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The 401(k) You Forgot About is Costing You More Than You Think
The Retirement Gap Women Can’t Ignore
Millennials and Gen X Are Underestimating How Long Retirement Will Last
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Catch-Up Contributions for 401(k)s and IRAs Explained
401(k) Rollover Checklist
Year-End Retirement Tax Strategies
401(k) Explained: Everything You Need to Know Before Your Next Job
IRA and 401(k) Deadlines
What Caregivers Can Do to Close the Retirement Gap
401(k) vs IRA? Side-by-Side Comparison
What IRA is Best for a Self-Employed Person?
A Simple Guide on IRA Contribution Reporting
A Comprehensive Guide to Traditional and Roth IRAs

The 401(k) You Forgot About is Costing You More Than You Think

Starting a new job is hectic. An old 401(k) is easy to leave behind and data shows most people do exactly that. PensionBee surveyed American savers in April 2026 to find out how people actually manage their retirement savings across jobs. The findings are worth paying attention to.
Images are hypothetical

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First: A quick reality check.

Self-assessment

How Many Of These Apply To You?

Check all that apply.

I've left a 401(k) behind after changing jobs
I'm not sure how many retirement accounts I actually have
I haven't looked at an old account in over a year
I don't know what my old 401(k) is currently invested in
I'd have to do some digging to know my total retirement savings
Your score 0 / 5
You're good

Your retirement savings are in one place and you know it.

How 401(k)s get left behind  

Old retirement accounts don’t follow you when you change jobs. That's the gap many people don't close.

Our survey found: 

  • 43% have one retirement account
  • 38% have two or more
  • 13% are not sure how many they have

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Most people are saving for retirement, but those savings are often spread across multiple past employers, sitting in accounts that are rarely reviewed or actively managed. 

Be Retirement Confident.

Roll over all your old 401(k)s into a PensionBee Individual Retirement Account (IRA). It takes just a few minutes to sign up.

Get started

The long-term cost of leaving accounts behind

At first, it’s easy to ignore an old 401(k), but over time, it can make your retirement feel less clear and harder to plan for.

Each job change can add another retirement account, and with people working around 12 jobs on average over a career, that can quickly add up. 

Here's where the real cost shows up. Our survey data on what people do with old 401(k)s: 

  • 20% cash out entirely, triggering taxes and often early withdrawal penalties
  • 15% leave the account with a former employer, where it can easily be forgotten
  • 12% roll over their accounts into a single retirement plan

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That means the majority of accounts are either abandoned or removed from long-term growth altogether. In some cases, people cash out early, triggering taxes and penalties and losing years of potential growth.  Even when accounts are left untouched, they may no longer reflect current goals, risk tolerance, or investment strategy. What begins as a small delay in decision-making can slowly reduce clarity and long-term efficiency.

Why consolidation can help change your perspective

Bringing your accounts together isn’t  just organization, it changes what  you can see and act on:

  • One clear view of your total retirement savings
  • Fewer providers, logins, and statements to manage
  • A realistic picture of where you stand and what you still might need
  • One place to see your full retirement picture

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It’s not just about convenience. It’s about making your retirement savings easier to understand, monitor, and actively manage.

Roll it all into one place

Your retirement savings shouldn't be sitting across forgotten logins and old jobs. They should be somewhere you can actually see them.

PensionBee helps you roll over old 401(k)s, 403(b)s, IRAs and other retirement accounts into a single IRA, invested in diversified portfolios with ETFs like SPY and MDY from State Street Investment Management. You also get a 1% match on every rollover and contribution (terms & conditions apply), and a dedicated rollover manager (we call them your BeeKeeper) who handles communication with your old providers so you don't have to chase paperwork.

Be Retirement Confident.

Roll over all your old 401(k)s into a PensionBee Individual Retirement Account (IRA). It takes just a few minutes to sign up.

Get started
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New York, NY 10004

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Your investment is at risk. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
Not bank guaranteed. Not FDIC insured.

No Solicitation, Recommendation or Warranties
Information provided directly by PensionBee or on PensionBee’s behalf, whether via direct communications from PensionBee, publicly accessible pages of PensionBee.com/us (including when accessed via the PensionBee app), PensionBee advertising and sponsorships, PensionBee’s direct and sponsored social media, or otherwise, in each case including any associated customer testimonial or third party endorsement and any information prepared by any unaffiliated third party or link to any third party source (collectively, “PensionBee Materials”) is provided solely for informational and educational purposes.

PensionBee Materials do not constitute tax, legal, financial or investment advice or an offer, solicitation or recommendation to buy or sell any securities or investments.

PensionBee Materials do not consider any individual investors’ specific financial, legal or tax situation, objectives, risk tolerance, or investment needs.

PensionBee Inc. does not make any representations or warranties as to the accuracy, timeliness, suitability, completeness, or relevance of, and takes no responsibility for, any PensionBee Materials.  

*Product images, figures, and projections used are hypothetical, for marketing purposes only, and do not represent actual customer returns.

1 - This PensionBee customer received a one time cash payment for their testimonial.

Options on Rollovers
A rollover is not your only option for an old 401(k) or IRA, you may alternatively decide to leave your assets with your former employer, rollover your plan to a new employer or to cash in your old plan with the resulting tax penalties applied.  PensionBee Inc. does not provide tax advice or individual recommendations as to which of these options is most appropriate for your individual circumstances.  To understand the implications of each of the options available to you and help you decide between them you may wish to consult a tax professional who has knowledge of your individual circumstances. For more information see FINRA - Retirement Accounts.

‍Our collaboration with State Street Investment Management
State Street is not involved in the management of the strategies and accounts offered to you by PensionBee. State Street and its affiliates are not your investment adviser and are not a fiduciary with respect to you or your account. PensionBee is independent of State Street. State Street is not recommending or endorsing PensionBee or making a determination of the suitability or appropriateness for any individual products or investment strategies offered by PensionBee, including those described herein. Standard & Poor's®, S&P® and SPDR® are registered trademarks of Standard and Poor’s Financial Services LLC (S&P); Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (Dow Jones); and these trademarks have been licensed for use by S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC (SPDJI) and sublicensed for certain purposes by State Street Corporation. State Street Corporation’s financial products are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by SPDJI, Dow Jones or S&P, their respective affiliates and third party licensors and none of such parties make any representations regarding the advisability of investing in such product(s) nor do they have any liability in relation thereto, including for any errors, omissions or interruptions or any index.

The SPDR® S&P500 ETF®, SPDR® S&P MIDCAP 400® ETF, SPDR® Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF are exchange traded funds with the investment objective to correspond to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500® Index, S&P®MidCap 400®IndexTM and Dow Jones Industrial AverageSM. The shares of the SPDR® S&P 500® ETF, S&P MIDCAP 400® ETF, SPDR® Dow Jones® Industrial Average ETF represent individual ownership interest in the Trust’s portfolio.

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Trustpilot Scores
Trustpilot is a consumer review platform. Trustpilot scores shown in PensionBee Materials are a result of reviews collected from PensionBee customers in the UK between 2016 and 2025 scoring PensionBee’s UK pension products. Customers were not compensated to give a review. The score has always been 4.5 or higher.

SEC Registration
PensionBee Inc. is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser (CRD # 331741/SEC#: 801-130697). A copy of PensionBee Inc.'s Brochure containing our written disclosure statement discussing our business operations, services, and fees, is available at the SEC’s investment adviser public information website – www.adviserinfo.sec.gov or from us.

PensionBee Inc. (Delaware Registration Number SR20241105406) is located on 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004.

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