Finding a Lost Pension

Publisher Marketing: Over the past decade, American investors increasingly have turned to mutual funds to save for retirement and other financial goals. Mutual funds can offer the advantages of diversification and professional management. But, as with other investment choices, investing in mutual funds involves risk. And fees and taxes will diminish a fund's returns. It pays to understand both the upsides and downsides of mutual fund investing and how to choose products that match your goals and tolerance for risk. This brochure explains the basics of mutual fund investing, how mutual funds work, what factors to consider before investing, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Arthur Kelly is a fictitious person, but his problem is all too real. Thousands of retired workers in the United States are entitled to pension payments that they have not claimed because they do not know where to look. After all, a private company may: >move from one city or town to another; >close down a particular plant or office to consolidate its operations elsewhere; >be bought by another company and given a new name; >merge with another company; >divide into separate parts, none of which retains the old company name; >go bankrupt; >any combination of the above; or >simply close its doors and disappear. Workers may be tempted to shrug their shoulders and write off the pensions as "lost." Indeed, some pensions may in fact be gone forever. In many cases, though, the pension money is sitting safely in a fund, waiting only for the worker (or a surviving spouse or beneficiary) to come forward to collect it. If you think you may be entitled to money in a pension fund, either as a participant or as a spouse or beneficiary of a participant, it makes sense to try to track it down. This booklet, which is based on the experience of pension counselors, gives advice on how to plan and conduct your search. A glossary (Appendix A) explains some terms that may be unfamiliar.