By pre-retirement, retirement money may be spread across employer funds, preservation funds, retirement annuities and older policies. A confident income discussion cannot begin with only the easiest account to find.
Build the inventory before deciding whether anything should be consolidated. For each account, record value, product type, investment mix, fees, guarantees, access rules, beneficiary information and tax history. An old product may contain valuable terms or high costs; age alone does not decide.
Also include assets outside retirement funds and expected income such as rental, work or a spouse’s benefits.
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Request current statements and transfer values for every account. Create a row for missing employment periods and search old payslips, tax certificates and employer records for clues.
Ask your advisor
- Are all balances and benefit histories included?
- What would be gained and lost through consolidation?
- Which decisions affect tax, guarantees or access?
Do not transfer merely to simplify the dashboard. Product-specific costs, protections and retirement rules need comparison first.