If you’ve bounced between jobs over the years, there’s a chance you have money in an old 401(k) or pension that you’ve forgotten about. Now you have help to track that money down.
In December 2024, the Labor Department launched a free online search tool to help people find retirement accounts. According to reporting by CNBC, within its first year, nearly 30% of the people who used the tool discovered an old workplace retirement account tied to their Social Security number.
Most American workers do plenty of job-hopping, holding, on average, over a dozen jobs between the ages of 18 and 58. So it’s no wonder workers may forget about retirement savings or leave them behind.
Here’s how to track down what might be yours.
Who can use the database now
The Labor Department’s Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database currently only includes information for people age 65 or older. The agency built it this way because older Americans are more likely to benefit sooner from locating missing retirement funds.
If you’re under 65, you’ll need to use other resources (which we cover in a bit).
How to search for lost accounts
Go to the Labor Department’s Retirement Savings Lost and Found website and log in through Login.gov. You’ll need your Social Security number, legal name, date of birth, mobile device and valid driver’s license.
Once you’re logged in, you can search the database for 401(k) plans, pensions or other workplace retirement accounts that employers or plan administrators have reported.
Keep in mind that the database only covers private-sector employers and unions. Government retirement plans, religious organization plans and individual retirement accounts won’t show up in the search results.
You can only search for accounts tied to your own Social Security number. If you’re trying to locate retirement benefits for a deceased spouse, that feature isn’t available as of now.
Also note that finding an account in the database doesn’t guarantee a payout. The Labor Department doesn’t track what happens after someone gets a positive match. That said, benefits experts suggest that most people who find an old account in the system do end up being reconnected with real money.
You can learn more at the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database site.
Alternatives if you’re under 65
Younger workers have other means for tracking down forgotten retirement savings.
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation runs a Missing Participants Program for people whose former employer’s plan has terminated. It won’t help with accounts in active plans, but it’s worth checking.
You may be able to locate your retirement account funds on the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits. State databases can track retirement accounts, as well as lost, abandoned and unclaimed bank accounts, security deposits and other financial property.
You can search for 401(k) and IRA accounts for free, after you register, on the FreeERISA website.