How do I find my old pensions?

[goon]

This should possibly be in lost and found 😀

I started work in 1981, so that’s 37 years ago – eeek

I’m now trying to trace my pensions, of which there are many. The problem is I can’t remember when I started work with each company, there was self employed times, and I can’t remember some of the firms I’ve actually worked with. This sounds crazy!

Do I need to pay someone to find them for me? Is it something I can do alone? Am I a pillock for letting it get this far? I bet I’m not alone.

Cheers in advance… TtB

[gordonbp]

I bet I’m not alone.

Yes, you are not alone.

I’m currently going through the same exercise myself.

Why can’t I just enter my National Insurance number and get all the info?

I’ve worked for more than a few companies (OK, I was a bit of a job whore in the past) that have
been transferred/bought out (possibly multiple times) and trying to track the current owner is a
real pain.

And when you do find the current owner, do they respond to your query? No, you have to contact
some other company that has itself been transferred/bought out.

I think I’m starting to see a pattern here.

On the up side, a job from way back when (late 80’s), that due to transfers/buy outs I had assumed
was lost, finally did get back to me with a very significant transfer value.

So, persevere. With the crazy interest rates of the 80’s you may well get a surprise.

[Bear]

https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/trace-lost-pensions-and-request-pension-forecasts

But more specifically https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details.

[Aly]

Just ring the customer services lines of Royal London, Prudential, Aviva and Legal & General one after the other with your NI no. to hand. During office hours the wait is less than 10 minutes each. Ask them to trace any pensions under your name/no. These four pretty much own the whole UK pension industry and the handlers are really helpful. I recently went through this process and “got paid” many £thousands for an hour’s work.

[gaz]

Not quite the same question, but generally, is it worth transfering lots of little pensions in together, or just leave them until you need them?

[Heyman]

Just leave them til you leave them. I’ve got 5 small ones. It’s no hassle, the companies do it all for you and just pay monthly into your bank account. It’s quite handy as they come on different days and spread the income over the month.

To the OP. When they mature I’m sure the companies will notify you, they will have your address or previous addresses. Maybe if you are near retirement age and you have changed addresses you should take out forwarding arrangements for old addresses with the Post Office if this is possible?

[clifford]

A timely thread.
I don’t have many pensions, in fact only two, as I’ve only had two jobs in my life.

I have no idea what I am meant to do. Consolidate into one, or keep them separate (although Trangia’s answer to ceri seems straightforward enough). One is with L&G and one is with Aviva, I have got scattered paperwork all over but BnB’s advice sounds easier to execute.

Sounds like I am as well off just leaving them then. Presumably the older one now exists as a static lump gathering miniscule amounts of interest, whereas my current one is being fed by a salary contribution each month, and both are just looking after themselves. Is that a decent assessment?

[Author]

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