Capitalize Says 31.9 Million Forgotten 401(k)s Hold $2.1 Trillion, Up Nearly 30%
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Oct 23
Capitalize Says 31.9 Million Forgotten 401(k)s Hold $2.1 Trillion, Up Nearly 30%
2 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Oct 23
Summary
$2.1 trillion sat in 31.9 million left-behind or forgotten 401(k) accounts as of July 2025, according to Capitalize, with assets up nearly 30% from mid-2023.
Job changes drive much of the buildup: balances under $1,000 may be cashed out automatically, while $1,000 to $7,000 can be moved without consent into safe-harbor IRAs.
Those automatic IRAs often park money in low-yield money market funds and charge fees; PensionBee estimates 13 million accounts holding about $43 billion could sit in them by 2030.
The longer money stays there, the greater the drag—PensionBee says 4 in 10 such accounts were worth less than when transferred after eight years.
Workers can trace old accounts through former employers or federal and industry databases, then decide whether to keep, consolidate, roll over or cash out.