Finding lost money in Canada.
Canadian public pension records are handled through one government account, and federally regulated workplace plans appear on a public list. Dormant bank balances are held by the Bank of Canada and can be searched online.
Last read: 1 November 2026
Pensions
State pension: My Service Canada Account (Service Canada). It is where you apply for the Canada Pension Plan retirement pension online and, once it is paid, see your payment information. From abroad: Canada Pension Plan retirement pensions can be paid outside Canada, according to the Government of Canada.
Workplace and private pensions: Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI). The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions publishes a list of federally regulated pension plans, with some plans left off for privacy. Other plans are provincial, so start from the employer's name.
Key facts and sources
- Service Canada says you can receive the Canada Pension Plan retirement pension from age 60 if you have made at least one valid contribution. Source: Government of Canada, read 1 November 2026.
- Service Canada says you must apply to receive the Canada Pension Plan retirement pension, and you can apply online through My Service Canada Account. Source: Government of Canada, read 1 November 2026.
- The Canada Pension Plan retirement pension can be paid outside Canada. Source: Government of Canada, read 1 November 2026.
- The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada says that after 10 years of inactivity, a federally regulated institution must transfer the balance to the Bank of Canada, which holds it for 30 years if under 1,000 dollars and 100 years if 1,000 dollars or more. Source: Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, read 1 November 2026.
- OSFI publishes a list of the private pension plans it regulates as a CSV file, and says some plans are left off the list for privacy reasons. Source: OSFI via Open Government Portal, read 1 November 2026.
Other lost money
- Dormant bank accounts: Bank of Canada Lost and forgotten Properties Office. The Bank of Canada describes a service to search for dormant bank balances.
Questions
How do I find a lost pension in Canada?
Use My Service Canada Account for the public pension. For an employer plan, check OSFI's list of federally regulated plans and contact the employer.
Can I check my Canadian pension from abroad?
The Government of Canada says Canada Pension Plan retirement pensions can be paid outside Canada. Check the Service Canada pages on living abroad for your own case.
Does my Canada Pension Plan pension start by itself?
No. Service Canada says you must apply. You can receive it from age 60 if you have made at least one valid contribution.
Worked in more than one country?
No national tool looks across borders. PensionHunter traces pensions left behind across borders. It is run by Battersea Park Capital. Capital Find Money's founder has an interest in it, and we feature it because no national tool looks across countries. Try the free lost pension checker. Our own count of pensions left behind and the guides are free.
We always point people to the free government tracing route first, and we take nothing from financial advisers.