An Old Job May Still Owe You Money: Two Free Federal Tools Can Find It

Money you may have left behind

When you leave a job, it is easy to lose track of a small retirement account or a final paycheck that never came through. Employers move, close, or merge. Records get lost. You move too.

The good news: the U.S. Department of Labor runs free tools to help workers find money they are owed. You do not need to pay anyone to search. The official path costs nothing.

Tool 1: The Retirement Savings Lost and Found

The Department of Labor created a Retirement Savings Lost and Found database. It is meant to help people reconnect with retirement plans from past employers.

If you worked somewhere with a retirement plan and are not sure what happened to your account, this kind of search can point you toward the plan or the company holding your money.

There is no fee to look. Be careful of any service that charges you to find your own retirement money.

Tool 2: Workers Owed Wages

The Department of Labor also runs Workers Owed Wages (WOW). When the Wage and Hour Division recovers back wages from an employer but cannot locate the worker, it holds that money and lists it in this database.

You can search by employer name to see if wages are being held for you. If there is a match, you can file a claim to receive what you are owed.

This is your money already recovered on your behalf. The search and the claim are free.

Why it is worth a few minutes

Checking takes only a little time, and it is one of the rare cases where the money is truly already yours. You are simply reconnecting with it.

OpenFinancial is not a bank or a government agency, and we cannot search on your behalf or speed anything up. What we can do is point you to the free, official tools so you can check for yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Does it cost anything to search for wages I am owed?

No. The Department of Labor's Workers Owed Wages search and claim process is free. You never need a paid middleman to find your own money.

How far back can I search for old employers?

Search for any past employer you can remember. Have the company name and the dates you worked there ready, since that helps you match records.

What if I find money listed under my name?

Follow the instructions on the official Department of Labor page to file a claim directly. There is no charge to do this.

Can OpenFinancial find the money for me?

No. We are not a bank or a government agency. We point you to the free official tools so you can check and claim for yourself.