Superannuation guide
How to find lost super — free, through myGov
By easySMSF, SMSF Specialist Team · Updated
Billions of dollars sit in lost and ATO-held superannuation accounts, most of it left behind by a job change. You can find yours in a few minutes through myGov, at no cost. This guide walks through the search, the checks worth making before you consolidate, and what changes if you are rolling the money into an SMSF.
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What counts as lost super
Superannuation gets separated from its owner in ordinary ways. You change jobs and the new employer pays into their default fund. You move house, change your name, or let an old email lapse, and the fund can no longer reach you. Each of those events can leave a balance behind, quietly paying administration fees and insurance premiums out of money you have forgotten about.
The Australian Taxation Office distinguishes two situations. A lost member account is still held by a super fund, but the fund has been unable to contact you or has not received a contribution for you in an extended period. ATO-held super has already left the fund and sits with the ATO — typically transferred from inactive low-balance accounts, unclaimed amounts for members over 65, or accounts belonging to former temporary residents. The practical difference matters: ATO-held money is indexed to inflation rather than invested, so it is not compounding for your retirement while it sits there.
Everything you need to run the search is free. Signing in to myGov and linking the ATO service shows every account reported against your tax file number, alongside any ATO-held amounts, and consolidation can be requested from the same screen. Commercial services that charge a percentage of whatever they find are charging you for a result you can obtain yourself in about the time it takes to make a coffee.
Consolidating is usually the right move once you can see the full picture, but it is not automatic. Old accounts frequently carry insurance you cannot buy back at the same price — or at all, if your health has changed since the cover started. Defined benefit interests can lose their entire benefit design if rolled out. Those are personal decisions about your own circumstances, and they are worth taking advice on. easySMSF provides SMSF administration services and does not give financial product advice.
If your reason for searching is that you are about to start a self-managed fund, sequence it deliberately. Complete the search first so you know your true combined balance, because that number drives whether an SMSF makes economic sense for you. Then establish the fund, and only then request the rollovers — a fund that does not yet exist on Super Fund Lookup cannot receive them.
- Searching through myGov or the ATO is free — never pay a percentage to find your own super
- Lost member accounts sit with a fund; ATO-held super has already been transferred to the ATO
- ATO-held amounts are indexed to inflation, not invested, so they miss out on market returns
- Check insurance cover before consolidating — you may not be able to replace it
- Rollovers between complying funds are tax-free and do not count towards contribution caps
- Beneficiary nominations do not transfer with a rollover — re-nominate on the surviving account
- An SMSF must exist and appear on Super Fund Lookup before it can receive a rollover
Finding your super, step by step
The whole sequence is free and takes about half an hour, most of which is reading what each old account actually holds.
Gather your tax file number and past employers
Before you search, have your tax file number handy and write down every employer you have worked for. Most lost super is created by a job change: the new employer opens a fresh account with their default fund and the old balance stays behind under a former name or address. A rough employment history tells you how many accounts to expect.
Search through myGov, free of charge
Sign in to your myGov account and link the ATO service. Under Super, choose Fund details to see every account the ATO has reported against your tax file number, and Manage, then Transfer super, to see ATO-held amounts. This is the authoritative source and it costs nothing. Never pay a search fee to a third party for a result you can get yourself in a few minutes.
Check for ATO-held super separately
Two different things get called lost super. Lost member accounts still sit with a fund but the fund cannot contact you. ATO-held super has already been transferred to the Australian Taxation Office, usually because an account was inactive and low balance, or the member was uncontactable. ATO-held amounts do not earn investment returns; they are indexed to inflation only, so leaving money there costs you compounding.
Check insurance before you consolidate anything
Old accounts often carry death, total and permanent disability, or income protection cover that you cannot re-acquire at the same price or without health underwriting. Ask each fund what cover is attached and what it costs, and check whether an existing health condition would be excluded on a new policy. If cover in an old fund matters to you, consider keeping that account open rather than rolling it out.
Compare fees, exit costs and tax components
Ask each fund for its administration fee, investment fee, any buy-sell spread on exit, and whether the balance holds an untaxed element or a tax-free component worth preserving. A small balance being eaten by a flat dollar fee is usually worth consolidating. A defined benefit interest usually is not, because rolling it out can forfeit the benefit design entirely.
Consolidate into the fund you actually want to keep
Once you know what each account holds, consolidate through myGov or by giving your chosen fund a rollover request. Rollovers between complying funds are not taxed and do not count towards your contribution caps. Confirm each transfer has landed before closing anything, and update your beneficiary nomination on the surviving account, because nominations do not travel with a rollover.
If you are starting an SMSF, roll over after the fund exists
An SMSF cannot receive a rollover until it has been established, has its own bank account, and appears on Super Fund Lookup with an election to be regulated. Rollovers into an SMSF travel through SuperStream, and the releasing fund will verify your identity and the fund's details electronically. Locating and consolidating your existing accounts first means you know your true starting balance before you commit to running your own fund.
Where to search, and what each source shows
| Source | What it shows | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| myGov, linked to the ATO | Every account reported against your TFN, ATO-held amounts, and a consolidation request screen | Free |
| ATO superannuation line, 13 10 20 | The same records, read to you after identity verification — useful if you cannot access myGov | Free |
| Contacting a fund directly | Balance, fees and insurance details for that one fund, including cover you would lose on exit | Free |
| Super Fund Lookup | Whether a fund is complying and able to receive rollovers — including your own SMSF once established | Free |
| Commercial 'find my super' services | The same ATO data, repackaged | Often a percentage of what they find |
Next steps
Once you know what you actually hold, these are the numbers worth running.
Frequently asked questions
Know your balance? See if an SMSF stacks up
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General advice warning
Figures shown are illustrative only and based on the inputs and assumptions you provide. They are general information, not personal financial product advice. Consider your objectives, financial situation and needs, and seek personal advice from a licensed financial adviser before acting. easySMSF does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL).