Wondering Who Can Help You In Finding Your Lost Super?

By Author: Belinda Darling
Total Articles: 152
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If you’re one of the millions of Australians who have lost super funds, you’re probably not looking forward to the scavenger hunt in trying to chase it up. If you don’t know where to start and are wondering, “How do I find my super?” try the following resources.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) keeps a Lost Members Register (LMR). The list is a compilation of super accounts that have been reported lost by super funds across Australia. A super account may be considered lost when there have been no contributions or transfers into the account for five years (inactive) or where mail sent by the super fund to the member has been returned. The register has the details of the following lost accounts:

Industry Superannuation funds
Approved deposit funds
Eligible rollover funds
Retirement savings accounts.

If you know which super or other retirement fund company you have had money in, it’s a wise idea to call them up and ask them, “Can you help me find my super?” You may also be able to call up your current super fund and do the same. Some super funds have a department set up ...
... to assist its members to chase up old super accounts and consolidate the money.
How may have you left super behind? People most often lose track of their super when they change jobs, addresses, or names. Some people do not bother chasing up super from jobs they held only briefly or that were low-paying, like ones they held while in school or at university.
Other reasons you may be the LMR include your super fund not receiving contributions in the past five years, or you have transferred your money to an account from a past super provider who at one point had reported you as a lost member.
The ATO has a handy tool at your disposal to track down your lost super. SuperSeeker is an online and offline tool that looks through the LMR, as well as other databases, for your lost super in real time and provides you with matches within seconds. SuperSeeker is a great tool if you lead a busy lifestyle: the online system is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. If that doesn’t suit you, you can also call the ATO on 13 28 65. All you need to use Superseeker is your full name(s), date of birth, and your tax file number (TFN). If you prefer to do things the old-fashioned way, you can also download the ‘searching for lost super’ form from their website or request one be sent to you by calling 1300 720 092.

If Super Seeker finds a match, it’ll list the name and contact details of the super provider. You can then transfer the balance of your lost super account to whatever fund you choose with the ‘Request to transfer whole balance of superannuation benefits between funds’ form. If your super account’s balance is less than $200, you may be able to withdraw the funds.