How to find an old 401(k) or pension from a past job
Step-by-step: list your old employers, search public filings by employer, ask the plan in writing, and use the free government tools.
Money left in a workplace plan usually still exists. It sits with the plan, the company that keeps the plan's records, an IRA provider the plan moved it to, or an insurer. The work is finding which one, then asking in writing.
- List every employer and the years. If you are unsure, ask the Social Security Administration for an itemized earnings statement (Form SSA-7050). It lists each employer by year. The legal employer name on it is often different from the name on the building.
- Search the public filings by employer. Almost every workplace plan files a Form 5500 report with the U.S. Department of Labor each year. The reports show when plans merged, moved money, changed record keepers or ended. Attovar searches them by employer and years, free.
- Check the government's free tools. The Department of Labor's Retirement Savings Lost and Found searches by Social Security number among accounts plans have reported. PBGC searches pensions it has taken over. State unclaimed-property sites hold some uncashed checks.
- Ask the plan in writing. Send the plan administrator a written request for plan documents and your account history. Federal law gives the plan 30 days to send documents. How to write the letter.
- Look at your tax records. IRS Wage and Income transcripts (free, last 10 years) show every payout (Form 1099-R) and every IRA you hold (Form 5498). A payout you don't remember tells you where money went. Read them privately in your browser.
Why accounts get lost
Between 2004 and 2013, more than 25 million people who left a job left at least one account behind in a workplace plan (GAO-18-19). The usual causes are company mergers, plans that end, small balances moved out without asking, and mail sent to an old address.
Sources
- GAO-18-19: Retirement Savings, Additional Data and Analysis Could Provide Insight
- U.S. Department of Labor: Retirement Savings Lost and Found
- Social Security: Request for Social Security Earnings Information (SSA-7050)
- IRS: Get your tax records and transcripts
Reviewed October 2026. Information only, not legal or tax advice.