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The days of working for a single employer for decades until you retire are over. Today, you are much more likely to change jobs multiple times during your career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, today’s workers have held an average of 12 jobs by the time they reach their 50s.

Since people change jobs so frequently, it is easy to see you might lose track of an old 401(k) or retirement account, especially if you only worked in a position for a short time. In fact, forgetting plans is quite common: it’s estimated that roughly 900,000 workers lose track of their 401(k) plans each year. And when you forget to cash out your 401(k) upon leaving a job, your former employer might no longer have control of your account.

Even if the company you worked for is still up and running, businesses terminate 401(k) plans all the time, especially during economic downturns. The company is required by law to contact you if they terminate the plan, but if they can’t locate you, the money can be transferred to a bank, rolled into an IRA, or even sent to the state’s unclaimed property fund.

If you’re looking to increase your retirement savings, one way to start is to make sure you haven’t lost or forgotten about any old accounts. Here are 6 tips for tracking down a missing 401(k).

If your former employer is still in business, the easiest way to find an old 401(k) is to contact them. You can ask the human resources department or the plan administrator at the company to search their records to find out whether you participated in the plan, and if they still manage your account. Be prepared to provide the dates that you worked for the employer, your name, and your Social Security number.

If your former employer has shut down or merged with another company, you can try to contact the organization that administered the plan to see if they still control your 401(k). If you have an old statement, it should contain the administrator’s contact information. You can also contact former co-workers and ask if they have copies of old statements from the plan.

If you can’t access your old plan statements, you can try to find the contact information for the plan administrator via the plan’s tax return. Most plans must file an annual tax return, Form 5500, with the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Department of Labor. Search the website www.efast.dol.gov by entering the name of your old employer to find this form.

The plan administrator’s contact information should be included on the 5500. From there, call the administrator, and ask for him or her to check on your account.

If your old account had a fairly small balance, it may no longer be in a 401(k). For 401(k) accounts with balances of less than $5,000, a former employer might have rolled the funds into a default IRA account on your behalf. Default IRAs can be created when your former employer is unable to reach you to find out how you want the funds paid to you. You can search for such IRA accounts for free on the FreeERISA website.

If your former employer terminated its 401(k) plan, this doesn’t automatically mean your money is lost forever. The Department of Labor maintains a list of plans that have been abandoned or are in the process of being terminated. Search their database to find out whether the plan is in the process of—or has already been—terminated, and learn the contact details for the Qualified Termination Administrator (QTA) responsible for overseeing the plan’s shutdown.

The rise of the “gig economy” has led to a dramatic increase in the number of businesses using independent contractors (IC) instead of traditional W2 employees. At the same time, there’s been a sharp uptick in the number of companies being penalized and/or sued for misclassifying workers as ICs.

Indeed, within the past 10 years, there’s been heightened scrutiny from regulatory agencies at all levels and numerous lawsuits filed over the issue. These lawsuits have forced companies like FedEx, Uber, and Citigroup to pay out hundreds of millions of dollars to those they’ve misclassified.

State-level studies show that between 10 and 20 percent of employers misclassify at least one employee as an IC, and you can be penalized regardless of whether or not you did it intentionally. Given this, you should carefully scrutinize all of your workers and have the proper contracts in place to shield your business. Fortunately, with legal guidance from us, you can easily avoid these risks and stay totally compliant.

However, since you can save an estimated 20 to 40 percent on labor costs by not contributing to a worker’s Social Security, Medicare, and other benefits, you may be tempted to take your chances and pass off some of your employees as ICs. But in doing so, you’re risking serious consequences, which have the potential to destroy your business.

It’s easy for the IRS to be alerted to a potential misclassification. A worker can file an SS-8 form, alleging you’re in violation of the law, or he or she might simply receive a 1099 and W-2 in the same year. Beyond that, you can also get caught if a worker tries to claim unemployment or disability, as this results in an audit of your business.

Plus, because there’s no single test to determine a worker’s classification, it can be easy to misclassify a worker by mistake. And regardless of whether or not the misclassification was intentional, if the allegation proves valid, you’re potentially on the hook for paying back taxes, benefits, and numerous fines.

If you misclassify an employee, you face fines from the U.S. Department of Labor, IRS, and state agencies that can total millions of dollars. Moreover, you can be held responsible for paying back-taxes and interest on employee wages, along with FICA taxes that weren’t originally withheld. Failure to make these payments can result in additional fines.

You can also be held liable for failing to pay overtime and minimum wage under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act as well as under state laws. Such claims can go back as far as three years if it’s found you knowingly made the misclassification.

If the IRS believes your misclassification was intentional, there’s also the possibility of criminal and civil penalties. Additional penalties and fines can be assessed depending on the severity of your misclassification.

Outside of the fines paid to state and federal agencies, if an employee is misclassified, they’re eligible to claim employee benefits he or she missed out on. These can include healthcare coverage, stock options, 401(k) matches, PTO, and even unpaid break time.

Of course, if a worker is misclassified, the resulting audit and penalties can also seriously damage your company’s reputation. So, even if the fines and penalties don’t sink your business, the negative media coverage just might.

With such severe consequences, it’s simply not worth taking the chance of misclassifying your workers. To this end, you should consult with us as your Family Business Lawyer® to make sure you have all of your bases covered.

Whether you need help reviewing your IC classification practices or would like assistance with creating sound employment contracts, you can rely on us. Contact our office today to get started.

We offer a complete spectrum of legal services for businesses and can help you make the wisest choices on how to deal with your business throughout life and in the event of your death. We also offer a LIFT Start-Up Session™ or a LIFT Audit for an ongoing business, which includes a review of all the legal, financial, and tax systems you need for your business. Call us today to schedule. Or, schedule online.