How to find your long-lost pensions

The little things add up

You might be wondering if it is worth trying to find an old pension scheme. If you haven’t reviewed a plan for a number of years, it’s unlikely you’ll know how well (or badly) your pension investments have performed – and this could make a huge impact on your retirement plans.

If you have a number of small pensions, while they may not seem like they are worth much on their own, their combined value could make a big difference to your retirement.

There is an estimated £400 million in unclaimed pensions in the UK*. It’s worth finding out how much of this is yours.

The Government’s free Pension Tracing Service

The easiest way to find your lost or forgotten pensions is by using the Government’s free Pension Tracing Service. You’ll be shown the contact details for your relevant pension providers and can speak to them directly to find out more. You can log onto the online service or call 0345 600 2537 to get started.

Lost and found – what next?

Now that you’ve been reunited with your old plans, it’s important to make the most of them. Consolidating your pensions gives you more control and makes it easy to check that you’re on track financially to achieving your retirement plans. You can also be sure that you will never lose your plans again!

The benefits of consolidating

More control

It is quick and simple to make changes to your investments if they’re held with one provider. Buying, selling and switching your investments could take just a few minutes.

Easy to review

With all your investments in one place you’ll be able to see how much you have saved at a glance, rather than comparing several statements.

Lower fees

You could pay less in fees if you invest with fewer providers. And with less money disappearing in fees, there will be more available to invest.

Less paperwork

You’ll only have to deal with paperwork from one provider – potentially saving you a lot of time and reducing stress.

Why consolidate with Bestinvest?

• There are no fees for transferring investments to Bestinvest. We’ll also pay up to £500 for any exit fees your existing providers charge you**
• Our dedicated team take care of everything - all you need to do is complete the relevant paperwork
• You can choose from more than 2,500 funds and nearly every UK share. If you’d prefer to have your investments managed by our experts, the simplest option is to buy one of our Ready-made Portfolios. Or for those who would like to make their own decisions with help from a dedicated investment adviser, we have an award-winning Investment Advisory Service available through our wider Tilney Group
• You get access to our research department’s regular updates and investment ideas, plus a wide range of free guides and tools to help you make the most of your money
• In 2017 we were named Best Direct SIPP Provider by YourMoney.com and Best SIPP Provider at the City of London Wealth Management Awards

If you want all this from your pension plan, why not open a SIPP or transfer your existing pensions to the Best SIPP today?

Important information

*According to the Department for Work and Pensions

**Before you consider transferring a pension, it is important to ask yourself: Will I lose any valuable benefits or features from my existing pension plan? Will I incur any penalties on my existing pension if I transfer? Is it an occupational final salary pension scheme? (in which case it is very unlikely to be advisable to transfer) Have I considered the charges on my current plan? (a new arrangement may be more expensive – especially if you have a stakeholder pension). Exit fees may apply if you leave Bestinvest.