Reputable company to search for lost pensions

OurDoris

Hello, can anybody recommend a company who I can use to retrieve company pensions please, I have various with different companies spanning 30 years but worried about submitting all my info online and being scammed.  

Started online form with PensionsAdviceUk, but have not had the courage to submit it.

thank you for any recommendations 

MeteredOut

If not already done, start at https://www.gov.uk/find-pension-contact-details

I'd not be paying anyone to find lost pensions unless it was a last resort.

MallyGirl

generally the companies that search for pensions don't have access to anything you can't find yourself and for free.

I would suggest

• try and list all the places you have worked that might have had a pension
• look for any paperwork you have around work - pay slips, pension statements, etc.
• do a SAR which will give you quite a lot of info on where you have worked
• check out the link above
• make sure that any pension plan that you identify has your up to date address (and name in case of marriage)
• for any you can't track down you can name the employer on here - there are people here that are good at following a trail through company takeovers etc to see who would be administering the pension now.

bjorn_toby_wilde

MallyGirl said:

generally the companies that search for pensions don't have access to anything you can't find yourself and for free.

I would suggest

• try and list all the places you have worked that might have had a pension
• look for any paperwork you have around work - pay slips, pension statements, etc.
• do a SAR which will give you quite a lot of info on where you have worked
• check out the link above
• make sure that any pension plan that you identify has your up to date address (and name in case of marriage)
• for any you can't track down you can name the employer on here - there are people here that are good at following a trail through company takeovers etc to see who would be administering the pension now.

SAR?  Sorry if this is an obvious one but not an acronym I’m familiar with?

Martico

bjorn_toby_wilde said:

MallyGirl said:

generally the companies that search for pensions don't have access to anything you can't find yourself and for free.

I would suggest

• try and list all the places you have worked that might have had a pension
• look for any paperwork you have around work - pay slips, pension statements, etc.
• do a SAR which will give you quite a lot of info on where you have worked
• check out the link above
• make sure that any pension plan that you identify has your up to date address (and name in case of marriage)
• for any you can't track down you can name the employer on here - there are people here that are good at following a trail through company takeovers etc to see who would be administering the pension now.

SAR?  Sorry if this is an obvious one but not an acronym I’m familiar with?

Subject Access Request - you can ask organisations for the data they hold on you

bjorn_toby_wilde

Thanks for that

MallyGirl

I meant - do a SAR to DWPensions as the very lengthy report back will hold a fair bit of info about employers if there have been lots

Cobbler_tone

I thought I would try for my dad. He had his NI number and said "I worked on the railways from 1957-59 and the buses from 59-61" After establishing he had no idea what either company was actually called I gave up. 
He doesn't need the money and has no idea if he had a pension with either. Thankfully he stayed at his next and final place for 40 years.

Martico

The first would almost certainly have been British Railways, administered (I think) by RailPen

penners324

Maybe a company that will merge them altogether and let you invest in a fund of your choice (though the fund choice will be limited).

I used PensionBee, rather happy with them. And a nice app.

Others include Penfold, Hargreaves Landsdowne and many others

Albermarle

penners324 said:

Maybe a company that will merge them altogether and let you invest in a fund of your choice (though the fund choice will be limited).

I used PensionBee, rather happy with them. And a nice app.

Others include Penfold, Hargreaves Landsdowne and many others

Only if they are DC pensions.

OP when searching you need to be aware that there are two distinct types of workplace pension, which are very different.
Defined Benefit ( DB) and Defined Contribution (DC ) 
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