Answer: First, if you did put money into a 401k, your money is protected by federal laws. To find it, you're going to have to do some detective work. Here are five ways to locate information about an old 401k plan: Show
But before you go to all this work, you may want to verify that you actually contributed to a 401k. To do so, go back to your previous year tax returns and look at your W-2's. If you made a 401k contribution, the amount will appear in Box 12 of the W-2. This is for educational purposes only. The information provided here is intended to help you understand the general issue and does not constitute any tax, investment or legal advice. Consult your financial, tax or legal advisor regarding your own unique situation and your company's benefits representative for rules specific to your plan. The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you. SHARE:
 Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/Getty Images 3 min read Published May 04, 2022 Written by Brian Baker Written by Brian BakerArrow RightInvesting reporter Bankrate reporter Brian Baker covers investing and retirement. He has previous experience as an industry analyst at an investment firm. Baker is passionate about helping people make sense of complicated financial topics so that they can plan for their financial futures. Brian Baker Edited by Brian Beers Edited by Brian BeersArrow RightManaging editor Brian Beers is the managing editor for the Wealth team at Bankrate. He oversees editorial coverage of banking, investing, the economy and all things money. During the frenzy of leaving behind an old job and getting acclimated to a new position, rolling over your 401(k) plan isn't always your first priority. Some people even lose track of a 401(k) plan at a former employer. Here's what to do if you're trying to find funds held in a previous employer's 401(k) plan: Contact Your Former EmployerThe simplest and most direct way to check up on an old 401(k) plan is to contact the human resources department or the 401(k) administrator at the company where you used to work. Be prepared to state your dates of employment and Social Security number so that plan records can be checked. "The first place you should look is the human resources department of the prior employer," says Anita Mukherjee, an assistant professor of risk and insurance at the University of Wisconsin—Madison's Wisconsin School of Business. "There, they should have all of the information as to the whereabouts of the 401(k) account you had with them." Review 401(k) Plan DocumentsTry to find a quarterly 401(k) statement or plan description. "Gather documents about your 401(k) plan and about your former employment," says Anna-Marie Tabor, director and managing attorney of the Pension Action Center at the University of Massachusetts—Boston. "Look for 401(k) statements, a description of the 401(k) plan, old pay stubs or tax documents that may show that you contributed to a 401(k)." You can check whether you made a 401(k) contribution in a given year on box 12 of your W-2 tax forms. When you file for Social Security benefits, you may receive a SSA Potential Private Pension Benefit Information Notice, which contains Internal Revenue Service data about employer retirement benefits you earned while working. Find the Current Location of Retirement FundsYour former employer may no longer exist, perhaps due to a buyout, merger or going out of business. "If your former employer has changed names or changed locations or merged, you may have to reach out to a company that is different from your former employer and ask them for any information they have about your account," Tabor says. "You may be able to track down the company that has acquired the employer." Check news reports or reach out to other former employees to find out if another company purchased or merged with your former employer. Most 401(k) plans are required to file paperwork with the federal government, and you can search these ERISA Form 5500 filings at freeerisa.com using the name of your former employer to try to find current contact information. The U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration has an abandoned plan database, which can help you determine if a retirement plan has been terminated and provide contact information for the qualified termination administrator. Search Unclaimed Property DatabasesYou can check the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits at unclaimedretirementbenefits.com to see if your former employer has listed you as a missing or non-responsive 401(k) participant. The database contains information about retirement account balances that have not been claimed. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's Missing Participants Program has been expanded to include 401(k) plans that terminate on or after Jan. 1, 2018. The PBGC will pay out benefits with interest when participants are found. The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators runs unclaimed.org, a tool that allows you to search for unclaimed assets by state. You can also conduct a multistate search on missingmoney.com. Look for Forced Transfer IRAsIf you left behind a small balance of less than $5,000 in an old 401(k) plan and didn't indicate what should be done with the money when you left the job, your savings may not still be in the 401(k) plan. The plan sponsor could have transferred the 401(k) balance to an individual retirement account in your name at a financial institution. Over half (57%) of 401(k) plans transfer balances between $1,000 and $5,000 to an IRA when the participant leaves the employer and cash out balances of less than $1,000, according to a 2019 Plan Sponsor Council of America survey of 602 401(k) plans and similar types of retirement accounts. "If funds in an account are moved in a forced transfer to an IRA, contact your former employer to find out where they sent the money," says Jane Smith, a policy analyst at the Pension Rights Center. "Also, a good place to check is the financial institution that had your 401(k) account when you were employed." Preventing a Lost 401(k) PlanTracking down a 401(k) associated with a job you held decades ago can be difficult and time-consuming. Taking the time to roll over a 401(k) to an IRA or your new employer's 401(k) plan each time you change jobs will make your retirement savings easier to manage and gives you more control over investment options and fees. Initiating a trustee-to-trustee transfer to move your money directly to the new account allows you to avoid tax withholding and the potential to trigger additional taxes and penalties. If you decide to leave your retirement savings in a former employer's 401(k) plan, make sure to keep your contact information up to date. "If you move, change your address and update your phone number," Tabor says. "If you are receiving your documents electronically, you should use an email that you will maintain access to after you leave your job." How do I find out where my 401k is?The first and best method of locating a 401k is to contact your old employers. Ask them to check their plan records to see if you ever participated in their 401k plan. Be sure to have ready your full name, social security number and the dates you worked for them.
Can you check 401k online?Answer: Every 401k plan now allows you to get account information and make changes online. If you have forgotten your login information or need to get access for the first time, find an old 401k statement. Generally, the website information is on the statement as well as a customer service number which you can call.
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How do i find my 401k information
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