A Free Tool to Help You Find a Lost or Forgotten 401(k) or Pension

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 tracking that money down.

In December 2024, the Department of Labor launched a free online search tool to help people find retirement accounts. According to a CNBC report, within its first year, nearly 30% of people using the tool found an old retirement account linked to their Social Security number.

Most American workers are multitasking, holding, on average, more than a dozen jobs between the ages of 18 and 58. So it’s no surprise that employees may forget to save for retirement or get left behind.

Here’s how to track what might be yours.

Who can use the database now?

The Department of Labor’s Retirement Lost and Found Database currently only includes information for people age 65 or older. The agency is building it this way because older Americans are likely to benefit more quickly from missing retirement funds.

If you are under 65, you will need to use other services (which we cover in a bit).

How to search for lost accounts

Go to the Department of Labor’s Retirement Savings Lost and Found website and log in through Login.gov. You will need your Social Security number, legal name, date of birth, mobile device and a valid driver’s license.

Once you’re logged in, you can search the database for 401(k) plans, pensions or other workplace retirement accounts reported by employers or plan administrators.

Keep in mind that the database only includes private and union employers. Government retirement plans, religious organization plans and individual retirement accounts will not appear in the search results.

You can only search for accounts linked to your Social Security number. If you’re trying to get a deceased spouse’s retirement benefits, that feature isn’t currently available.

Also note that getting an account on the website does not guarantee payment. The Department of Labor does not track what happens after someone gets a good match. That said, benefits experts suggest that many people who get an old account from the program end up re-linking it with real money.

You can learn more at the Lost and Found Retirement Savings website.

Another option if you are under 65

Young workers have other ways to track down forgotten retirement savings.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation operates the Missing Participant Program for people whose previous employer’s plan has been terminated. It won’t help with accounts in active programs, but it’s worth checking.

You can find your retirement account funds from 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 assets.

You can search for 401(k) and IRA accounts for free, after you sign up, on the FreeERISA website.