What happens if you forget about one of your super accounts? Don’t worry – that money isn’t gone for good. It’s easy to track it down and move your money into your preferred super fund. We’ll show you how to do it.
How to search for your super accounts?
A lot of people have super that they’ve lost track of over the years. It can happen when you move house, or change jobs, or if your super fund doesn’t have your correct contact details. The ATO estimates that there’s around $16 billion in lost and unclaimed super across Australia.
No matter how long it’s been since you last made a contribution to your super account, the money can only be in one of two places. It may still be with your super fund. Or, if your account met the definition of unclaimed money or lost member accounts, your super fund may have had to transfer your money to the ATO.
As long as your super account can be traced back to you in some way (such as your Tax File Number), you can perform a search to see where your super has ended up.
You can use any of these methods to check whether you have lost super:
- Log in to FirstNet and ask CFS to perform a search for you (if you have a CFS super account).
- Log into the myGov website.
- Call the ATO’s lost super helpline.
- Fill out a form and send it to the ATO.
We’ve included the steps for each of these methods below.
What details you need to claim your super?
Log in to your FirstNet account.
Click ‘My account’ in the top menu.
Select the ‘SuperMatch’ tool.
Follow the prompts to search for your super accounts.
Member OIN and password
You can retrieve these details on the login page if you’ve forgotten them.
Log in to your myGov account.
Click on ‘Manage my super’ and follow the prompts.
myGov login details
Call 13 28 65.
Select from the automated menu and follow the prompts.
Tax File Number
Previous name, address and employer details
Previous super fund details (if you have them)
Download and complete the Searching for lost and unclaimed super form
Tax File Number
Previous name, address and employer details
Previous super fund details (if you have them)
Can you lose your unclaimed super?
Unclaimed super is money that has been transferred to the ATO by a super fund.
While there’s no limit to how long your super can stay with the ATO, your money won’t generate any returns during that time because the ATO doesn’t invest it for you. That means you’ll be missing out on the opportunity to build your retirement savings.
No matter how small the amount may be, it’s better for you to decide what happens to it.
What to do after your find your super accounts?
If you find that you have more than one super account, you might want to consider bringing them together into one account.
Having all your super in one place can help you save on fees and makes it easier to manager.
What’s next?
Superannuation: Your complete guide
Super is an investment in your future. The more you know about it, the better off you’ll be later in life when it’s time to retire.
Consolidate your super
Bring all your super into one account and save on management fees.
Super contributions: Adding extra money to your super
Thinking about boosting your super with an extra contribution? That’s smart for two reasons. You may pay less tax now, and you’ll enjoy more super down the track.
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Disclaimer
Information on this webpage is provided by Avanteos Investments Limited ABN 20 096 259 979, AFSL 245531 and Colonial First State Investments Limited ABN 98 002 348 352, AFSL 232468. It may include general advice but does not consider your individual objectives, financial situation, needs or tax circumstances. You can find the target market determinations (TMD) for our financial products at www.cfs.com.au/tmd, which include a description of who a financial product might suit. You should read the Financial Services Guide (FSG) available online for information about our services.