It sounds a bit lax, like losing coins down the back of the sofa but it’s no surprise when you think about it. Life gets busy. Between career changes, house moves, and the constant juggling of responsibilities, it’s all too easy to lose track of old savings accounts, pensions, and investments. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In the UK, billions of pounds lie unclaimed in forgotten financial products. The good news? These lost treasures can often be reclaimed with a little detective work. Here’s how you might have lost track and what you can do to find your missing money.

Why Do People Lose Track of Their Money?

1. Changing jobs Every time you switch jobs, there’s a good chance you were signed up to your employer’s pension scheme. With an average Brit changing jobs 11 times in their career, it’s easy to see how pensions can get left behind.
2. Moving House If you’ve moved house and forgotten to update your details with your bank, pension provider, or investment company, you might lose important correspondence about your accounts.
3. The Paper Trail Problem In the digital age, many of us rely on email and online portals to manage finances. But older accounts may have been set up in the days of paper statements—and if those papers were misplaced, the account may have been forgotten entirely.
4. Changing Names A name change due to marriage, divorce, or other reasons can make tracing old accounts harder, especially if you don’t have the original documentation.
5. Premium Bonds from Long Ago Perhaps you were given premium bonds as a child, and they’ve slipped your mind. Or maybe a relative bought them for you and never told you.
6. Being an Executor or Attorney You might be dealing with a deceased person’s estate or acting on behalf of someone who has lost capacity.

How to Trace Lost Accounts, Premium Bonds, and Pensions

If you’re ready to track down your lost investments, pensions, or savings, the process is simpler than you might think. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Tracing Lost Pensions

• Use the UK Government’s Pension Tracing Service This free online tool can help you locate pensions from previous employers. All you need is the name of the company you worked for. You can find it at gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details.
• Check Old Paperwork Look through old payslips, pension statements, or letters from providers for clues.
• Contact Providers Directly If you know the name of your pension provider, get in touch and provide as much information as you can (e.g., your National Insurance number, dates of employment, etc.)
• Financial Planner You can pay someone else to contact pensions providers and perhaps consolidate old pensions to make it easier to keep track of them.

Reclaiming Premium Bonds

• Contact NS&I National Savings & Investments (NS&I) manages premium bonds in the UK. Use their online tracing service or call them with your details. You’ll need your full name, address, and any bond numbers if you have them. Tracking down lost savings | Help | NS&I
• Search on Behalf of a Relative If you’re trying to track down bonds bought for you as a child or held by a deceased relative, NS&I can guide you through the process.

Finding Forgotten Savings Accounts

• Use My Lost Account This free service (mylostaccount.org.uk) combines the resources of UK banks, building societies, and NS&I to help you locate dormant accounts.
• Check Old Statements Dig through any financial records you have for mentions of savings accounts or investments you may have forgotten.

Tracking Investments

• Contact Investment Providers If you know where you held investments (e.g., stocks, ISAs, or funds), contact the provider to check if your account is still active.
• Use Shareholder Registers If you owned shares directly, registrars like Equiniti or Computershare can help trace them.
• Search Sites A new service, gretel.co.uk could be useful, more and more providers are connecting their databases. I signed up, it’s really easy but it hasn’t found anything as yet (I hope that is because I am more organised than most and have kept track already!)

Tips for Staying Organised in the Future

1. Consolidate Pensions If possible, consider combining old pensions into one scheme to make them easier to manage. However, check for any exit fees or loss of benefits before transferring. A Financial Planner can help with this.
2. Keep a Financial Log Create a simple document or spreadsheet listing all your accounts, providers, and reference numbers. Update it whenever something changes. Something like the Age UK “Lifebook” could help. This contains everything anyone who has to step in to help you would need to know.
3. Set Up Email Alerts Where possible, switch to digital statements and notifications to avoid missing updates.
4. Tell Providers When You Move Make it a habit to update your address with all financial institutions whenever you change residence.

Of course, this is what a financial planner does for you, so FMB will keep on top of this for you!

It might feel daunting to start tracking down lost pensions or savings, but the payoff can be significant—sometimes literally! With the right tools and a little patience, you could uncover funds you thought were long gone. Start your search today, and who knows? You might just find a little extra cash!

Ruth Power, FMB Operations Director

The value of your investment can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested.