Episode notes
Most people assume an old 401(k) or a self-managed IRA is fine simply because nothing looks wrong with it — no scary letter, no dropped balance, nothing flagged. That's usually not because everything's fine. It's because nobody's actually looking.
This video walks through what an old 401(k) is typically costing you in fees and missed attention, how to track down an account you've lost touch with after changing jobs, what's worth checking on a self-managed IRA at least once a year (allocation drift, beneficiary designations, overlap with a current plan), and the questions worth asking before you decide to move anything — or leave it exactly where it is.
Forgotten or left-behind 401(k) accounts in the U.S. held about $2.13 trillion in assets as of July 2025, roughly a quarter of all 401(k) savings nationally (Capitalize, 2025). Separately, a 2026 Fidelity study found the average American has worked for six employers, and that only 32% of people have rolled a previous balance into a current workplace plan, with just 21% moving one into a personal IRA — most have done nothing at all.
This is educational content, not personalized advice — nothing here is a recommendation to move your specific account.
More on our old 401(k) & IRA review approach: https://www.bas-financial.com/old-401k-ira-review?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=weekly_2026-08-06&utm_content=wk0806_longform_old401kira
Want a complimentary conversation about your own accounts? Book here: https://outlook.office.com/book/BASFinancial401KFeeReview@guardianlife.com/
Sources cited: Capitalize, “The True Cost of Forgotten 401(k) Accounts” (2025); Fidelity 2026 study (via Yahoo Finance/247wallst, July 2026).