I've lost track of two different 401ks. One was through a company that must have changed their name or filed bankrupt. I spoke to the personnel dept. several times and they just gave me the run around. Not giving any info.
The other was through the US Army.
Any suggestions?

Um the Army doesn't have a 401K, they are only for non govt employees.

What runaround? The personnel dept should tell you the name of the plan admins.

You can also try theses sites:


Pension Search: Find Missing Participant
Find your pension plan (PBGC.gov)
http://www.unclaimedretirementbenefi...cipantSearch.m

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottGem

um the Army doesn't have a 401K, they are only for non govt employees.

What runaround? The personnel dept should tell you the name of the plan admins.

You can also try theses sites:


Pension Search: Find Missing Participant
Find your pension plan (PBGC.gov)
http://www.unclaimedretirementbenefi...cipantSearch.m

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Yea... I already went to the PBGC.gov site and they DO NOT HELP WITH 401ks. (might want to read the link yourself and remove it as a link)
I'll try the other link, hopefully it isn't a scam that wants to charge money for info.
And YES they did give me the runaround. Thus I'm here inquiring how to go around the runaround.
I read on another web site that the company you work for doesn't work for the 401k company, so they aren't obligated to release any info.

I suspect the runaround os because the company you are talking to is not the company you actually worked for. The plan admins contract their services to the company. Admins can be replaced if they don't perform.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottGem

I suspect the runaround os because the company you are talking to is not the company you actually worked for. The plan admins contract their services to the company. Admins can be replaced if they don't perform.

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I just found this link;Dan Solin: Your 401(k) Plan: Is It A "Match" Made In Heaven or Hell?

It prooves that all gov. employees have access to a 401k.
With all due respect... im not getting anywhere with you.
You're supposed to be the expert, yet you don't know about gov. 401ks?
And you give me a link where the page linked to says they don't do 401ks.
This is a big waste of time...

I checked that article and what he is referring to is a 401K LIKE plan, but not a 401K plan. The name 401K comes from Section 401(k) of Title 26 of the IRS code.

Section 401(k)(4)(b(ii) states:
(ii) Governments ineligible A cash or deferred arrangement shall not be treated as a qualified cash or deferred arrangement if it is part of a plan maintained by a State or local government or political subdivision thereof, or any agency or instrumentality thereof. This clause shall not apply to a rural cooperative plan or to a plan of an employer described in clause (iii).

The original purpose of a 401(k) was to allow for profit corporations to offset taxable income by matching employee contributions in a tax deferred plan. Since government agencies don't pay taxes, then they can't have a 401(k) plan. They can offer similar plans like 403(b) plans, but these generally do not provide a match.

Yes I do know what I'm talking about, the guy who wrote that article was misleading.

Rob - regarding the US Army plan that you have lost all record of - I suggest contacting the US Army personnel office to ask how to get info on your old account.

As for the company that is giving you the "run around" - are you referring to your former employer, or the company that administers the 401(k) plan for that employer? If the former - all you need is the contact information for the plan administrator - just a name and contact phone number. If they can't answer that simple question, then I suggest that you get in touch with a former colleague who worked there and ask them if they know who the plan administrator is.

Finally, it may be that the plan administrator considers you to be “lost” and have turned over your abandoned assets to the state. Here is a free web site that lets you search your state's database of abandoned assets: Missing Money Free Search for Unclaimed Property - Officially endorsed By The States