A ‘job for life’ is rare nowadays. Not many people stay in the same job or field of work for their entire lives. But more jobs can also mean more pensions so how do we keep track of them?

Take the chance to do something good for your financial wellbeing this autumn. Join National Pension Tracing Day on 30 October – a nation-wide initiative led by pension providers, aiming to encourage pension savers to track down old or lost pension pots.

Research by insurance firm LV= shows that people in the UK will change employer every five years on average. If you’ve worked in more than one place over the years, it’s likely your railways pension is not your only pension. Could you be due to a share of the £19.4bn currently sitting in lost pension plans?

Fortunately, tracking down an old or lost pension is not rocket science and can be done in a few simple steps – all you need is your phone or laptop and a bit of time. You can turn to the Pension Tracing Service, but let’s see what other options you have.

How to trace an old pension

Use the checklist below to uncover money that may be the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to having the retirement you hope for. That money is yours so you should reunite with it!

1. Do your homework. List all jobs you’ve ever had and try and remember whether you paid into a pension while you were working there. Dig out some paperwork - old CVs, payslips, P45s and P60s may be of help.
2. Find your old pension papers and check if you have a pension statement for each place you’ve worked at. Try and remember if you’ve also paid into a personal pension at any point of your working life. Take your time and have a good hunt, it will pay off!
3. If you’ve spotted any gaps in your pension history, try to find contact details for the pension provider or administrator. You could contact the employer’s HR department directly, or use the government’s Pension Tracing Service - available online and over the phone (0800 731 0193)
4. It may be the case that if you were only with an employer for a short period of time, you may have received a refund of your contributions when you left, but you should still consider this period of employment.

Here are a few details to have to hand when speaking to a previous pension provider:

• Your name (current and previous, if different), date of birth and National Insurance number
• Your address (current and previous, if different)
• The date you joined and left the pension scheme (if known)
  

What should I do once I've found lost pensions?

• Get in touch with every pension provider you have a pension with and make sure all the contact information they hold for you is correct. You should also log into your myESPS online account to check the details we have are up to date. 
• Speak to an Independent Financial Adviser for guidance. You can visit MoneyHelper for free, impartial advice backed by the Government.
• With help from your financial adviser, integrate all your pension pots into your retirement planning.