With the availability of private pensions, along with workplace pensions, it can be hard to keep track of the pensions in your name, especially if you’ve moved jobs multiple times.

If you’ve worked in any roles where you earned over £10,000 per year, were over 22 years old, were classed as a worker, and lived in the UK, then you’ll most likely have been enrolled in a workplace pension scheme.

With planning for the future and retirement at the forefront of many people’s minds, finding all your pension pots will help you to understand the approximate value of your retirement fund and can help you make educated decisions about the additional amount you need to save.

How can I find my lost pension pots? 

Check through your paperwork and emails

Have a look through your letters and emails, most pension providers send a yearly statement that shows the value of your plan and estimated retirement value. You may have employment paperwork detailing your pension scheme too. If you paid into a private pension, you should be able to see your provider name on previous bank statements.

Reach out to your previous employers

If you’re struggling to find any statements, you can reach out to your previous employers to ask for details of the pension scheme you were enrolled in. To save time, make sure you have your employment details ready, including the dates you worked for the business and your National Insurance number.

Contact your pension provider

If you know your pension provider but don’t have any details of your plan, you can contact them directly to get access to your account. You’ll most likely need to provide them with two forms of ID, your date of birth and an idea of when you think you enrolled in the plan for them to be able to access your details.

Use the Pension Tracing Service

The Pension Tracing Service will help you find pension contact details on GOV.UK or you can contact them by phone or post.

What are the next steps after finding my pension pots?

Once you’ve located your pension pots, you’ll have a much better idea of how much is currently in your retirement fund and what your potential retirement fund will be.

We recommend ensuring all your contact details are up-to-date with each provider and storing the details for each one safely and securely for future reference.

You may choose to consolidate your pensions. We recommend speaking to a financial advisor to make an informed decision about what would be best for you

What you can do next

While thinking about your pension pots and retirement, you may be worried about debts and their impact on your future. Our team is available to offer free debt advice

If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.

Helping children learn about money is one of the most valuable life skills you can give them. Understanding how to manage money from an early age can set them up for a strong start in life, building habits that lead to financial stability in the future.

Below we’re sharing some practical tips you can use when teaching your children about money:

1. Start early

It’s never too early to start! Even young children can grasp basic concepts like saving, spending, and sharing. Use play money, toys, or games to introduce them to these ideas.

2. Set a good example

Children learn by watching and getting involved. Let them see you handling money. If you budget, save and make wise spending choices, they’re likely to follow in your footsteps.

3. Use pocket money to teach budgeting skills

Giving your children a small amount of pocket money can teach them the skills to manage it. Teach them to divide it into categories such as saving, spending and giving. By encouraging them to save a portion for future occasions, you’ll be setting a good foundation.

4. Make saving fun

Set a savings goal and reward your children for reaching milestones. You could use saving envelopes where they can tick off once they’ve filled each envelope. You could also open a savings account for them and, if there’s an app available, check it together to track their progress and celebrate growth.

5. Talk about needs vs. wants

Explore the difference between needs (things such as food, housing and clothes) and wants (things such as toys, games and days out). Learning how to prioritise needs before wants is a vital life skill and will help them make better financial decisions as they grow.

6. Teach the value of earning

Encouraging your children to take on small jobs to earn money, such as household chores or helping family and friends, is a great way to teach responsibility and the link between effort and reward.

7. Talk about money

Let your children ask you questions about money and offer simple answers using the opportunity to teach where appropriate. Money can be a cause of stress for many, especially if you’re struggling with debt, and talking about it can be hard. However, children learn very little about money during school, so it’s important to equip them with the skills they need at home. When they’re old enough to understand, opening up about debt and how hard some people struggle can be beneficial. By helping children as they get older learn how to manage credit and how easy it can be to fall into debt, if they take out more credit than they can repay. You can teach them how easy it can be to fall into financial trouble, especially when they take on more credit than they can repay. As they grow older, showing them how to manage credit responsibly helps them make smarter financial choices and avoid common pitfalls.

Teaching children the basics of money management early on equips children with a skill that will serve them throughout their lifetime and encourage them to pass those skills on to the next generation.

What you can do next

If you are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.

Your inbox may already be full of January sale deals, promising unbeatable discounts and deals you just don’t want to miss. It can be the perfect time to pick up items you’ve had your eye on or even stock up on essentials. However, it can be very easy to overspend and find yourself in a sticky situation of owing money you hadn’t planned for.

