Transfer From Fidelity to Charles Schwab (2026)
How to Transfer a Fidelity Account to Schwab
If you have a brokerage account at Fidelity Investments but would like to give Charles Schwab a try, you can transfer your account in short order. Just follow our simple step-by-step guide to get your Fidelity assets over to Schwab.
Detailed Transfer Process
Both Schwab and Fidelity participate in the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS), which moves assets from one firm to another electronically. Therefore, this is the transfer method of choice for moving an account from Fidelity to Schwab. Technically, the account itself won’t actually move. Instead, assets in the Fidelity account will be moved into the account at Schwab, and that point brings us to the first step.
Step 1:
The first task is to open a new Schwab account if you don’t already have one. As we just mentioned, account positions rather than the account itself actually get transferred, so there has to be an actual account open on the receiving end.
It’s possible to use an old Schwab account if it is still open and is compatible with the Fidelity account you want to transfer. The names on the two accounts should be identical. If the names or account registrations differ, Schwab may require additional documentation rather than automatically rejecting the transfer.
Opening an investment account at Schwab is very easy. It can be done on either the broker’s mobile
app or its website. On the former platform, tap on the More icon at the bottom and then select the
link to open an account. On the website, you should see
the orange button at the very top to open a new account.
A new Schwab account can take up to five business days to be approved and ready to fund, so you’ll want to make sure the account is ready to accept a transfer before initiating one.
Open Charles Schwab Account
Satisfaction guarantee, ACAT reimbursement, and $0-fee trades at Charles Schwab.
Open Schwab Account
Step 2:
With the Schwab account open, it may need some prep work. If this step is forgotten, the electronic transfer may hit a roadblock. Therefore, you want to make sure the Schwab account has margin enabled if a margin debit is coming over from Fidelity. Margin may also be necessary for certain transferred positions and strategies.
Speaking of options, options trading permissions must be added to the Schwab account if you have option contracts in the transfer. Make sure you have the appropriate options approval level before the transfer is completed.
Step 3:
Now that your new Schwab account is fully prepared, it’s time to do a little work inside the Fidelity account. Any option contracts that expire in less than a week should be closed out or moved to a second Fidelity account (in the case of a full transfer) or left behind (in the case of a partial transfer).
Although Schwab offers trading in OTC securities, foreign stocks, and mutual funds, some of these instruments may not be transferable into Schwab. You may want to verify with Schwab that specific assets can be transferred in.
For a full transfer, it is best to avoid new trading activity while the transfer is being processed. After a full transfer instruction is validated, the Fidelity account is generally frozen for the transfer and open orders are canceled, except for option positions that expire within seven business days.
Step 4:
Now that both accounts are ready to go, it’s time to request the transfer. This will be done inside
the Schwab account. To find the account-transfer tool on Schwab’s website, click on Transfer & Pay and then select Move Account to Schwab.
On the next page, search for or select Fidelity as the firm you’re transferring from. Enter the Fidelity account number and other requested details, choose whether you want a full or partial transfer, select the Schwab account that will receive the assets, and submit the transfer request.
Free Charles Schwab Account
Satisfaction guarantee, ACAT reimbursement, and $0-fee trades at Charles Schwab.
ACAT Transfer Timeline
A standard full ACATS transfer can now settle in approximately 3 to 4 business days. Transfers involving account discrepancies, nontransferable assets, or other exceptions can take longer. Fractional shares cannot be transferred through ACATS, so they need to be liquidated and transferred as cash. If you want this cash included as early as possible in the transfer process, you should liquidate the fractional shares before starting the transfer.
Pricing
Fidelity charges $0 for an outgoing transfer of assets, and Schwab charges $0 to receive an account transfer. Easy enough.
Updated on 9/4/2026.
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