I spent years building up $27,000 in my 401(k) but lost track of it when I switched jobs — now my old company won’t help me find the account. Is this even legal?

Your money, your rights

Contributions you personally make to your 401(k) are 100% vested. This means the money you put into the account and any growth from investments is yours to keep right away. So, your company can't withhold your old account from you, even if none of the company’s contributions are vested yet.

You should be persistent in contacting them to find out where the account is. Start by reaching out to HR, but if that doesn't work, contact your former manager or even the CEO to get answers. Be polite but firm and insist they provide you with information about your old plan.

Plan sponsors are “obligated” to stay connected with former ex-employee participants, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

But if the company is no longer operational, or if the people working there now can't or won't answer, then you have other options, including:

• Reaching out to old coworkers to see if they know who your plan administrator was
• Searching through old emails or financial records for statements or account notifications, as most plans send these quarterly or annually
• Reviewing your old pay stubs for information about 401(k) deductions

If none of these efforts work, online databases can help you track down the account. For example, while not all companies participate, some businesses register unclaimed 401(k) plans with The National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits. You can input your Social Security number into the registry to see if your company has your 401(k) listed.

Alternatively, if your company terminated your old plan, or is in the process of doing so, then you may be able to find it in the Department of Labor’s abandoned plan database. Some private sites like Beagle or Capitalize can also try to help you.

Keep trying these options until you ultimately identify where your 401(k) plan is. Then, contact the plan administrators to confirm they are holding the account and make a plan for what to do with the money.

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How to avoid losing your old 401(k)

As you can see, tracking down an old 401(k) can be a hassle. Thankfully, you have better options than just leaving your 401(k) behind when you leave a job.

One solution is to roll the money over into your new company's 401(k). The biggest benefit of this option is that you can keep all your workplace retirement money in one place. Doing that can make it easier to ensure you have the right mix of assets since you can easily see your overall allocation within one account.

However, you also have another option, which many people prefer. You can roll the money into a traditional IRA.

You'll need to either do a direct rollover so the money moves right from your 401(k) to your IRA, or if your 401(k) company sends the money right to you, you will need to deposit it into the IRA within 60 days to avoid early withdrawal penalties. If you do that, there are no tax consequences to the move.

Moving your money into an IRA gives you more freedom and flexibility since you can pick your brokerage firm and can choose a broker that allows you to invest in almost anything you want. You also won't have to keep moving 401(k) money around every time you leave a job, since all the funds you rolled over can just stay in the IRA.

Whichever account you decide to roll the money into, if you move it with you, then you won't have to worry about trying to contact old employers to find out where your funds are. You'll have the money safe and accessible to you to help you build the secure retirement you deserve.