Make sense of an old account
Old 401(k) Plan Review
Bring your old plan questions to a no-cost consultation.
Make sense of an old account
Bring your old plan questions to a no-cost consultation.
Americans have left tens of millions of retirement accounts behind at former employers — enough that Congress ordered the Department of Labor to build a national Lost & Found database for them. An old account isn’t just idle: if the balance is under $7,000 the plan can move or cash it out without you, and former employees sometimes pay fees that active ones don’t.
Whether you know exactly where the account is or only suspect one exists, the review process is the same: locate it, pull its real numbers, and compare the four options with facts instead of guesses. Start with our free seven-step finder guide — every database in it is official and free — or bring what you have to a no-cost consultation.
The DOL Lost & Found (lostandfound.dol.gov), the plan’s public Form 5500 filing, PBGC, and state unclaimed property — our step-by-step guide walks all seven sources. Old W-2s with Box 13 checked show which employers to chase.
The latest account statement (balance, holdings), the 404(a)(5) fee disclosure (what it really costs, including any former-employee surcharge), and the Summary Plan Description (distribution and withdrawal rules). We help you request all three.
Under $1,000: the plan can mail you a check — 20% withheld, possibly penalized. $1,000–$7,000: it can transfer the money to a conservative IRA it chooses. Above $7,000 you control the timing.
Force-out checks that never got cashed often land in state unclaimed property — for Utah, mycash.utah.gov. Money that left the plan years ago is usually still recoverable; it just moved.
Employer stock (a possible NUA tax break that a rollover would erase), stable-value funds with transfer restrictions, or outdated target-date allocations — the holdings themselves change what the smart move is.
Fewer accounts mean simpler RMDs and beneficiary upkeep. But consolidation can also erase plan-specific advantages — Rule of 55 access, ERISA protection, institutional pricing. We compare, not assume.
The review itself is no-cost and creates no obligation to move anything — sometimes the finding is that the old plan is excellent and should be left alone. The point is deciding from documents, not memory.
We begin by reviewing the old plan rather than assuming it needs to be moved.
Former-employer plans can accumulate over a career. We can help organize the choices account by account.
Consolidation may simplify some situations but can also change plan features, so it should be evaluated rather than assumed.
Have an old retirement account you have not reviewed in years? Start by finding out what options you have. Schedule your no-cost consultation →
Prefer to talk? Call 435-291-5444.
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A recent statement can provide the plan name, account balance, investments, and administrator information.
We discuss costs, investments, access rules, and other plan information relevant to your decision.
We review the alternatives available to you based on the plan's rules and your circumstances.
You may decide to leave the account where it is, consolidate it, roll it over, or gather more information.
If you choose a transfer, we help you understand what information and paperwork may be required.