2026

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

Change in Law Increases Age from 26 to 46 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 Achieving a Better Life Experience (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…

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Aerial view of Frerichs family farm

Connectivity Creates Competitiveness

I recently read a description of an outhouse: A small building a hundred feet from your house that’s a hundred feet too far in the winter, and a hundred feet too close in the summer. This reminded me of a conversation I had with Dad a few years ago. I grew up with indoor plumbing. Every friend I knew had indoor plumbing. My father did not until he was about 8. Before then, he had to use an outhouse and bed pans. This shocked me. Although I knew indoor plumbing…

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Treasurer Frerichs at a Rockford press conference on Charitable Trust grants

Treasurer Michael Frerichs Unveils $200,000 in Grants to 10 Small Nonprofits Throughout Illinois

Help on the Way to Chicago, Champaign, Metro East, Rockford, Kankakee, Mount Vernon, Oak Park, Lombard, Freeport Key Points: Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today unveiled nearly $200,000 in Charitable Trust grants to 10 small nonprofits that help people stay in their homes and get job training. “We are helping people who need a helping hand at a time when so many folks are struggling due to higher costs and as our federal government yanks away lifelines,” Treasurer Frerichs said at a news conference in Rockford. “I’m proud to partner…

Read MoreTreasurer Michael Frerichs Unveils $200,000 in Grants to 10 Small Nonprofits Throughout Illinois
Treasurer Frerichs poses with the recipients of Black History Month awards for 2026

State Treasurer Michael Frerichs Presents Awards to Downstate Leaders in Honor of Black History Month

Springfield Lanphier High School Girls Basketball Coach, Award-Winning Children’s Book Author from O’Fallon, President of NAACP Peoria, Carbondale Mayor, Among Those Who Are Recognized for Their Contributions SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs today hosted a celebration to commemorate Black History Month and honor leaders in the African American community. The event, held at the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office in the Marine Bank Building in downtown Springfield, was an opportunity to reflect on the great achievements of Black leaders. The eight Downstate Illinois honorees included a Springfield dentist, the…

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a group of men and women dressed in professional clothes standing at a table of memorabilia

Got a Question at 3 a.m.? Abe Can Lend a Hand

Last fall, I had the honor of attending an event for the 150th anniversary of a family-owned business. Oswald’s Pharmacy in Naperville has been in the same family for six generations. At an event marking the milestone, a family member said the business used to be open 365 days a year. He calculated that it was open 22,000 straight days before a later generation finally decided to close on Christmas. That tale of dedication got me thinking about my family. For many years, they operated a dairy farm. Cows don’t…

Read MoreGot a Question at 3 a.m.? Abe Can Lend a Hand