Around £400 million worth of pensions are thought to be left unclaimed, with estimates suggesting that there could be as many as 50 million dormant pensions by 2050.

We’re moving jobs more than ever, and it appears we’re leaving a trail of pensions in our wake. This can catch up with you when you reach retirement, and we’re not just talking logistically – there’s a very real chance that these dormant pensions could hit you financially.

Here’s how…

You’re paying excessive annual fees

Most pension providers will charge you an annual fee, which typically covers the administration costs of managing your pension. For instance, you’ll pay between 0.5% to 0.7% here at PensionBee.

The industry average is 0.8%, but some can be well in excess of that – in fact we did some digging last year and found that some annual fees can be double the industry average.

An excessive annual charge can have a big impact over time as your provider will take the fee regardless of whether you make contributions or see growth in your fund. Expensive fees could therefore diminish your pot if left unattended.

How you can fix things

Excessive annual fees can eat away at those dormant workplace schemes so you might want to dig out your old pension paperwork. If you think you’re paying too much, then it could be worth transferring to another plan that’s better value, or consolidating any old pots into one plan that’s more cost effective.

They’re hiding a host of other costs

Hidden fees have plagued the pension industry, and there have been many calls for greater cost transparency. Consumer associations and think tanks have lead the way to a fairer pensions industry.

Whilst things do appear to be improving, there’s still a likelihood you could be paying extra on top of your annual management charge – particularly if you have money in a pension plan that was taken out before 2001.

Charges to look out for in any small print include:

• Underlying fund fee: a fee that comes on top of your annual management charge. This pays your pension’s money managers.
• Service or policy fee: an admin fee that’s sometimes hidden.
• Inactivity fee: a fee designed to penalise you if you stop paying into your pension. Occasionally referred to as ‘active member discounts’.
• Exit fee: a fee to withdraw or transfer your savings. Reports suggest some 670,000 savers have faced exit fees up to 10% which has led to the FCA imposing a cap of 1% and an exit fee ban on any new plans. Should you sign up to PensionBee, we’ll let you know if we find any exit fees greater than £10 before we transfer the pension. Plus we won’t charge you an exit fee if you leave!
• Platform fee: a cost some providers impose just for the privilege of using their service.

How you can fix things

Unfortunately, it’s another case of digging out that old pension paperwork. Sift through the annual statements from your old providers or ask them for a charging schedule. See what you’re paying and if the sums don’t add up, explore what else is on the market. Just be particularly careful of any hefty exit fees.