LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) — For today’s Good Question, Debbie asks: How can you check to see if you have retirement benefits, funds, or 401(k)s from old jobs? Can you check yourself or do you need to pay someone?
It may take a little work on your own, but there is no need to pay someone for that information.
Start with previous employers
The first place you’d want to check would be those previous employers. You can reach out to them to see if their benefits department can put you in touch with the company holding any funds you may have saved.
In some instances, those companies may no longer exist. If that’s the case, there is a relatively new database you can search.
Federal database for lost retirement savings
A federal law passed in 2022 created a Retirement Savings Lost and Found database.
The Employee Benefits Security Administration oversees it and says the website can help you find retirement plans linked to your Social Security number that were sponsored by private employers and unions.
State unclaimed property search
You can also search your state’s unclaimed property database. In Kentucky, you can find the search portal on the state treasurer’s website.
Additional free resources
And there are a few other places to look, including:
The Pension Benefit Guaranty CorporationThe Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Abandoned Plan ProgramThe National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits
All of those have databases you can search for free.
If you have a Good Question you’d like us to try to answer, send it to goodquestion@wkyt.com.
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