Fidelity ACAT Fee
Fidelity charges no ACAT fee for either full or partial account transfers. There are also no ACAT transfer fees
for IRA accounts, including Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP, and SIMPLE IRA.
If you choose to close your retirement account, Fidelity does not charge an IRA account closing
fee. See How to cancel your Fidelity account »
For instructions on transferring your Fidelity Investments account to another brokerage firm, read this article »
Fidelity Wire Transfer Fees
Fidelity does not impose a wire transfer fee on domestic or international wires. However, when U.S. dollars are exchanged for a foreign currency as part of an international wire, Fidelity charges a foreign exchange wire fee of up to 3% of the principal.
Fidelity ACH Fees
Fidelity does not charge a fee for standard ACH transfers, which Fidelity refers to as Electronic Funds
Transfers (EFTs). Both incoming and outgoing EFT transfers are free. These transfers generally
take 1 to 3 business days.
Fidelity Account Transfer Steps
A brokerage or investment-advisory account can be moved from Fidelity to Schwab. If you have Fidelity Go, Fidelity’s automated investing service, the Fidelity Flex funds are sold and the proceeds are transferred as cash. Schwab Intelligent Portfolios invests transferred assets according to its own portfolio strategy and may sell deposited securities that are not part of that strategy. These details are especially important when a robo account is involved on either side of the transfer.
Step 1: Once you have determined what you are moving and what type of account will receive it, you need to open the receiving account. Opening a new investment account at Schwab is
fairly straightforward through either the broker’s website or mobile app. Just look for the orange button on the website to open a new account, or go into the settings menu on the mobile app (icon in the upper-left corner) and find the link to open a new account. You can also use an existing account if it satisfies these two requirements:
(1) The account types must correspond (such as custodial, joint, or IRA).
(2) The account must be registered under the same name.
If one of these requirements isn't satisfied, you'll have to open another account. In certain situations, you may instead be able to modify the account type or update the name on the account.
Step 2: As you prepare your Schwab account, log in to Fidelity and begin getting the outgoing account ready for transfer. If you have a Fidelity Go account, you don't have to sell the Fidelity Flex funds on your own. Fidelity will redeem these funds and send the proceeds as cash. With a self-directed account, there is generally no need to liquidate everything, although some positions may require additional attention.
For instance, certain over-the-counter (OTC) securities may not be eligible to move to Schwab. Although Schwab permits trading in OTC stocks, it may not accept every individual OTC security. Options expiring in less than a week and all cryptocurrencies can't be moved through the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS), which is the transfer method being used here.
When a particular position cannot be transferred, you have several choices:
(1) Sell it (liquidate it).
(2) Transfer it to a different Fidelity account.
(3) Keep it at Fidelity by requesting a partial transfer.
Any cryptocurrencies held directly through Fidelity should be in a separate account. Simply leave that account out of your transfer request.
Fidelity offers trading in foreign stocks, and some foreign securities can be transferred, although not every foreign position can be processed through ACATS. Schwab may also be unable to support every foreign stock or exchange available through Fidelity. For instance, Greek and Polish securities are only sellable at Schwab. It's wise to check with Schwab before attempting to move any less-common foreign stocks.
A full-service Wealth Management account at Fidelity can also be transferred, although it may contain investments that Schwab does not support and that are available only to Fidelity’s full-service customers.
Step 3: At this stage, your Schwab account should be established and ready to receive the assets. The account itself may still require some preparation. For example, when moving options contracts or a margin position from Fidelity, those features must already be enabled at Schwab. Be sure to obtain the appropriate options approval level; for example, an account approved only for Level I options trading cannot receive a position involving an iron butterfly strategy.
Step 4: The next step is to formally send the transfer request. As noted above, the transfer will use the ACATS network, which handles the process electronically. You submit the ACATS request through Schwab because it is the receiving firm. On Schwab’s website, the required online form is located under the Transfer & Pay tab by selecting Move Account to Schwab.
The first page of the application asks you to identify the brokerage firm currently holding the account. Schwab provides a list of firms that includes Fidelity. Select Fidelity’s name to continue completing the transfer request.
The next page asks for the account type (make sure both account types correspond) and your Fidelity account number. The following page lets you choose between a full and partial transfer. With a partial transfer, the Fidelity account remains open, and you can identify the investments you want to move. You can also request that only part of your cash balance be transferred. You can move up to 70 positions in a single partial transfer. A full transfer moves all eligible assets and closes the account.
Proceed through the remaining screens and enter all information Schwab requests. Check the details carefully on the final page and submit the ACATS request once everything is correct. After Schwab receives the application, it will send the request to Fidelity, and the two brokerage firms will complete the transfer process.
Step 5: The final task is to monitor the progress of your transfer. Under the Transfer & Pay tab on Schwab’s website, you can view your transfer activity. If you notice a problem or unexpected delay, contact Schwab for assistance.
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Updated on 8/7/2026.
Chad Morris has been analyzing investment firms for Brokerage-Review.com since 2015. Backed by FINRA Series 65, 66, and SIE credentials, his work reflects a deep knowledge of the retail brokerage industry and digital trading tools.
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