How to track down your forgotten retirement nest-egg

YOU can track down lost or forgotten pensions via the Pension Tracing Service at www.gov.uk/find-pension-contactdetails, or by calling 0345 6002 537.

The free service run by the Government has an online database of more than 320,000 pension scheme administrators.

You will need the name of an employer or a pension provider to use the service, although it will not tell you whether you have a pension or what its value is.

It provides contact details for pension schemes run by employers, as well as for private schemes organised by pension providers, so you can then get in touch yourself to find out the amount of savings you may have.

The site helps you navigate the maze of firms which have changed their name or been taken over by a new company.

But you will only be able to get details of your pension savings once a pension firm has established you are who you say you are and that you do indeed have a pension pot with them.

You should only use the government website service because although some firms claim they can help, they charge a fee which you do not need to pay.

But beware of crooks who set up similar sounding rogue sites to get hold of your personal data in order to steal from you.