We’ve put together a few smart shopping tips to help you take advantage of the sales whilst keeping your financial situation in mind:

1.   Set a budget and stick to it

Before you start shopping, work out how much you’re willing and able to spend. Whether it’s for household essentials, clothing or technology, if you set a clear budget this can help avoid impulse purchases.

2.   Make a shopping list

Many of the offers can tempt you into buying items you don’t actually need; making a list will help you prioritise shopping only for items you need and avoid overspending.

3.   Compare prices

Not all deals are as good as they seem; before you purchase, we recommend comparing prices across retailers to make sure you can’t find it cheaper elsewhere.

4.   Pick up off-season bargains

Many shops will have huge discounts on off-season items such as Christmas decorations or gifts that you can save for next year. If you can plan ahead, you have the opportunity to save costs on items that will be expensive later on in the year.

5.   Avoid using credit

Avoid using credit cards or buy now pay later. Try to stick to your budget, and if possible, use cash or your debit card to stay within your means.

6.   Don’t worry about missing out

Businesses create urgency by adding phrases to their marketing such as ‘limited time offer’ or ‘whilst stocks last’. Think before purchasing; if you wouldn’t purchase the item at full price, consider if you actually need or want it.

7.   Plan for ‘Big-Ticket’ items

The January sales can be one of the best times to purchase ‘big-ticket’ items such as furniture or electrical items. We recommend researching these big purchases for the best deals and have the money set aside to avoid financial strain.

8.   Check return policies

Before you purchase check the retailer’s return policy. Some sale items might not be able to be returned or exchanged unless faulty. Being in the know about whether you can return items will help you make an informed decision and avoid buyer’s remorse.

What you can do next

January sales are a fantastic opportunity to save big, but only if you shop wisely. If you’ve overspent and are struggling with debts call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.

So many people use the New Year to kick start a health plan and look after their bodies, but the New Year can also be the perfect opportunity to review your financial health.

The holiday season is expensive, with food, presents, clothing, and events all adding up alongside all of the standard household costs. If you’re already struggling with debt, this is likely to have increased, or if you’ve overspent over the festive period, you may be worrying about how you’ll be able to repay this balance.

We’re sharing some ideas below to help improve your financial health in 2025.

Create a budget

Sit down and work out what you’re spending your monthly income on, you might be surprised when you work out exactly where it’s going. It can be a great opportunity to cancel subscriptions that you’re not using or review your energy provider to see if you can get a better deal.

Our free budget planner is available here.  Try to build in a buffer when you work out your budget to plan for the unexpected.

Check you’re not missing out on any benefits

It’s important to check you’re not missing out on benefits you may be entitled to. Whether you’re already receiving benefits, unsure of your eligibility, or have previously been told you don’t qualify, it’s worth taking a moment to use a benefits calculator. It’s quick, confidential, free, and takes less than ten minutes.

Review your household costs

You can use comparison sites to find the best deals for bills, such as your gas and electric or broadband deals – some offer vouchers or discounts for you to switch to.

Try to ensure you don’t let policies auto-renew, such as broadband and home insurance, as they may auto-renew at a higher price than you’re already paying, and you may be able to get a better price elsewhere.

Try and complete a savings challenge

The no-spend challenge can be an ideal way to devote a month or two to cutting back on spending. The idea is that, during the timeframe you choose, you commit to spending money only on necessities like groceries, bills, and toiletries. Then, you cut out any non-essentials such as streaming services or days out.

This can be an ideal way to get back on track after overspending over Christmas and you may review your spending habits along the way by seeing how much you could be cutting back on going forward.

After the no-spend period, you can use your leftovers to pay off debts or put them into your savings account.

Another great idea to try is the £1 challenge, if you can, put £1 aside each day and by the end of 2025 you’ll have £365 in your pot.

Tackle your debt

If you’re struggling with debt, get some help in 2025. Carrying the burden of debt can weigh you down and it can be overwhelming to know where to start.  The good news is, we’re here to help. Call us on 0800 072 1206. We’re open from 8am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am – 3pm on Saturdays.

Alternatively, you can visit our www.payplan.com/police to speak to us via live chat or for more information.

If you’re looking for ways to make the most out of your money, BudgetSmart has hundreds of easy actions you can take to improve your monthly budget.