M.: a Hong Kong provident fund from 1998, still being traced

M. worked in Hong Kong for Nomura International (Hong Kong) from 1998 to 2000. His contract said he would be a member of the company provident fund.

What we found. The MPFA's ORSO register lists two Nomura International (Hong Kong) Limited Provident Fund schemes, one administered today by AIA and one by Principal. We named both, and we flagged clearly that the register shows today's administrators only, not who ran the schemes in 1998.

What happened next. Both current administrators said they hold no record for him. That is not the end. It usually means the records sit with an earlier administrator, or the benefit was paid out when he left. So the next letters, drafted for him to sign and send, ask the employer which scheme he was in and whether a payment was made, ask the regulator which firm ran each scheme in 1998 to 2000, and ask both administrators who ran the scheme before them and whether old leaver records came across.

Why we show an open case. Old records are often slow to find. We would rather show the real work than only the easy wins.