in unclaimed property, delivers solid investment returns, and saves taxpayers over $100 million through strategic debt management.

In 2025, Oregon State Treasury (OST) Treasury staff supported the financial wellbeing of Oregonians through a number of major accomplishments, despite federal actions that injected uncertainty into a struggling national economy and placed financial strain on the budgets of many households across the state.

"Last year, Treasury continued to help Oregonians grow their savings for retirement and education, build schools and roads in their communities, and reclaim lost property," State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner said. "At a time when the federal government is turning its back on so many Oregon residents and businesses, I’m proud that Treasury remains a reliable partner Oregonians can count on to strengthen their financial wellbeing."

Protecting retirees from investment risks

The Climate Resilience Investment Act (CRIA), championed by Treasurer Steiner with support from all public employee unions, was signed into law providing statutory support for profitable climate positive investments and reduce exposure to risks from fossil fuels. Treasurer Steiner continued to advocate for Oregonians during federal disruptions and released her investment principles that will inform her approach moving forward.

Returning Money to Oregonians

OST returned over $59.9 million in unclaimed property to rightful owners through more than 61,000 claims. The Holder Reporting team collected nearly $175 million from over 35,000 reports during the 2025 reporting season. The division also implemented the Foreclosure Surplus bill (HB 2089), launched a streamlined web intake form for estates reporting, and began preparing to process cryptocurrency assets.

Strong Investment Performance

The Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund (OPERF) beat the PERS system's assumed rate of return of 6.9% across all timeframes for the period ending September 30, 2025, with 1-year performance at 6.92%, 5-year at 8.85%, and 10-year at 8.20%. The Common School Fund achieved an 11.4% one-year return, outperforming its benchmark, with nearly $1 billion distributed to Oregon public K-12 schools over the past 15 years.

Education Savings Incentive for Young Families Quadruples

OST quadrupled the education savings incentive to $100 for young families in the popular Baby Grad and Kinder Grad programs, providing an added boost to start saving. The increased incentive contributed to a strong year for Embark, which brought in upwards of $280 million in contributions to more than 147,000 accounts from across the state, ending 2025 with $3.8 billion in assets under management.

Smart Debt Management Saves Taxpayers

Despite significant market volatility, OST completed seven bond issuances totaling over $2 billion in spring and fall 2025. Strategic timing and pricing saved Oregon taxpayers more than $100 million in debt servicing costs while funding critical projects including housing ($151.64 million), higher education ($513.72 million), veterans programs ($49.72 million), general government needs ($1.03 billion), and lottery-backed initiatives ($555.1 million).

Looking ahead to 2026, Treasurer Steiner said, “In the coming year, Treasury will stay focused on growing assets for Oregonians in the funds we manage, reducing investment risks—especially from greenhouse gas emissions—and giving more Oregonians tools to achieve their dreams.”