O.: three London employers in the 1990s, and why "no record" is not always bad news

O. worked in London for UBS, ABN AMRO Hoare Govett and MeesPierson between 1995 and 2000, then returned to the Netherlands. Three employers, three pension questions.

What we found. Each employer's scheme had changed hands since. For ABN AMRO Hoare Govett, the trail leads to a section of the NatWest Group Pension Fund, administered by WTW. For MeesPierson, the most likely lead is Aviva, which absorbed the old scheme through Friends Life, and his exact dates showed MeesPierson belonged to Fortis at the time, which changes where to look next.

The part that saves frustration. In those years, a leaver usually needed two years in a scheme for a preserved pension; shorter stays often meant contributions were refunded at the time. He was about one year at UBS. So if that administrator finds nothing, that is the expected answer, not a lost pension. The longest stay is where the most likely pension is.

What he got. A letter for each administrator in his own name, the National Insurance record request (the document that shows which scheme each year belonged to), and the State Pension route from abroad. We read every reply with him. The case is still open.