Where is my pension?!

[avalanching]

Hands up I am extremely ignorant about pensions, I always opt in and sign what I have to but don't really think about it very much, I've had a few jobs.

I have had 3 public sector jobs that are LGPS but in different authorities, I believe I always transferred the money into the current pension pot every time I moved- I have no paperwork to confirm this. 3 years ago I went into the private sector, crap pension, I thought I again had transferred my money into that pot. But I don't think I have, looking at the size of it it looks like 3 years of mine and my employer's contributions only.

I have now acquired a new job within the civil service who is asking about my last public sector pension, hence me looking into it all. I have logged into my last public sector pension pot and there is no money in there, I can't see that the money is in my current pot either. I'm struggling to log into my previous pensions with all the bloody different usernames etc. Where on earth could my money be and how do I track it down?! I have emailed the last public authority pension fund I was with but they'll take a few days to respond.

I promise to get a grip of it all now but panicking slightly. 31 paying in since 24 so it's not vast sums of money but want to know where it is!!

Phone them! If you’re on the LGPS find websites to be able to access your online records (or try to) then you should be able to find contact details. Ring up each fund you worked for and ask them to look you up to see what happened. If it ends up that you did transfer it all to your current provider, you then need to speak to them to find out why it doesn’t appear to show up the n your record. Don’t worry, it will be somewhere!

Phone them BUT based on recent experience of multiple companies, they will probably refuse to tell you anything over the phone, but will post out information if you can pass security (eg remember what address they would have on record for you when you left the pension, which is fine after a year or two but gets a bit more tricky 30 years later!)

You're not the only one OP. Pension forgetting is surprisingly common especially when you've had a few jobs.

First step is to ring around your old jobs.

Some resources for you

www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/trace-lost-pensions-and-request-pension-forecasts
www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/trace-lost-pensions-and-request-pension-forecasts

It's not always a good idea to just transfer pensions. Can you get a financial advisor?

Pension advisory service has a lot of info (Gov website)

Thanks everyone. I'm not too concerned in terms of having transferred if that was the wrong decision (so long as I can find them!!) as it's only 7 years and I was part time for a lot of that, so hopefully I can start making good choices from now!!! I find pensions so overwhelming, you start a job and you get a bunch of confusing paperwork that I can never make heads nor tales of. But I need to find them, will see what my last one says first!

With lgps it's probably still there somehwere, I wouldn't worry about it. I would take advice about whether transferring is the best thing. If you're in a union they usually give access to a free session with an ifa.

Thanks everyone, just spoke to my last LGPS pension fund and looks like it'll be there. They had a hold on my account for some reason!