From "This Is Uncomfortable": Wait...where did my retirement money go?

From "This Is Uncomfortable": Wait...where did my retirement money go?

From Make Me Smart by Marketplace

May 1, 2026 · 37 min · Episode 1561

About this episode

Reema explores what happens to retirement savings when leaving a job and how to track down forgotten accounts.

Hey Smarties! There won’t be a livestream for “Economics on Tap” today. But don’t worry! We’ll be back next week. For now, we’re sharing an episode from our friends over at “This Is Uncomfortable.” Enjoy! What happens to your retirement savings when you leave a job? And if you’ve forgotten about an old 401(k) account, how do you track that money down? That’s the mystery Reema is trying to solve this week, as she confronts her own financial anxiety and goes searching for retirement accounts left behind at previous jobs. Along the way, she talks with retirement expert Geoffrey Sanzenbacher about just how common this is -- only about 15% of people roll their retirement savings over to a new employer's plan! And she asks behavioral economist Katy Milkman why this kind of chore feels so hard. Plus, brain hacks that will help you get through that daunting financial to-do list. Here at Marketplace, we’re celebrating Public Media Giving Days on May 1 and 2. Help us keep the conversations going. Donate now: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn

People in this episode

Host: Reema

Guests: Geoffrey Sanzenbacher, Katy Milkman

Topics covered

  • retirement savings
  • 401(k) accounts
  • financial anxiety
  • behavioral economics
  • financial to-do list

Keywords

  • retirement
  • 401(k)
  • financial anxiety
  • behavioral economics
  • savings
  • financial planning
  • to-do list

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Marketplace, This Is Uncomfortable

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