nesthelm

Example only · Generated 2026-05-13

Sample plan

This is an anonymized example for a 38-year-old with a $50–200K Fidelity 401(k) rolling to a Traditional IRA on April 15, 2026. Your plan will be personalized to your exact custodian, destination, age, balance, and distribution date.

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Personalized rollover plan

Your Fidelity → Traditional IRA rollover plan.

From
Fidelity
To
Traditional IRA
Balance band
50K-200K
Deadline
2026-06-14

Custodian contact

Phone

1-800-343-3548

Hours

Mon-Fri 7am-11pm ET, Sat-Sun 9am-5pm ET

Processing time

3-5 business days (ACATS); 7-10 days for paper

Form: Transfer of Assets (TOA) request — initiated at receiving institution
Portal: https://nb.fidelity.com

Before you call

Have these ready

Custodian reps verify identity + plan details before discussing the rollover. Gather these in one place so the call moves fast.

  • Your most recent Fidelity 401(k) statement (PDF or printed) — the plan ID and full account number are in the header.

  • Your former employer's plan name as it appears at the top of the statement (e.g., "Acme Corp 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan").

  • Destination custodian's full legal name, your destination account number, and their ACATS routing or transfer-of-assets address.

  • Your SSN, date of birth, and the answers to your Fidelity security questions (mother's maiden name, city of birth, etc.).

  • Notepad + pen — Fidelity reps will give you a transfer reference number; write it down with the agent's name and the call timestamp.

  • If you have employer stock (NUA-eligible): your cost basis statement and a CPA on standby. Do NOT initiate before the NUA decision is made.

The transfer

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 1

    Day 0 · 2026-04-15

    Open your destination account (if you don't already have one).

    Open the IRA or new 401(k) at the destination custodian first. You'll need the destination account number to fill out the transfer paperwork. Most destination accounts can be opened online in 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Day 1 · 2026-04-16

    Call Fidelity to confirm the account is rollover-eligible.

    Phone: 1-800-343-3548. Ask: 'Is my 401(k) eligible for direct rollover, and what is the exact name and routing for ACATS transfer?' Note the answer. They may try to talk you into keeping the assets at Fidelity — politely decline if that's not your plan.

  3. 3

    Day 2 · 2026-04-17

    Initiate the transfer from the RECEIVING institution.

    Log into your destination account. Find 'Transfer in' or 'Roll over an account'. Choose 'Direct rollover from 401(k)'. Enter Fidelity's information (the destination custodian will know what to fill in). This triggers an ACATS pull — Fidelity sends the assets electronically, no paper check.

  4. 4

    Day 3 · 2026-04-18

    Sign and return any e-paperwork the destination sends you.

    The destination custodian will email a 'Letter of Acceptance' or transfer authorization. Sign electronically. This is the legal handshake.

  5. 5

    Day 10 · 2026-04-25

    Confirm the assets arrived — check both accounts.

    Within 5-10 business days, the assets should show in the destination account. Fidelity will mark the source as zero. Print or screenshot both for your records. If anything is off, call the DESTINATION custodian first (they own the transfer once initiated).

Day-by-day checklist

What to do, and when

  1. Day 0 · 2026-04-15Action

    Open your destination account (if you don't already have one).

  2. Day 1 · 2026-04-16Action

    Call Fidelity to confirm the account is rollover-eligible.

  3. Day 2 · 2026-04-17Action

    Initiate the transfer from the RECEIVING institution.

  4. Day 3 · 2026-04-18Action

    Sign and return any e-paperwork the destination sends you.

  5. Day 10 · 2026-04-25Action

    Confirm the assets arrived — check both accounts.

  6. Day 46 · 2026-05-31Check-in

    Confirm transfer status — 14 days to deadline

    If the assets aren't yet at the destination, call BOTH sides — start with the destination custodian.

  7. Day 53 · 2026-06-07Check-in

    Confirm transfer status — 7 days to deadline

    If the assets aren't yet at the destination, call BOTH sides — start with the destination custodian.

  8. Day 57 · 2026-06-11Check-in

    Confirm transfer status — 3 days to deadline

    If the assets aren't yet at the destination, call BOTH sides — start with the destination custodian.

  9. Day 59 · 2026-06-13Check-in

    Confirm transfer status — 1 day to deadline

    If the assets aren't yet at the destination, call BOTH sides — start with the destination custodian.

  10. Day 60 · 2026-06-14Deadline

    IRS 60-day deadline

    After today, an unrolled distribution becomes ordinary taxable income + a 10% early-withdrawal penalty.

What people get wrong

Known pitfalls for your situation

  • Fidelity defaults to mailing a paper check if you initiate the transfer FROM their side — call the receiving custodian first to initiate an ACATS pull instead.

  • If you have employer stock in the 401(k) (NUA-eligible), do NOT roll it directly — separate the basis cost first or you lose the NUA tax treatment forever.

  • Fidelity will ask whether to liquidate or transfer in-kind. For mutual funds, in-kind only works if the destination custodian supports the same funds; otherwise it's liquidate + cash transfer (the default).

  • Fidelity → Traditional IRA at most major custodians is the smoothest path — ACATS works, Fidelity proprietary mutual funds (FZROX, FXAIX, FZILX) transfer in-kind to Schwab and Vanguard brokerage accounts but NOT to Vanguard's mutual-fund-only platform (they'll liquidate to cash there).

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