The short answer
Start with the Department of Labor’s free Retirement Savings Lost and Found database. It searches for retirement plans tied to your Social Security number from private employers and unions, including 401(k)s and traditional pensions.
What you’ll need to log in
The database uses an ID-verified Login.gov account. Have these ready:
- Your legal first and last name, date of birth, and Social Security number
- A mobile phone, or a landline that isn’t an internet (VoIP) line
- Front and back photos of an active driver’s license or state ID
Passports and military IDs aren’t accepted yet. And if you can’t get to the phone number tied to your account, you won’t be able to finish the identity check.
What it doesn’t search
- IRAs
- Government plans and certain religious plans
- Social Security benefits
A match isn’t a guarantee, either. The Labor Department says a result shows you were in a plan, not that money is still owed, and some records may be outdated.
If it comes up empty
A few other places to look:
- Old paperwork. A plan statement or benefits packet from the old job can tell you who ran the plan.
- The old employer. HR can often tell you where the plan went, especially if the company merged or changed providers.
- An IRA you didn’t open. Plans can force out balances of $7,000 or less, and balances over $1,000 get rolled into an IRA the plan picks unless you chose otherwise. If your old balance was small, it may be sitting in an IRA you never opened yourself, which the database doesn’t search (sneaky).
Where that leaves you
Finding it is step one. Deciding what to do with it comes down to what you want the money to do, and that’s where we can actually help. Tracking down the old plans is legwork we’re happy to do alongside you, too.
For your four options once you find it, see Old 401(k)s: What to Do With the Ones You Left Behind.
You know where to find me.
Sources
- What the database covers and excludes, Login.gov requirements, accepted IDs, outdated records: U.S. Department of Labor, Retirement Savings Lost and Found
- Small-balance force-outs ($7,000 limit; over $1,000 goes to an IRA unless you elect otherwise): IRS Notice 2026-13, “Safe Harbor Explanations – Eligible Rollover Distributions”