We’ve designed the checklist below to help you.
If you’d like to, you can download and print it, then tick off each step as you work through your pension search.
Need a little extra support? Visit our Pathfinders page to find organisations offering free pensions guidance.
Your next briefing
You’ve tracked down your pensions. Now work through these five checkpoints to review what you have, make sure the details are up to date and decide what your next move could be.
Confirm your retirement target
Check the retirement age each pension provider has recorded for you. Does it match when you expect to start taking your benefits? If not, ask the provider to update it.
Review the investment strategy
For defined contribution pensions, check how each pot is invested and whether the level of investment risk still suits your plans for retirement. Your provider can tell you what type of pension you have.
Investigate the charges
Check what you are paying in charges on each pension. Older pensions can sometimes have higher or additional charges, so compare what you have and whether another arrangement could offer better value.
Secure your instructions
Check that you have completed an expression of wish or nomination form for each pension. This tells the provider who you would like to receive any benefits payable if you die before taking them.
Consider bringing the case together
You may want to consider combining some of your pensions into one place, known as consolidation. It can make pensions easier to manage and could reduce charges, but it will not be right for everyone.
Close the case
You've completed your investigation, but your retirement planning doesn't stop here. Keep your pension information somewhere safe, review it from time to time and remember to update your providers if your circumstances change.
We’ve created a practical guide to help you understand the benefits, the potential risks and the things you should consider before making a decision.
Some pensions include valuable guarantees or benefits that could be lost if you transfer them, so always check carefully before making any changes and seek guidance if you’re unsure.
Mission success stories
Every recovered pension tells a story. If you’ve tracked down a forgotten pension, we’d love to hear about your experience. Your story could inspire someone else to start their own search.
Tracking down six lost pensions helped me move house
Classified case file
"I'd read about unclaimed pensions and ended up finding four pensions and two found me! I cashed them in for around £8,000."
"It was a welcome surprise and has enabled me to move house. It's also made me realise just how important it is to keep track of my other pensions and how they are performing."
Found a missing pension pot worth £40,000
Classified case file
Thanks to finding her forgotten pension, Dennice has been able to reduce her working week to just two days, giving her more time to care for her 42 year old daughter, who has a learning disability.
Source: The Sunday Times
Three pensions worth £55,000
Classified case file
After hearing about National Pension Tracing Day, Kuldeep decided to retrace his employment history and follow the pension tracing steps.
The search led him to three forgotten pensions with a combined value of around £55,000, money he hadn't realised he still had.
"It was quite simple. The hardest part was remembering things from when I started work in the late 70s."
Source: Aspire to Retire