Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I transfer my account from another firm to TD AMERITRADE?
• How do I transfer assets from one TD AMERITRADE account to another?
• How do I transfer shares held by a transfer agent?
• How do I complete the Account Transfer Form?
• How long will my transfer take?
• How much will it cost to transfer my account to TD AMERITRADE?
• Can I transfer an existing debit balance and/or options contracts to TD AMERITRADE?

How do I transfer my account from another firm to TD AMERITRADE?

If you have not established the TD AMERITRADE account to which you want to transfer another account, you can open a new account using the Online Application. This will take you to a step-by-step tutorial that will help you complete your transfer request. If you've already established your TD AMERITRADE account, you must complete the online External Account Transfer Form.

To protect our clients, it is TD AMERITRADE's policy to act only on transfer requests where the name(s)/title on the account being transferred matches the name(s)/title on the receiving TD AMERITRADE account. Please read through the examples below for further information and instructions. (Please note: After your transfer is complete, you can add or remove account owners on your TD AMERITRADE account or establish other TD AMERITRADE accounts with different titles which you can transfer between internally.)

Examples of acceptable/unacceptable transfers

(In all examples below, the account to be transferred is listed first, and the TD AMERITRADE account title is on the right.)

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How do I transfer assets from one TD AMERITRADE account to another?

To transfer assets between TD AMERITRADE accounts, please complete the online Internal Account Transfer Form. IRAs have certain exceptions; please contact TD AMERITRADE for more information. Your completed form must include both account numbers and a detailed description of the assets to be transferred (such as the exact amount of cash and/or number of shares of each security you wish to transfer). If you wish to transfer everything in the account, specify "all assets."

The form must be signed and dated by all account owners of the delivering account (the account the funds are being transferred from). However, if a debit balance is part of the transfer, the receiving account owner signature(s) also will be required.

All contributions to an IRA must be made in cash, and you must include a completed IRA Deposit Slip with your form.

Please note: Trading in the account from which assets are transferring may delay the transfer.

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How do I transfer shares held by a transfer agent?

Contact your transfer agent and obtain a current account statement, then submit your account statement to TD AMERITRADE along with a completed TD AMERITRADE Transfer Form. Be sure to indicate how you would like your shares transferred by making a selection in Section 3-D of the form.

Please note: The registration on your account with the transfer agent must match the registration on your TD AMERITRADE account.

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How do I complete the Account Transfer Form?

If you are establishing a new account online, there is a step-by-step tutorial that will take you through the online transfer form. If you are transferring to an existing TD AMERITRADE account, you can print the Account Transfer Form and follow the instructions below.

Instructions for completing the Account Transfer Form

Section 1: Guidelines and What to Expect When Transferring. Be sure to read through all this information before you begin completing the form. Contact Us if you have any questions.

Section 2: Information about your TD AMERITRADE Account. Write the name(s)/title of the account as it appears on your TD AMERITRADE account. If you do not already know the number of the TD AMERITRADE account into which you are transferring, leave the account number section blank. You must complete the Social Security Number or Tax ID Number section(s) because your transfer cannot be processed without this information.

Section 3: Account to be Transferred. Refer to your most recent statement of the account to be transferred when filling out this section. Be sure to provide us with all the requested information.

Section 4: Transfer Instructions. Indicate which type of transfer you are requesting.

If the assets are coming from a:
Brokerage account. Please indicate whether your transfer is to be TOTAL or PARTIAL by checking the appropriate box. To do a PARTIAL transfer, you must list specific assets and quantities in the spaces provided on the transfer form.

Mutual fund company. (Note: When transferring a mutual fund held in a brokerage account, you do not need to complete this section. Instead, please complete either the TOTAL Transfer Section or PARTIAL Transfer Section of the form. Some mutual funds cannot be held at all brokerage firms. This typically applies to proprietary and money market funds. These funds must be liquidated before requesting a transfer.) We will attempt to process faxed requests, but the delivering firm may require original paperwork.

List the fund name and mutual fund account number to be transferred. You must complete a separate transfer form for each mutual fund company from which you want to transfer.

You may, however, list several funds on one transfer form, provided they are all held at the same mutual fund company. You will need to choose if you want each fund to TRANSFER AS SHARES or to be LIQUIDATED and transferred as cash to your TD AMERITRADE account. If you choose to transfer shares, you must also choose whether you would like FUTURE CAPITAL GAINS AND DIVIDENDS reinvested into shares or paid in cash.

