Over the past few years, the management of unclaimed assets have come to the fore and has been subject to scrutiny by the media and the government. As a consequence, the UK now looks set to adopt "escheatment" laws, such as those that are in place in the USA and Australia, amongst others, giving the state the power to claim unclaimed assets if the companies holding these assets fail to identify and return them to their rightful owners. Asset reunification is becoming essential to good corporate governance. It makes sense for a company to be clear about the status of all its investors. Equally, any programme designed to resume contact with stakeholders can act as indirect marketing, with a significant impact on the bottom line. Additionally, bearing in mind the cost of managing, for example, one investor on a share register, ensuring that your investor data is up to date will have a sigificant financial impact on your business. © 2007 Trust Research Services Ltd. Last updated: January 3, 2008