Nebraska State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg made a stop in Broken Bow Tuesday, Aug. 11, as part of a statewide community tour aimed at helping Nebraskans better understand the programs and services available through the State Treasurer’s Office.
Spellerberg met with members of the public during an event hosted by the Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce in the Broken Bow Public Library, where he discussed everything from unclaimed property and college savings accounts to child support payments and a new program designed to help Nebraskans save for their first home.
Spellerberg said traveling the state has been one of his priorities during his first year in office.
“One of my goals was to get out and talk to Nebraskans about the different programs and services that we offer in the Treasurer’s Office,” Spellerberg said. “There are other things we provide and services we have that are beneficial to Nebraskans.”
Spellerberg said he and his Chief of Staff, Jamie Karl, had already spent some time getting to know Broken Bow, including a stop at the Tumbleweed Cafe.
“I had hot beef,” Spellerberg joked. “So, you know, I’m having beef in Broken Bow. I think that’s a good combination, right?”
Spellerberg said he was encouraged to hear about local efforts surrounding housing, business development and population growth.
“What a great community here in Custer County,” he said. “I’m excited to hear about some of the growth and housing and focus on growing a business and growing the population.”
Spellerberg, a Fremont native, returned to Nebraska with his wife, Ashley, in 2013 to take over his family’s business after attending college in Alabama. He later served as mayor of Fremont from 2020 through 2025 before being appointed state treasurer. He was sworn into office Nov. 6, 2025.
While many Nebraskans may primarily associate the treasurer with managing state money, Spellerberg said his office oversees a number of programs that directly affect residents.
“A lot of folks think of treasurer, they think about, ‘Oh, he deals with the state’s money,’ and yes, I do,” Spellerberg said. “We have a lot of other programs that benefit Nebraskans.”
Among those responsibilities are the NEST 529 College Savings Plan, Enable Savings Plan, Nebraska’s Unclaimed Property Program, the Child Support Payment Center and the state’s spending transparency website.
Spellerberg said the office operates with a staff of 35 people.
On the state finance side, seven employees within the treasury management program handle financial transfers for Nebraska. In 2025, Spellerberg said the office handled approximately $21 billion in transactions.
The treasurer also serves on the Nebraska Investment Council, which manages approximately $43 billion in state investments, including retirement funds, endowments and operating funds.
Spellerberg also highlighted the office’s role in preventing fraudulent attempts to obtain state money. Since 2014, he said the treasury management team has stopped 249 fraudulent check attempts totaling approximately $353,000.
The problem, he said, appears to be increasing.
“Just this year alone, we had 47 attempts of that, about $100,000,” Spellerberg said.
The office works with other agencies, including the State Auditor’s Office and Nebraska State Patrol when necessary, to stop fraudulent payments before state funds are lost.
One of the programs Spellerberg spent considerable time discussing Tuesday was unclaimed property.
Under Nebraska law, money and other assets that businesses cannot return to their owners after a certain period are eventually turned over to the State Treasurer’s Office. The office then works to reunite those assets with their rightful owners.
“One in five Nebraskans have unclaimed property,” Spellerberg said, adding unclaimed property exists in all 93 counties.
Last year, nearly $20 million was returned to owners, he said. So far this year, the office has paid more than 11,000 claims totaling approximately $13.7 million, with an average claim of more than $1,100.
Custer County residents and businesses have plenty waiting to be claimed.
According to figures Spellerberg brought with him Tuesday, more than $615,000 in unclaimed property is associated with Custer County, spread across more than 6,700 properties.
“We want this money back in your communities,” Spellerberg said. “These are your citizens, your businesses in Custer County that have unclaimed property.”
Residents can search for unclaimed property through NebraskaLostCash.gov. Spellerberg encouraged Nebraskans to check periodically, suggesting residents could make searching for unclaimed property part of their annual tax routine.
He has firsthand experience with the program. Before becoming treasurer, Spellerberg discovered his family business had approximately $1,200 in unclaimed property after overpaying an employee health insurance premium.
“It can happen,” he said. “Accounts switch or things can happen.”
Spellerberg also discussed Nebraska’s NEST 529 College Savings Plan, which currently includes more than 300,000 accounts nationwide. Approximately 110,000 accounts are held for Nebraskans, and just under one in four Nebraska residents age 18 and younger have a NEST account.
In Custer County, Spellerberg said there are approximately 410 NEST 529 accounts for residents age 18 and younger.
Contributions can qualify for a Nebraska income tax deduction of up to $10,000 annually. Changes approved this year will also expand how the money can be used.
Funds can be used not only for traditional two- and four-year colleges and universities, but also for qualifying credential and certificate programs, including areas such as welding, HVAC and commercial driver’s license training.
“I think this is really going to open it up,” Spellerberg said, pointing to the need for workers in high-demand trades across Nebraska.
Since 2020, Nebraska has also provided a $50 contribution for babies born in the state through the Meadowlark Savings Pledge. Spellerberg said nearly 140,000 newborns have been included since the program began.
Another program administered through the Treasurer’s Office is the Enable Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged savings program intended for people with disabilities.
The program has more than 5,000 accounts containing approximately $65 million, Spellerberg said. Eligibility has also been expanded to include individuals whose qualifying disability occurred before age 46 rather than the previous age of 26, potentially opening the program to additional veterans, first responders and others.
Spellerberg said the accounts can play an important role in helping people with disabilities save for expenses such as housing and transportation.
The Treasurer’s Office also operates Nebraska’s Child Support Payment Center, something Spellerberg noted makes Nebraska unusual among states. Elsewhere, the responsibility typically falls under an agency similar to Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services.
The Nebraska program is marking its 25th year and processes just under $1 million in child support payments each day, Spellerberg said. Its call center handles approximately 3,300 calls each month.
Perhaps one of the newest programs discussed Tuesday was Nebraska’s first-time homebuyer savings account program.
Spellerberg said the idea grew in part from his experience as Fremont mayor and conversations about housing affordability across Nebraska.
While increasing the supply of housing remains important, he said one of the biggest obstacles for potential first-time buyers is accumulating enough money for a down payment and closing costs.
“The average age of a first-time homebuyer now in the United States is 42 years old,” Spellerberg said. “And it was 30 back in 2010.”
Beginning in January 2027, Nebraskans will be able to establish designated first-time homebuyer savings accounts at participating banks and credit unions.
An individual can contribute up to $5,000 annually for the tax benefit, while married couples can contribute up to $10,000. Qualifying contributions will receive a state income tax deduction, while earnings and qualifying withdrawals used toward a first home will also receive state tax advantages.
The accounts can also have multiple contributors for the same beneficiary. Spellerberg used the example of parents and grandparents maintaining separate accounts to help a child or grandchild eventually purchase a home.
His goal, he said, is to make saving for a first house something families begin thinking about in much the same way they already plan for college or retirement.
“We want Nebraskans to come to Broken Bow and buy a house and start a life,” Spellerberg said.
Information about the programs is available through the Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office, and Spellerberg said spreading that information is one of the main reasons he has been traveling the state.
He closed Tuesday’s event by thanking the Chamber and those who attended, describing the gathering as a “small but mighty crowd.”
“It’s been an honor to be here in Broken Bow,” Spellerberg said. “We loved being here, and thanks for this opportunity.”
