How to find an old 401(k) you forgot about (free, in about an hour)

Millions of people have a 401(k) from an old job they've lost track of. Here's how to find yours for free.

Accounts get lost for ordinary reasons: you moved, the company merged or changed its name, or the plan switched providers. A 2025 Capitalize study estimated there are about 31.9 million forgotten or left-behind 401(k) accounts in the U.S. Here's how to find yours.

Step 1: Make your list

Write down every employer you've had since your first job with a retirement plan, roughly when you worked there, and any company name changes or mergers you know of.

Step 2: Search your own records

Look through old emails, tax files and paper statements for the name of the company that ran the plan, such as Fidelity, Empower, Vanguard or Principal. If you find one, call them with your Social Security number; they can tell you whether you have an account.

Step 3: Use the Department of Labor's free database

The U.S. Department of Labor runs a free Retirement Savings Lost and Found database. You sign in with a verified Login.gov account, and it can show plans connected to you and how to contact them. Use only the official government site, which ends in .gov.

Step 4: Look up the plan's annual filing

Most 401(k) plans file a yearly report called Form 5500, which lists the plan administrator's contact information. You can search these filings for free by company name on the Department of Labor's EFAST2 website.

Step 5: Ask the old employer

If the company still exists, call its HR or benefits department. Give them your name, Social Security number and dates of employment, and ask who administers the 401(k) now.

Step 6: Check for small balances that were moved

If your balance was small, the plan may have moved it out after you left: balances up to $7,000 can be moved, often into an IRA opened in your name with a provider you didn't choose. If it was cashed out instead and you never cashed the check, it may now be with your state's unclaimed property office. Search for free at your state's official unclaimed property website.

Once you find it

Don't rush. Get a current statement, then decide where it should go: leave it, move it to your current plan, roll it into an IRA, or cash it out. Here's how those four options compare. If you move it, ask for a direct rollover so nothing is withheld.

One warning: you never need to pay anyone to find a 401(k). Be careful with anyone who contacts you out of the blue offering to recover "lost money" for a fee.