Old 401(k)s move. We follow them.
Whether you put in a lot, a little or nothing, your employer may have put money in for you. Plans merge, close and move accounts, so it isn't always easy to find. We follow it to whoever holds it today.
- 12.8 million yearly plan reports read, 2009 to 2025
- 1.8 million plans followed through mergers and closings
- 301,000 moves of money between plans traced
Settling a family member’s affairs?
Free search and letters. Flat fee, never a share.
We never ask for or keep Social Security numbers, birth dates or account numbers. A search keeps only the employer names and years you type. What we keep
How it works
- Search by employer and years. We match the employer to its plans in 17 years of Department of Labor filings, including plans that merged, ended or stopped filing.
Send the letter we draft. Federal law (ERISA) gives the plan 30 days to send your documents and 90 days to decide a claim. You sign and mail it yourself.
Track the reply. Enter the date you mailed it. We show the deadlines and add them to your calendar. If the plan goes quiet, the Department of Labor's advisors help for free, or a case manager drafts the follow-ups.
Who uses Attovar
You left a job
Short jobs, company mergers and small balances are where money gets lost. How to find an old 401(k)
After a loved one passes
Retirement accounts usually pass outside the will, so the estate inventory can miss them. Start here
You worked a public job
Schools, cities, counties, states and public universities use their own retirement systems. Your contributions usually stay on deposit until you ask. Find your system
You have your tax records
IRS transcripts show every payout and rollover of the last 10 years. Read them privately in your browser. Trace your records
Questions
Why do plans lose track of people?
Between 2004 and 2013, more than 25 million people who left a job left at least one account behind in a workplace plan, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO-18-19). Companies merge, plans close, small balances are moved out without asking, and the mail goes to an old address. The money is often still held by a plan, a recordkeeper, an IRA provider or an insurer that doesn't know where you are.
So if you are only looking now, you are not late and you did nothing wrong. Plans must keep records of what they hold, and asking is your right.
Is this free?
Yes. The search, the report, your request letter, the deadline tracker and a second-request letter if the plan goes quiet are all free, and the Department of Labor's Benefits Advisors help for free too. If you want a person to check your match, read the replies with you and draft the letters that need judgment (a formal claim, an appeal, a search under a mismatched record), that is a flat $79, refunded if we find nothing new. You still sign and mail the letters. We never take a share of money you recover.
Are you a financial adviser or fiduciary?
No. We give information and draft letters. We never hold, manage or advise on your money, and we never act on your behalf. Any money goes from the plan straight to you.
Did I do something wrong by losing track of it?
No. This happens to millions of people. Companies merge, plans close, recordkeepers change and letters go to an old address. Small balances are often moved out without anyone asking you. Plans must keep records of their participants' benefits, and you have a legal right to ask about yours.
Why don't you ask for my Social Security number?
We don't need it. We search public filings by employer and years. The letter we draft leaves blanks for your personal details, which you fill in yourself and send directly to the plan.
Can you see my balance?
No. Plans report plan-level facts to the U.S. Department of Labor: mergers, transfers, who keeps the records, when a plan ended. Only the plan can tell you your balance. Our letter asks it to.
What if the company merged, closed or changed its name?
That is what we trace. When a plan merges or moves its money, the filings show where it went. We follow that path to the plan or company that holds the money today.
How is this different from the Department of Labor's Lost and Found?
Lost and Found searches by Social Security number among accounts that plans chose to report. We trace by employer through mergers, transfers and plans that stopped filing, which is where money is most often lost. Use both; they are both free.
Is Attovar a government site?
No. Attovar is run by Stressline Inc, an Ohio company. We use public data from the Department of Labor's Form 5500 filings. Free government help is listed on every report.