Hi Nicole, I am a deaf man and unable to speak. I have a deaf wife and six hearing kids. I bought my first home 12 years ago at the age of 53 and being unemployed on a disability pension, I was frustrated with the monthly interest I had to pay. I bought your book [now an eBook] six years ago and following your advice I am down to $2200 left to pay on the home. I have kept the loan alive to borrow money off the loan to renovate the whole inside. Now it's all done. I'm thinking of paying the loan off in the next six weeks – I will be 65 this month. Now what I want to do is trace my super from the various jobs I have had since I was 16. I have tried a few agencies and paid fees but nothing is back, as I said before I am deaf and unable to use my voice to talk over the phone. I find it hard to seek out a trustworthy super searcher. Could you give me a few names? Anthony, Kingaroy
OK now that I have composed myself Anthony, may I say that you and your wife are amazing? It's an incredible achievement to have cleared your loan in just 12 years – twice! – and secured your futures. I am beyond humbled that you say I helped.
Good on you too for seeking out your super… there is $14 billion currently "unclaimed", which simply means people have lost track of it. But you shouldn't need to pay a cent to reclaim it – and I am alarmed that you have. Check out the ASIC site to see if you can officially complain.
You can get a list of all your former funds, and any contributions that haven't found a home, by accessing (or creating) your myGov account and linking it to the Tax Office. There is a super consolidation tool on there, or you can fill out a form for each of your old super funds and send this to your chosen fund, for it to do the rest for you.
When searching for any lost money, it's worth seeking out sites with a ".gov.au" domain extension… they should be safe and, crucially, free. MoneySmart.gov.au is the one for unclaimed bank accounts, shares and insurance policies. Worth a shot!
But if at any stage of your current quest you need to phone the Tax Office or indeed any of the companies holding your funds, do so via the National Relay Service, which allows hearing-impaired people to use text to converse.
I am very familiar with this government service (also available as an app) because – in a coincidence that brought fresh tears to my eyes reading your letter – it was my husband's company that developed it.
Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon is a money educator and consumer advocate: themoneymentorway.com. You can write to her for help solving your money problem, or with a consumer question, at nicolehelps@fairfaxmedia.com.au.