Help at hand to track down lost accounts

By the Editorial Team · Saturday, September 26, 2026

Nearly £5 billion in unclaimed savings are scattered across millions of forgotten UK bank, building society, and NS&I accounts. With simple and free services available, consumers are urged to check for lost accounts to reclaim potentially significant funds averaging over £300 each.

Recent research reveals that nearly £5 billion in savings remain unclaimed across the United Kingdom, spread over millions of forgotten bank, building society, and National Savings & Investments (NS&I) accounts. Approximately £4.5 billion is held in 14 million lost retail bank and building society accounts, while an additional £450 million is tied up in 2.4 million unclaimed NS&I holdings, which include Premium Bonds.

Gretel, a consumer service specializing in locating lost savings accounts, has highlighted these findings amid UK Savings Week, held from September 21 to 27. The company encourages individuals to check for forgotten accounts, citing a straightforward process that often takes just minutes. According to Duncan Stevens, CEO of Gretel, the average lost account holds around £321, while the typical unclaimed NS&I holding contains about £191.

Accounts are frequently lost due to changes in residence or contact details, or as a result of financial providers merging or rebranding. Consumers seeking to recover their accounts can register for free with Gretel using their name and address. This service does not charge fees or take deductions from recovered funds.

Other available resources for tracing lost accounts include the government-backed My Lost Account service, which covers bank and building society accounts as well as NS&I holdings. The Pension Tracing Service assists individuals in locating details about old workplace or personal pensions. NS&I also operates a tracing service for those who suspect they have lost Premium Bonds or other investments.

For those looking to recover lost insurance policies, guidance is available through the Association of British Insurers and the Association of Financial Mutuals. Additionally, the Unclaimed Estates list on gov.uk can provide information about money or property from deceased relatives without known wills or next of kin. Resources such as Companies House and gov.uk also offer tools for tracing shares in dissolved companies.

Most of these services are provided free of charge, and consumers are advised to be cautious of any tracing service demanding a fee.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.