CD, Life Insurance or annuity. If you are transferring a Certificate of Deposit (CD), please indicate (with your initials) if you want to redeem your CD immediately or at maturity. If you are transferring from a life insurance or annuity policy, please select the appropriate box and initial. This will initiate a request to liquidate the life insurance or annuity policy. We will attempt to complete the transfer via fax, however, the other firm may require original transfer paperwork.

Direct Rollover. Transfers from a qualified retirement plan are typically completed by following instructions from the administrator of the plan. You may not need to complete a TD AMERITRADE Account Transfer Form. Please check with your plan administrator to learn more about their procedures and your eligibility for removing funds from the plan.

Rollover IRAs held at another institution can be directly transferred into a TD AMERITRADE Easy IRA by completing the TD AMERITRADE External Account Transfer Form.*

In all other cases, please complete an Online Account Application. (To open this IRA, TD AMERITRADE requires you to be of legal age in your state of residency.) Select “(IRA) Individual Retirement Account” for the account type at the beginning of the Online Account Application. Then during the account opening process, select “Rollover IRA” on the Select IRA Account Type page.

Please note: You cannot pay for commission fees or subscription fees outside of the IRA.

*At this time, TD AMERITRADE is unable to directly roll over a qualified retirement plan to a Roth IRA. Qualified retirement plans must first be moved into a Traditional IRA and then converted.

Section 5: Transfer Agreement. All authorized TD AMERITRADE account owner(s)/trustee(s) must sign in the space(s) provided. Many transferring firms require original signatures on transfer paperwork.

Remember to do the following:

• Include a copy of your most recent statement with your account name(s)/title clearly shown.
• Complete Sections 2 and 3 in full.
• Complete the appropriate information in Section 4.
• Make sure your account title in Section 2 matches the account title in Section 3.
• Sign in Section 5 that you are an account owner or trustee.
• Please contact a New Accounts representative if you want help completing the Account Transfer Form.

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How long will my transfer take?

The length of time it takes to transfer an account depends upon the type of transfer you are requesting. Time frames and information on each specific type are listed below.

Total brokerage account transfer
Most total brokerage account transfers are sent via ACATSACATS
Automated Customer Account Transfer Service, is a regulated system through which the majority of total brokerage account transfers are submitted. Member firms of the NSCC are required to submit total account transfers through this system. These transfers take approximately 5-8 business days upon initiation.. Transfers coming from some smaller firms, which are not members of the NSCCNSCC
National Securities Clearing Corporation is responsible for regulating and governing the ACATS system. The New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and the National Association of Securities Dealers own the NSCC., are processed as non-ACATS transfersNon-ACATS
Transfers are generally from institutions such as banks, insurance companies and mutual fund companies. This may also include transfers from smaller brokerage firms that do not have membership in the NSCC. We require an original signature for these, as they must be mailed to the delivering firm. Generally, transfers that cannot be accomplished via ACATS take approximately three to six weeks to complete. This time frame is dependent upon the transferring firm and may take longer.. Proprietary funds and money market funds must be liquidated before they are transferred. Please complete the online External Account Transfer Form.

Expected length of time to transfer: The transfer will take approximately five to eight business days upon initiation.

Partial brokerage account transfer
If you are transferring only a portion of your brokerage account, you will need to list the specific number of shares for each asset to be transferred when you complete the Transfer Form. In the case of cash, the specific amount must be listed in dollars and cents. This type of transfer is processed as a non-ACATSNon-ACATS
Transfers are generally from institutions such as banks, insurance companies and mutual fund companies. This may also include transfers from smaller brokerage firms that do not have membership in the NSCC. We require an original signature for these, as they must be mailed to the delivering firm. Generally, transfers that cannot be accomplished via ACATS take approximately three to six weeks to complete. This time frame is dependent upon the transferring firm and may take longer. transfer. Please complete the online External Account Transfer Form.

Expected length of time to transfer: Approximately three to four weeks from the date your completed paperwork has been received.

