Yes, you can move your Roth IRA from TIAA to Fidelity

You can transfer a Roth IRA held at TIAA to Fidelity without tax penalties or loss of tax-deferred growth. The process is called a direct transfer or trustee-to-trustee transfer, and it moves money straight from TIAA's custodian account to Fidelity's without the funds passing through your hands. This method protects you from accidental tax withholding and keeps your contribution history intact.

The alternative — withdrawing the money yourself and depositing it at Fidelity within 60 days — carries real risk. TIAA will withhold 20 percent for federal taxes, and if you miss the 60-day window, the IRS treats it as a taxable distribution. A direct transfer avoids both problems.

Key Takeaways

  • A direct transfer from TIAA to Fidelity takes your money straight from one custodian to the other, with no tax withholding or 60-day deadline risk.
  • You initiate the transfer at Fidelity by opening a new Roth IRA or using an existing one, then providing TIAA's account details to Fidelity's transfer team.
  • TIAA will not charge you to transfer out, but Fidelity may charge an incoming transfer fee depending on the account type — ask before you start.
  • The transfer typically takes two to four weeks, and your investments remain in place at TIAA until the money arrives at Fidelity.
  • Your Roth IRA contribution history and tax-free growth follow you; the transfer does not reset your five-year holding period or create a taxable event.

How to start a direct transfer from TIAA to Fidelity

Contact Fidelity first, not TIAA. Call Fidelity's IRA transfer team at 1-800-343-3548 or log into your Fidelity account online and request an IRA transfer. Fidelity will ask you for TIAA's account number, your name as it appears on the TIAA account, and the account type (Roth IRA). You do not need to contact TIAA yourself — Fidelity handles that part.

Fidelity will send TIAA a transfer request form. TIAA then processes the request and sends the funds to Fidelity's custodian account. You will receive confirmation from both companies when the transfer is complete. The entire process usually takes 10 to 20 business days, though it can stretch to four weeks if TIAA needs additional information.

If you do not yet have a Fidelity IRA account, Fidelity will open one for you as part of the transfer request. You can specify whether you want the transferred funds to land in a money market account temporarily or go directly into specific investments.

What documents and information you will need

Have your TIAA account statement or login information ready. You will need your TIAA account number, which appears on your statement or in the TIAA online portal. You will also need to confirm the account registration — the exact name and Social Security number on the TIAA account must match your Fidelity account.

If your name has changed since you opened the TIAA account, contact TIAA to update it before you request the transfer. A mismatch will delay or block the transfer. You do not need to provide investment details or a list of holdings; Fidelity requests the full account balance, and TIAA sends whatever is in it.

Fees and costs you may encounter

TIAA does not charge an outgoing transfer fee. Fidelity's incoming transfer fee depends on the account type. For most Roth IRAs transferred to Fidelity, there is no fee. However, if your TIAA account holds certain types of investments — such as mutual funds with high expense ratios or annuity contracts — Fidelity may charge $49.95 to $100 to process the transfer. Ask Fidelity's transfer team about fees before you authorize the transfer.

If Fidelity charges a fee and you want to avoid it, you can request that Fidelity reimburse the fee as a one-time courtesy. Many brokers do this for transfers over a certain size, though it is not may provide. It does not hurt to ask.

What happens to your investments during the transfer

Your money stays invested at TIAA until it leaves. TIAA does not liquidate your holdings when you request a transfer. The transfer request tells TIAA to move the account as-is — all holdings, all cash, all positions — to Fidelity. This means you remain exposed to market movement during the transfer window. If the market drops, your account value drops with it. If it rises, you benefit.

Once the funds arrive at Fidelity, you can keep the same investments if Fidelity offers them, or you can sell and reinvest in Fidelity's funds and stocks. You have no obligation to change anything. Many people transfer to Fidelity specifically to access lower-cost index funds or a wider range of investment choices.

Your Roth IRA rules and contribution limits after the transfer

The transfer does not reset your Roth IRA. Your five-year holding period — the clock that determines when you can withdraw earnings tax-free — continues from your original TIAA account opening date, not from the transfer date. If you opened the TIAA Roth IRA in 2019, your five-year window closes in 2024, regardless of when you move it to Fidelity.

Your annual contribution limit also stays the same. If you have already contributed $7,000 to your Roth IRA in 2024, you cannot contribute another $7,000 at Fidelity in the same year. The transfer itself is not a contribution — it is a movement of money you have already set aside. Your contribution room does not change.

If your TIAA account contains a Roth conversion (money you converted from a traditional IRA to a Roth), that conversion history moves with you. The pro-rata rule and the backdoor Roth rules still apply based on your total traditional and Roth IRA balances across all custodians.

What to do if the transfer stalls or gets rejected

Transfers occasionally get held up because of a name mismatch, a missing Social Security number, or a closed or inactive TIAA account. If your transfer does not arrive within four weeks, contact Fidelity's transfer team and ask for a status update. Fidelity can contact TIAA on your behalf to find out what is blocking the transfer.

If TIAA rejects the transfer because your account is in a restricted status (for example, if you have an outstanding loan against the account), you will need to resolve that with TIAA first. Some TIAA accounts have loan provisions that prevent transfers until the loan is repaid. Call TIAA directly at 1-800-842-2776 to ask whether your account has any restrictions.

If you have already withdrawn the money from TIAA yourself, you have 60 calendar days to deposit it at Fidelity. If you miss that window, the IRS treats it as a taxable distribution, and you will owe income tax on the amount. You cannot undo this by depositing it later. This is why a direct transfer is safer — it removes the 60-day deadline entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I owe taxes when I transfer my Roth IRA from TIAA to Fidelity?

No. A direct transfer is not a taxable event. Your money moves from one custodian to another without triggering income tax or the 20 percent withholding that applies to withdrawals. The tax-free growth you have already earned stays tax-free.

Can I transfer only part of my TIAA Roth IRA to Fidelity?

Yes. You can request a partial transfer of a specific dollar amount, and TIAA will send that portion to Fidelity while keeping the rest at TIAA. Tell Fidelity the amount you want to move, and Fidelity will include that in the transfer request to TIAA.

What if I have both a Roth and a traditional IRA at TIAA?

You must transfer them separately. A Roth IRA and a traditional IRA are different account types, and they have different tax rules. Request two separate transfers — one for the Roth and one for the traditional — and they will go to separate accounts at Fidelity.

Can I move my money back to TIAA if I change my mind after the transfer?

Yes, you can transfer from Fidelity back to TIAA using the same direct transfer process. There is no limit on how many times you can move your IRA between custodians. However, you cannot undo a transfer that has already completed — you would have to initiate a new transfer in the opposite direction.

Do I need to close my TIAA account after the transfer?

No, but you can if you want to. After the transfer completes and the money arrives at Fidelity, your TIAA account will show a zero balance. You can leave it open or contact TIAA to close it. Closing it does not affect your Fidelity account or your tax status.