Led by Gretel, the UK’s most widely searched platform for lost and forgotten assets, a coalition of financial services firms has come together to launch Billions 4 Millions, a national, industry-wide campaign to help reunite the public with £1 billion in lost, forgotten and unclaimed assets, including life insurance, by the end of 2026.
Founding firms leading the initiative alongside Gretel include Aviva, Janus Henderson Investors and Rathbones Asset Management, with further firms from across pensions, banking, life insurance, investments and the mutual sector expected to join in the coming weeks.
The campaign responds to the scale of the challenge facing consumers across the UK. Gretel figures highlight that there is £89 billion in lost and forgotten assets in the UK with millions of people across the UK unknowingly missing out on money that belongs to them, from unclaimed junior investment accounts and forgotten investments to long lost pension policies.
Billions 4 Millions has been established to tackle this issue at scale, bringing together financial services organisations in a coordinated effort to improve awareness, drive engagement, and accelerate the reunification of lost or unclaimed money to consumers.
Through their existing work with Gretel and other initiatives, many participating firms are already actively identifying and reuniting customers with assets held in their name. Billions 4 Millions builds on this momentum by providing a shared framework for collaboration, visibility and measurement, with participating organisations aligned around a common ambition to increase both the pace and impact of reconnection across the sector.
Duncan Stevens, founder of Gretel, said:
“This is not about any one company. Billions 4 Millions is about the financial services industry stepping forward together to address a problem that affects millions of people. Lost, forgotten, and unclaimed assets exist across the system, and solving them meaningfully requires collaboration across the sector. We believe a collective approach gives us the best chance of returning real money to real people at scale.”
Firms joining the campaign commit to supporting greater visibility, awareness and action around lost assets, helping customers recover money they did not realise they had.
For participating organisations, the campaign is designed to support:
· Improved customer outcomes and financial resilience
· Greater transparency and trust through proactive customer engagement
· Clear alignment with Consumer Duty expectations
· Measurable evidence of social impact
· Purpose-led engagement with customers and stakeholders
As the campaign develops through 2026, participating organisations will also work together on consumer education activity and shared approaches to impact reporting.
Tony Carnell, Customer Reconnections Manager at Aviva, said: “We’re proud to be a founding partner of the Billions 4 Millions campaign. Helping people recover their lost or forgotten money is one of the most meaningful ways we can support financial well-being. At Aviva, reconnecting customers with lost policies and savings is already a key part of how we deliver on our responsibilities and build long-term trust. Billions 4 Millions creates a unified, industry-wide effort to amplify that work and ensure more people are reunited with the assets that belong to them.”
Alex Wheeler, Head of Transfer Agency at Janus Henderson Investors, said: “Reconnecting clients with their money is an important part of delivering good client outcomes, and for us, clients come first, always. Billions 4 Millions aligns closely with our ongoing work in this area and with our mission of investing in a brighter future together. It provides a valuable opportunity for the industry to come together to increase awareness and accelerate progress at scale.”
Craig Santangeli, Head of Transfer Agency at Rathbones Asset Management, said: “Billions 4 Millions tackles a real consumer issue. We’re pleased to support a collective effort that strengthens financial resilience and delivers clear benefits for individuals.”
Organisations across financial services that wish to be involved in Billions 4 Millions are encouraged to express their interest.