Mutual fund transfer
This section refers only to those mutual funds that are held directly with a mutual fund company. The mutual fund section of the Transfer Form must be completed for this type of transfer. You may enter several funds (individually) on one Transfer Form, providing they are all held at the same mutual fund company. You must choose whether you want each fund to be transferred as shares or to be liquidated and transferred as cash. This type of transfer is processed as a non-ACATSNon-ACATS
Transfers are generally from institutions such as banks, insurance companies and mutual fund companies. This may also include transfers from smaller brokerage firms that do not have membership in the NSCC. We require an original signature for these, as they must be mailed to the delivering firm. Generally, transfers that cannot be accomplished via ACATS take approximately three to six weeks to complete. This time frame is dependent upon the transferring firm and may take longer. transfer. Please complete the online External Account Transfer Form.

Expected length of time to transfer: Approximately three to four weeks from the date your completed paperwork has been received.

Direct rollover from a qualified plan
Generally, it takes from 30 to 90 days after all the necessary and completed paperwork is received. The actual time frame is dependent on the plan administrator’s processing time, so please contact your plan administrator for details.

Bank/CD/Annuity Transfers
To transfer cash funds from your financial institution's checking or savings account, it is best to send a personal check. See our Check Guidelines for more information. CDs and annuities must be redeemed before transferring. When transferring a CD, you can have the CD redeemed immediately or at the maturity date. If transferring at the maturity date, you must submit your transfer request to us no later than 21 days before the maturity date. Annuities must be surrendered immediately upon transfer. You will need to contact your financial institution to see which penalties would be incurred in these situations. This type of transfer is processed as a non-ACATSNon-ACATS
Transfers are generally from institutions such as banks, insurance companies and mutual fund companies. This may also include transfers from smaller brokerage firms that do not have membership in the NSCC. We require an original signature for these, as they must be mailed to the delivering firm. Generally, transfers that cannot be accomplished via ACATS take approximately three to six weeks to complete. This time frame is dependent upon the transferring firm and may take longer. transfer. Please complete the online External Account Transfer Form.

Expected length of time to transfer: The transfer will take approximately three to six weeks from the date your completed paperwork has been received.

Internal TD AMERITRADE transfer
Transferring assets between two TD AMERITRADE accounts requires an Internal Account Transfer Form. (IRAs have certain exceptions. Please contact TD AMERITRADE for more information.)

Your completed form must include both account numbers and a detailed description of the assets to be transferred (such as the exact amount of cash and/or number of shares of what security, or specify "all assets"). The form must be signed and dated by all account owners of the delivering account (the account the funds being transferred from). However, if a debit balance is part of the transfer, the receiving account owner signature(s) will also be required. All contributions to an IRA must be made in cash, and you must include a completed IRA Deposit Slip with your form.

Please note: Trading in the delivering account may delay the transfer.

Expected length of time to transfer: The transfer will take place approximately three to five business days from the date your request is received by our Internal Transfer Department.

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How much will it cost to transfer my account to TD AMERITRADE?

We do not charge clients a fee to transfer an account to TD AMERITRADE. However, there are sometimes fees attached to holding certain types of assets in your TD AMERITRADE account. For example, non-standard assets – such as limited partnerships and private placements – can only be held in TD AMERITRADE IRAs and will be charged additional fees.

Delivering firms will usually charge fees to transfer the account out, which may result in a debit balance once your transfer is completed. To avoid transferring the account with a debit balance, contact your delivering broker to clear up any fees before transferring the account.

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Can I transfer an existing debit balance and/or options contracts to TD AMERITRADE?

If you are transferring a margin and/or options account with an existing debit balance and/or options contract, please make sure you have been approved for margin/options trading in your TD AMERITRADE account. Please refer to your Margin Account Handbook or contact a TD AMERITRADE representative to ensure that your account meets TD AMERITRADE's margin requirements.

IRA debit balances
Many firms will charge fees to transfer your account, which may result in a debit balance after your transfer is completed. Debit balances must be resolved by either: 1) funding your account with an IRA contribution (IRA contributions must be in accordance with IRS rules and contribution limitations); or 2) liquidating assets within your account. To avoid transferring the account with a debit balance, contact your delivering broker to clear up any fees before transferring the account.

Transferring options contracts
If your account transfer includes options contracts, the transfer of your entire account could be delayed if we receive your properly completed transfer paperwork less than two weeks before the monthly options expiration date. In this case, your contracts may be exercised or assigned by the firm from which you are transferring your account. Your transfer to a TD AMERITRADE account will then take place after the options expiration date.

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