Find your super

In this article we explore:

• How your super goes missing
• Finding your missing super
• We can help you find your lost super
• Search for lost super
   

How your super goes missing

The latest figures from the Australian Taxation Office reveal there is $13.8 billion of lost or unclaimed superannuation in Australia – and some of it could be yours.

If you’ve ever changed your name or job, the chances are that you may have some super that you’ve forgotten ever existed. 

People often lose track of super when they switch employers because they opt to put contributions into a new fund and forget to roll over funds from older accounts. 

Another common scenario is when you change your address and phone number, but forget to update your contact details with your super fund, which means the fund can easily lose track of you. This is how super accounts can start to multiply, incurring multiple sets of fees and potentially being lost forever. 

Keeping track of your accounts is also important because you may have a significant amount of super in an under-performing fund that you don’t know about.
 

Finding your missing super

Lost or unclaimed super is usually sitting in one of two places:

• the ATO – the Tax Office holds super on your behalf if your super fund, your employer or the government can’t find an account for your super deposits
• your super fund – it could be holding on to super in an account that has fallen off your radar, and the super balance is probably being eaten up by fees.
   

There is a distinction between lost and unclaimed super. Your super fund will report you as a lost member if:

• you’re not contactable, or
• it has not received any contributions or rollovers into your account in the past five years, or
• your account has been transferred from another fund as a lost member account and no new address or contact details have been found.
   

Super is considered to be unclaimed when your super fund transfers lost superannuation to the ATO to hold on your behalf. This occurs in a range of scenarios, including if:

• You are aged over 65 and haven't made a contribution for the past two years, and your fund has been unable to contact you for five years
• Your account balance is below $6000, with no contributions or rollovers having been received for more than 12 months, and  your fund has not been able to contact you.
   

We can help you find your lost super

Keeping track of your super is easy. We can assist you, even if you don’t know the details of your old super account, or if you have forgotten that you ever had an account. You can then choose to leave your money with the existing fund, or consolidate it into Mercer Super’s fund.

If you consolidate your lost or unclaimed super into a single Mercer Super Trust account, you’ll gain greater control of your money and may reduce the amount of fees you’re paying. However, it’s important that you make an informed choice if you’re thinking about consolidating your super to ensure you are selecting the right fund for you. 

Before consolidating your super, remember that it’s important to check with your fund to see if there are any associated transfer fees. You could also potentially lose important insurance cover, or be subject to tax implications, if you transfer funds. 

Prior to consolidating we recommend you seek financial advice. Our Helpline Advice team can provide financial advice about your super fund at no additional cost. You can make an appointment with this team by calling our Helpline on 1800 682 525 between 8am-7pm (AEST/AEDT), Monday-Friday.
 

Search for lost super

We can help you find your super in just minutes. Simply:

1. Log in to your account.
2. Navigate to the ‘Find My Super’ page.
3. Select the first option to ‘Find my super’ and follow the prompts.

If you’re not a Mercer Super Trust member, the Australian Taxation Office provides a similar service. Just log in, or create an account at myGov.au that is linked to the ATO and click on ‘Manage my super’.