Q&A for How to Check Your 401(k)

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How do I find my 401k balance?

Dmitriy Fomichenko
Financial Planner
Dmitriy Fomichenko is the president of Sense Financial Services LLC, a boutique financial firm specializing in self-directed retirement accounts with checkbook control based in Orange County, California. With over 19 years of financial planning and advising experience, Dmitry assists and educates thousands of individuals on how to use self-directed IRA and Solo 401k to invest in alternative assets. He is the author of the book "IRA Makeover" and is a licensed California real estate broker.

Dmitriy Fomichenko

Financial Planner

Expert Answer

It should be online in your brokerage account. Some brokerage accounts will also mail out statements on occasion. If you don't know where that is, just talk to whoever's running the 401k at your place of work.

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Question

Can you lose your 401k money?

Dmitriy Fomichenko
Financial Planner
Dmitriy Fomichenko is the president of Sense Financial Services LLC, a boutique financial firm specializing in self-directed retirement accounts with checkbook control based in Orange County, California. With over 19 years of financial planning and advising experience, Dmitry assists and educates thousands of individuals on how to use self-directed IRA and Solo 401k to invest in alternative assets. He is the author of the book "IRA Makeover" and is a licensed California real estate broker.

Dmitriy Fomichenko

Financial Planner

Expert Answer

It depends on what's in your account, but every investment carries a certain degree of risk. Whether it's the property value of real estate going down or the stock market crashing, there's never a guarantee that your 401k will only go up. That doesn't mean you shouldn't invest your money, but you do need to realize that there is always going to be some risk.

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What happens to my 401k if I quit?

Dmitriy Fomichenko
Financial Planner
Dmitriy Fomichenko is the president of Sense Financial Services LLC, a boutique financial firm specializing in self-directed retirement accounts with checkbook control based in Orange County, California. With over 19 years of financial planning and advising experience, Dmitry assists and educates thousands of individuals on how to use self-directed IRA and Solo 401k to invest in alternative assets. He is the author of the book "IRA Makeover" and is a licensed California real estate broker.

Dmitriy Fomichenko

Financial Planner

Expert Answer

The money is still there, even if you don't work at that job anymore. You can contact your old employer to have that money rolled over into another account once you leave.

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I had worked in several organizations and am about to retire. How do I track my 401(k)s?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

Call up your old employers and ask to speak with an HR rep. They can give you information about your old 401(k) provider and help you access your balance.

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Who do I contact to see if I have any money in my 401(k) from 1999? The personal in Human Resources said he didn't have information before 2014. I worked there in 1997.

wikiHow Staff Editor
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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

That's definitely frustrating! You might be able to track down your old plan by checking FreeErisa.com or the National Registry of Unclaimed Retirement Benefits database. The Abandoned Plan database and missingmoney.com could also help you find your old 401(k).

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I am no longer living in the USA, but need to know how much is in my 401(k) account from when I worked there almost 20 years ago. How would I do so?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Contact the administrator of your 401(k) by mail or phone. Give them self-identifying information and your account number. Ask for the account balance.

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