Over $1.7 Trillion Left Behind in 401(k) Plans. Check If Some Belongs to You

If you’ve ever switched jobs, your retirement money might not have come with you. Millions of Americans are in the same boat.

According to Capitalize, over $1.7 trillion is sitting in forgotten or unclaimed 401(k) retirement accounts, spread across more than 29 million workers. The average lost balance is more than $56,000.

If that sounds surprising, you’re not alone. Most people have no idea they left money behind.
 

Why Retirement Money Gets Left Behind

When you leave a job, your 401(k) doesn’t automatically transfer.

It stays with the old employer’s plan. If you don’t take steps to roll it over, that money just sits there.

Many people assume a small balance isn’t worth the effort. Others think they are no longer entitled to the funds. Some simply forget it exists.

The truth is, even small 401(k) balances can grow into serious money over time.
 

Small Accounts Can Become Big Savings

Let’s say you left $9,000 behind in 2010 in an S&P 500-indexed plan. By 2025, that could have grown to more than $70,000 with average market growth.

That forgotten account might now be a major part of your retirement savings.

Check in minutes if you're owed money here.
 

How to Check If You Have a Lost 401(k)

Here are three quick tools you can use today:

• National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits
  Search by Social Security number to see if you have a forgotten 401(k).

• Retirement Savings Lost and Found
  A Department of Labor tool to help you reconnect with lost retirement accounts.

• MissingMoney.com
  A multi-state database of unclaimed property, including retirement accounts.

You can also:

• Look through old pay stubs or HR documents.

• Contact past employers’ HR teams.

• Call the plan administrators listed on your old statements.

What If the Balance Was Small?

If your balance was under $1,000, the provider may have closed the account and mailed you a check.

You might have forgotten to cash it, or it may have gone to the wrong address.

Either way, it’s worth following up. That money is still yours.

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