Lost bank and savings accounts: how to find one for free
Student accounts you stopped using after graduating, childhood savings accounts a relative opened for you, or an old bank you switched away from — these don't disappear, they just go quiet. One free form can search for all of them at once.
Who's eligible
This is worth checking if you've ever had any of the following, and you're not sure what happened to it:
- A student bank account from college or university that you stopped using.
- A children's savings account that a parent, grandparent or guardian opened for you.
- An account with a bank or building society that's since closed, merged, or changed its name.
- Any National Savings and Investments (NS&I) product you forgot you had.
How to check — for free
My Lost Account (mylostaccount.org.uk) is a free service run jointly by UK Finance, the Building Societies Association and NS&I. Instead of contacting dozens of banks individually, you fill in one online form, and it searches across banks, building societies and all NS&I products for you — even if you're not sure which one holds the account, or whether it still exists under its original name.
You'll set up a simple online profile, answer some questions about the account you're looking for (approximate dates, type of account, any addresses you lived at), and submit the search. There's no fee at any point.
How to claim — for free
Once the search is complete, you'll get an email alert or a letter telling you the outcome and who to contact if a match is found. You then deal directly with that bank, building society or NS&I to prove your identity and access the money — again, with no fee for the search itself.
How long it takes
Searches of banks and building societies are generally completed within three months. NS&I searches are quicker, usually within one month. You don't need to do anything in the meantime — results come to you.
My Lost Account's own website is explicit that there's no need to pay anyone to do this search — it's free, direct, and covers the same banks and building societies a paid service would claim to search.
Frequently asked questions
- What if I don't know which bank the account was with?
- That's fine — the form is designed for exactly this situation, and searches across providers rather than requiring you to know the specific bank.
- Does this cover accounts opened by my parents when I was a baby?
- Yes, childhood savings accounts are one of the most common things people find through this service.
- Is there a minimum amount worth searching for?
- No — it costs nothing to search regardless of how much might be in the account, so there's no reason not to check.
- What details will I need to provide?
- Typically your name (and any previous names), current and past addresses, and roughly when you think the account was opened or last used.
Information checked against mylostaccount.org.uk guidance. Rules can change — always check the official page linked above for the latest details.