If you've held several jobs throughout your career, you may have more than one employer-sponsored retirement account.
Managing multiple accounts can take up a lot of your time, involve a lot of paperwork and cause a lot of stress.
But you've got options here, all of which may have advantages and disadvantages depending on your situation.
One option is to consolidate the assets in those accounts into your existing employer's retirement plan, if that's allowed. Doing that could save you time and help you track your progress toward your retirement goals.
Having fewer accounts can also make it easier for you to make beneficiary changes when new babies, divorces or remarriages enter the picture.
Consolidating the accounts into a traditional or Roth IRA would give you many of the same features.
At the same time, you've got other choices, too.
You might leave your accounts where they are, if that's what makes sense for you. Or you could take a distribution and potentially invest the assets. You might also pick a combination of these choices. Whatever you choose, be sure to weigh the pros and cons.
If you decide to reduce the number of your accounts, you can get started by contacting the plan administrator for each existing account.
And remember, some consolidations will have tax implications so always check with a tax advisor or financial professional before making any decisions.