Question 1

What's the difference between a rollover and an investment account transfer?

Accepted Answer

A rollover is moving your assets from an employer-sponsored plan—like a 401(k) plan, 403(b) plan, or more—to an individual retirement account (IRA).

An investment account transfer moves your financial assets from an existing external account or Vanguard account to another. Vanguard accepts transfers from most IRAs, individual and joint nonretirement accounts, trusts, and custodial accounts (such as UGMA/UTMAs).

Question 2

How long will it take to transfer my account to Vanguard?

Accepted Answer

Completion times vary depending on the type of transfer, your account details, and the company holding your account. Some transfers can take 4 to 6 weeks, but your wait could be shorter. You'll get a more accurate estimate when you start your transfer online.

Question 3

How much will it cost to transfer my account?

Accepted Answer

A $100 processing fee may be charged for each account closure or transfer of account assets to another firm for clients who hold less than $5 million in qualifying assets. Other companies may also charge a transfer fee. Check with the company currently holding the account to find out if it has any transfer fees or requirements.

Question 4

What types of accounts can I transfer online?

Accepted Answer

You can transfer the following types of accounts to Vanguard online:

Most IRAs, including Roth, traditional, and SEP-IRAs.
Individual and joint accounts.
Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act (UGMA/UTMA) accounts.

Question 5

What's an "in kind" transfer?

Accepted Answer

When you transfer "in kind," you simply move your investments to us "as is." There's no selling or buying involved and no tax consequences either. Vanguard receives your investments at the market value on the date of the transfer. An in-kind transfer is one of the quickest and easiest ways to move an account.

Question 6

What types of investments can and can't be transferred to Vanguard in kind?

Accepted Answer

Investments you can transfer in kind include:

Stocks.
Bonds.
Most options.
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Unit investment trusts.
Certificates of deposit (CDs) held in a brokerage account.
Most mutual funds (although money market funds will be sold and transferred as cash).**

Investments you can't transfer in kind include:

CDs held directly with a bank.
Certain options.
Cryptocurrencies.
Limited partnerships and private placements.
Certain mutual funds and other investment products offered exclusively by your current firm.
Certain low-priced securities traded over the counter (OTC) or on the pink sheets market.
Commodities.
Annuities.
Life insurance policies.
Certain certificates.

Question 7

Why aren't my transferred assets appearing in my Vanguard account?

Accepted Answer

After your transfer is complete, your assets may not immediately appear. This is a common occurrence and isn’t a cause for concern.

Question 8

What's a settlement fund?

Accepted Answer

At Vanguard, settlement fund refers to the sweep program option used to pay for and receive proceeds from trades. VBS' sweep program automatically transfers (“sweeps”) any uninvested funds, such as new deposits or the proceeds from securities transactions, into a money market fund or bank product sweep option. Funds are swept out to pay for transactions.

Question 9

How can I endorse and deposit security certificates?

Accepted Answer

If you hold your own security certificates, you can register them in Street name with Vanguard by endorsing the certificates.
How to endorse your stock and bond certificates
Be sure to write your Vanguard Brokerage Account number on the front of the certificates in the upper-right corner.
Send your endorsed certificates by registered or certified mail to:
Vanguard Brokerage Services
5951 Luckett Court, Suite A1
El Paso, TX 79932-1882
If we receive security certificates (from you or a third party) that haven't been endorsed, you can register them in street name by completing an Irrevocable Stock or Bond Power Form for each security issuer. You can also call us at 833-469-1966 to request this form.
Important: If the registration on your security certificates doesn't match the registration on your brokerage account, you'll need to provide additional documentation. Certificates that require corporate action processing should be directed to the company's Transfer Agent prior to transfer to Vanguard. If you need assistance or have questions, please contact Vanguard.

Street name

A brokerage term for securities held in the name of the broker, rather than in the name of the person who purchased them. This is a routine practice that allows trading to take place in a matter of minutes. Traditionally when you hold securities in your name, you have to keep them in a safe place and mail or hand deliver them to your broker whenever you want to sell them. But if you register them in street name, even though the name on the certificate is not yours, you're still the real owner and have all the rights associated with that ownership.

Question 10

What's a Medallion signature guarantee, and when is it required?

Accepted Answer

A Medallion signature guarantee is a type of legally binding endorsement that ensures that your signature is genuine, and that the financial company issuing the guarantee accepts liability for any forgery.
You may need a Medallion signature guarantee when:

You're transferring or selling securities.
You're transferring a joint account to an individual account.
Your name on your Vanguard Brokerage Account isn't identical to the name that's registered with the company currently holding your accounts.

A signature guarantee can usually be obtained free of charge from an officer of a bank, a trust company, or a member firm of the U.S. stock exchange.
Note: A notary public can't provide a Medallion signature guarantee.

Transfer your account

What is a transfer?

Transfer an IRA

Transfer a nonretirement account

Transfer a custodial account (UGMA/UTMA)

Not sure how to transfer your assets?

Why choose Vanguard?

View your assets under one login

Easily share with loved ones

Save on taxes and fees

Ready to get started?

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