Lost super can usually be found through myGov when your account is linked to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Finding an account is only the first step. Before transferring or consolidating it, check what you could lose as well as what you might simplify.
The ATO reported that, as at 30 June 2026, more than $21.2 billion was held across almost 7.5 million lost fund-held and ATO-held super accounts. People can lose track of super after changing jobs, moving home or failing to update their contact details.
How to check for lost super
For many people, myGov is the simplest place to begin:
- Sign in to myGov.
- Link your account to the ATO if it is not already linked.
- Open the ATO service and select Super.
- Review the super accounts and ATO-held amounts recorded against your details.
The ATO also provides other ways to search if you cannot use myGov. Start with the official ATO guidance on keeping track of your super or Moneysmart's lost-super guidance.
Be cautious about giving personal information to anyone who contacts you unexpectedly and offers to recover super on your behalf.
Finding lost super is not the same as consolidating it
Combining accounts can reduce duplicated administration and make your super easier to follow. It is not automatically the right decision.
Before moving a balance, compare the accounts carefully. A transfer can be difficult or impossible to reverse once an account has been closed.
What to review before consolidating
- Insurance: Check for life, total and permanent disability or income protection cover. Confirm whether replacement cover is available before cancelling an existing policy, particularly if your health or occupation has changed.
- Fees and costs: Compare the total cost of each account, not one fee in isolation.
- Investment options: Consider how each account is invested, the level of risk and whether the available options suit your broader strategy.
- Fund features and benefits: Some employer, corporate or defined-benefit arrangements have features that cannot be restored after you leave.
- Employer contributions: Make sure future contributions will be directed to the account you intend to keep.
- Eligibility: Check whether you can remain in, or later rejoin, a fund before making a transfer.
Moneysmart's guidance on consolidating super explains these checks in more detail.
If you decide to combine accounts
Eligible balances can often be transferred through the ATO service in myGov. Your fund can also explain its transfer process.
Keep records of the request and confirm that the money has reached the receiving fund. Then check that your employer is paying future super guarantee contributions into the intended account.
Keep your details current
Once you have located your super, review the contact and identity details held by your employer, your fund and the ATO. Check your super statements periodically and make sure contributions are arriving where you expect.
This simple administration matters. It reduces the chance of losing contact with an account again and can help you identify missed or unexpected contributions earlier.
When financial advice may help
The decision can require more care when an account includes valuable insurance, your health has changed, a fund has special features, or the transfer is part of a broader retirement strategy.
Acquira's approach to superannuation advice considers super within the wider structure of your financial position.
If retirement is approaching, our guide to reviewing super before retirement explains the broader decisions that may need to be coordinated.
A clear next step
First, identify every account and understand what each one contains. Then compare the consequences of keeping or transferring it.
The aim is not simply to have fewer accounts. It is to make a considered decision without giving up benefits you still value.
If you would like help assessing how your super accounts fit into your wider plans, you can speak with an Acquira adviser.