The simplest way to keep your accounts active is to vote your proxies, says Debbie Zumoff, chief compliance officer at Keane, a New York-headquartered unclaimed property consultancy.

WSJ: State Governments Eye 'Inactive' Broker Accounts

But compliance with the guidelines is far from perfect, and the panel said active removal was now the urgent topic on the agenda.

BBC: 'Urgent need' to remove space debris

The company is most likely not conducting active operations (a shell) but continues to file statements to keep it in compliance (financials, required reporting forms, etc.).

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The Air Force announced earlier this week that it is grounding a third of its active-duty fleet through September 30 due to a shortfall in funding driven by the need to bring spending into compliance with the deficit law.

FORBES: Pentagon Budget Request Sticks With Obama Priorities, Ignores Deficit Law