[funeymonkey]

My former employer recently told the office that all employees have a 401(k) that they have been contributing 3% of an employees yearly gross into. Employer contributions, employees didn't even know we had a plan so no employee contributions were on my W-2. I got my hands on a booklet they passed out and the office is listed as the administrator and the legal agent. They won't return my calls and the way this reads I'm not fully vested but I can get 20% because I worked for two years after the plan start date. How do I find out ANY info on this? I tried to speak with other employees still there but they were told if they have contact with me the would be fired. Any help would be appreciated.

[smoothy]

DO you have a paycheck that shows a contribution to a plan?

Employers usually MATCH contributions... meaning if you put in nothing they put in nothing...

I'll bet they match up to 3% of your pay in matching money. Not as you stated.

[funeymonkey]

I understand how it usually works and as I stated before there were no employee contributions. I saw a printout with employee names on it and the dollar amounts beside them so I know you would have lost that bet. I know this company does their payroll at the office and they have made mistakes before. I was asking if there was a way to find out if there was a 401(k) plan in my name with my former employer not giving me information. Even if there was no contributions to it, it would still exist if they started one for ALL employees like the handbook stated. Can I find out if it even exists with them keeping all the information?

[smoothy]

THen you know if you had a 401K plan YOU would have been mailed summaries of their value several times a year, and in most 401K plans you have to select your investment options, the Financial management company that runs the plan for your company is required to do this, its not optional. If you was never mailed one... I doubt one exists.

I've had 5 different 401K plans at five different employers over the last 25 years. Currently have 2 separate ones. (different management companies.. and the older one has been doing REALLY well, too well to roll over.)

[ebaines]

Since Smoothy lost his bet I'm going to make my own - I bet this is not truly a 401(k), but rather is a profit sharing plan. There's really not much difference in how they work, except a profit sharing plan is funded exclusively by employer contributions. A 401(k) is formally known as a deferred salary plan, hence the contributions come from employees, some of which may be matched.

But to answer your question - post back with the name and address of the company and I can see if the plan is listed with the Dept of Labor, and if so who the administrator is. Or you can do a search yourself using this web site:

Free Employee Benefits Data - FreeERISA (you'll have to register).

Assuming they do have a plan, then the next step is to contact the administrator. Please note - while the company may be listed as the administrator on the package they handed out, they should have contracted with an outside company tpo provide management services.