Finances.

[hartley353]

Many times I have watched programmes where folks have discovered lost bank and building society accounts, and wondered how it happened. Yesterday I found out it happened to me, a letter arrived to say I have a lost pension fund. The pension was due to pay out in 2009. so not only will I be getting a lump sum, and a yearly pay out it will be back dated. A nice little earner. After racking my brains I believe that I thought I had transferred this to another pension fund, but obviously had not.

[LizG]

Enjoy the windfall.

[Wendyf]

What a nice surprise. Col worked for Manweb for three years after leaving school and had always thought that he had transferred his pension to his next employer but a couple of years ago we got a phone call from the pension scheme trying to trace him. It's not due to pay out for a few years yet, but it will add to the pot.
He also spent three years with Ferranti in Edinburgh and the pension from that looks as if it will provide a better annuity than he will get from many years of paying into a private pension.

[hartley353]

The pension dates back to my time with the GPO, They were a good employer and gave me a bursary for University. when I left after 12 years folks said I were daft. but you have to spread your wings and see how far you can get.

[Tizer]

I'm glad to hear you found the pension...or the pension found you. I used the government's service for tracking old pensions to see if I had anything from my very earliest work, before becoming an undergraduate. Not surprisingly, it found nothing. In those days you usually had to be a certain age, have worked for the company for X years and/or be `on the staff'.

[hartley353]

From the moment I joined the GPO. I became a civil servant, we were very well looked after, when I left I had reached the dizzy heights of Assistant Executive Engineer. When I looked around at my peers and realised most were very dull people it was wise to move on, and the descision proved right I began to enjoy my work. Should I have stayed my superannuated pension could have been quite large, though I would have payed a high price to earn it.

[hartley353]

What a nice surprise. Col worked for Manweb for three years after leaving school and had always thought that he had transferred his pension to his next employer but a couple of years ago we got a phone call from the pension scheme trying to trace him. It's not due to pay out for a few years yet, but it will add to the pot.
He also spent three years with Ferranti in Edinburgh and the pension from that looks as if it will provide a better annuity than he will get from many years of paying into a private pension.

Thank you wendy. Last june i got a letter asking me to prove my identity, and time with BT which was my final employer for the pension, I thought no more about it, as like Tizer I had done a pension search on line and it came back blank. My private pensions Have not been a good investment, I could have done far better by my own devices. But you pay your money and you take your chances as they say.