How to find lost savings and pensions, as Britons more likely to organise their sock drawer than their finances

Britons are far more likely to tidy their sock drawer than organise their finances, new research shows.According to the financial record keeping app Orderist, nearly two thirds of us would prefer to spend an hour sorting socks than keeping on top of their savings or pensions. It follows that 27 per cent of us say we have lost track of at least one bank or savings account, while 18 per cent have lost track of a pension.It can be easy to misplace documents and log-in details, especially if you have moved jobs or moved house several times, but getting them back isn't as difficult as you might think. Not only could you discover some money you'd forgotten about, but you could also make life far easier for your loved ones if the worst happens. Nearly a quarter, 24 per cent, of people worry their loved ones would not be able to find their financial information if they needed to - and this could make sorting their affairs after death a protracted process. Tom Poynter, CEO of Orderist said: ‘Forgetting about a nest-egg is tantamount to losing it, but losing track of vital documents and deeds would also cause problems for your loved ones in the event that something happened to you.'We explain exactly how to trace lost pensions and savings accounts. Detective work: When you've had lots of jobs, it's easy to forget which pension providers you were with - but luckily it isn't that hard to track them downLost pensionIn the UK, you are automatically enrolled into a workplace pension by your employer unless you opt out. If you have had a lot of jobs, this could mean you have a lot of pension pots.This is Money's pensions columnist Steve Webb has the following tips, and you can read his full guide to finding a lost pension here. 1. Start with the paperworkDig out any official paperwork that you hold and look for vital details like policy numbers. This also goes to show how important it is to keep all correspondence regarding pensions rather than throwing it away.2. Find out what happened to your former employerInvestigate whether the company you worked for is still trading; if it’s changed its name, and if it’s contactable.Companies House is a free website provided by the government that allows you to enter the name of the company and get information about what happened to them.Alternatively, you can request your employment history from National Insurance records via the HMRC.3. Try the Government’s pension tracing serviceAlthough it is quite limited, the government offers a Pension Tracing Service – a bit like a glorified telephone directory.It asks you various questions and tries to identify an up-to-date contact.This service is largely about tracing pension administration firms, which are those that might have been responsible for running your scheme at the time you were there.You can try to find out whether that business has now been taken on by another company who may hold records for your scheme.It’s important to note that when you search ‘lost pension’ into google, or safari, you will be offered a lot of commercial tracing services.Take care with these links as they may go to firms which charge, try to sell other services or be fraudulent.4. Follow the moneyTrack down whether the pension provider was taken over by another business or whether the pension scheme assets may now be held by an insurance company or compensation scheme such as the Pension Protection Fund.Your approach will vary depending on whether you are looking for a defined benefit or defined contribution pension.5. Use your own networksGet in touch with someone you worked with at your old employer. They might still be receiving the pension from the scheme today which could help you find contact details and track down your lost pension.If you are no longer in touch with anyone you used to work with, you may be able to track them down through social media sites.For example, LinkedIn. Although it’s mainly used by people in or looking for employment, people may leave records there even when retired.Alternatively, some larger firms will have organisations for their retired employees. The members of such groups are likely to have ‘folk knowledge’ about pension arrangements and could be contacted to point you in the right direction.Lost savings accountsBanks and building societies will class an account as 'lost' if it hasn't been active for an extended period, often 15 years. They will write to the holder and ask them if they want the account to remain open. If they don't get a response, the account is classed as lost - but the holder can still get the money if they ask for it. The most common reason for accounts becoming lost is someone moving house and not updating their address, so remembering to do this is vital. If you know which bank or building society holds your account, you should go directly to the provider. Remember that they might have you listed under an old name or address. If you don’t know the bank or building society that holds your account you can head to the government website My Lost Account which traces UK based personal accounts.Make sure you have gathered all information possible including any sort-codes and account numbers.Consider previous addresses of your own and names of people who could have opened the account on your behalf.If you are searching for lost accounts as an executor or next of kin, you will need to provide a date of death.Alternatively, if you think you might have a savings account with NS&I, you can use its dedicated tracing service.Simply download and print a paper form and send it back to NS&I.It will include details such as:your full name and current addressyour address at the time you invested (if different) and any other previous addressesyour previous name if it has changed, for example through marriage or divorcethe approximate date and year you opened your accountthe approximate amount you investedany other information you think might be relevantDon’t forget to sign and date the letter. If you don’t have a printer, you can write to NS&I with all the above information included.NS&I aims to get back to you within a month of receiving your application, unless it requires any further information.If you want to trace for more than one person, you’ll need to make a separate application for each one. But you can only trace for someone you are legally entitled to act for, say you’re an executor or under Power of Attorney.SAVE MONEY, MAKE MONEYUp to £300 cashbackUp to £300 cashback£25-£300 cashback on at least £3004.87% cash Isa4.87% cash IsaTrading 212: 1.27% fixed 12-month bonus£2,500 cashback£2,500 cashback£250-£2,500 cashback when opening SippUp to £150 cashbackUp to £150 cashbackOpen a savings account with at least £5,000Welcome bonusWelcome bonusGet up to £200 when you invest £100Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. 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