As the state's Treasurer, Mike Frerichs has been an aggressive watchdog of our tax dollars, using his office to put the public's money to work through smart and sound investments. Mike, who grew up in the small farming community of Gifford, Illinois, is a certified public finance officer, and he has put those skills to work to cut fees charged by Wall Street banks in half and improve investment returns for Illinois' college savings program, run his office more efficiently to save tax dollars, and provide opportunities for more Illinois workers to save for retirement.