How to Transfer Accounts Between Robinhood and Acorns
Are you thinking about moving an investment account from Robinhood to Acorns? Or are you with
Acorns but want to be at Robinhood? In either case, this article will show you how to move your
account with the least amount of labor possible. Keep in mind, however, that Acorns does not
accepts ACATS transfers, so there will be some amount of legwork involved.
Transfer From Acorns to Robinhood
Unlike Acorns, Robinhood will accept an incoming transfer of securities. However, Acorns will only
perform a non-ACATS transfer, which means the process is a little cumbersome.
To do this type of transfer, the first step obviously is to get a new Robinhood account open if you
don’t currently have one:
Up to $200 free stock + 3% IRA match + transfer fee refund at Robinhood.
Once the Robinhood account is open and ready to accept a transfer, you must contact Robinhood
(not Acorns) and request a non-ACATS transfer from Acorns. Robinhood will create some paperwork for
this type of transfer and send it to you.
Once you receive these documents, you’ll need to have a medallion signature guarantee placed on it. After this task is accomplished, you’ll need to send the paperwork to Acorns, via email or snail mail (we told you this would be complicated). At this point, Acorns will send you an email. You must respond to the email verifying the transfer request.
Any fractional shares of ETFs that exist in the Acorns account will be sold to produce a cash balance. This cash balance can only be moved into a linked checking account.
Once the ETFs arrive in the Robinhood account, they will no longer be robo managed. Everything at Robinhood is self-directed, so you should be fully prepared to manage those investments that Acorns was previously managing on your behalf.
Instead of going through the bureaucracy of the non-ACATS transfer, it may be simpler to sell off everything in the Acorns account, move the cash into an external bank account, and then move the cash into the Robinhood account. This method, however, has its own drawback, namely the potential tax consequences of selling securities and withdrawing cash. Be sure to consult with a licensed tax advisor before taking this route.
Free Robinhood Account
Open Robinhood Account
Transfer From Robinhood to Acorns
As we already alluded to, Acorns does not accept incoming transfers of investments. What this means is that your Robinhood assets will first need to be converted into cash. Then, this cash balance will have to be transferred to a linked checking or savings account, and from there you can pull the funds into your Acorns account. At that point, Acorns’ digital investment-advisory system will automatically invest the funds in a list of low-cost ETFs.
Although it is possible to use two bank accounts in this process, it will be easier to use just one and link that one account to both your Acorns account and your Robinhood account.
The first step is to open an Acorns account. This could take several days, so it’s important to do this first.
Remember that you will have to pay a monthly fee at Acorns. It will either be $3, $5, or $9, depending on the package you choose.
Once you have your account open and are able to log in, go to the top of the site and click on the icon in the upper-right corner. In the drop-down menu that appears, select Profile & Settings. On the next page, click on Linked Accounts. Here, you’ll be able to connect an external deposit account either with login credentials or with account and routing numbers.
Once you have done this, you’ll need to go through a very similar process at Robinhood. Click on the Account link in the top-right corner of the Robinhood site and then select Add New Account. Here, you’ll be able to set up the same bank account you used at Acorns.
Inside your Robinhood account, you’ll want to sell enough assets to get the dollar amount you want at Acorns. When this amount is available for withdrawal, you’ll move the cash to your linked bank account, and when the funds are available for withdrawal there, you’ll pull the money into Acorns from inside your Acorns account (click on Invest for your future and then One-time to make a deposit).
Keep in mind that most investments available at Robinhood won’t be available at Acorns. For example, Acorns doesn’t offer trading in cryptocurrencies, stocks, or option contracts. Acorns is a robo investor that builds portfolios using a small selection of ETFs. If you want to maintain specific holdings you have at Robinhood, you shouldn’t sell them.
Open Acorns Account
Open Acorns Account
Cost of Transferring
Transferring cash into Acorns will cost nothing, assuming the intermediary bank charges nothing for ACH transfers. Most do not.
Acorns charges $50 per ETF transferred to another brokerage firm. If a full transfer involves 4 ETFs, the charge will be $200.
Time Required
Moving cash from Robinhood to Acorns will take more than a week. ETF sales must first settle before the cash can be withdrawn; this takes one business day after the trade date (T+1). Then the money has to move through the ACH network, which takes a few more business days. Then the cash has to sit in the bank a few more business days before it can be withdrawn from that institution. Next, the funds have to move through the ACH system again to get to Acorns. Finally, it may take 2 to 3 more business days for Acorns to process the cash and turn it into ETF positions. From start to finish, it likely will be more than 2 weeks, which is longer than a normal ACATS transfer.
Opting for this brokerage-to-bank-to-brokerage transfer method in the other direction will have a similar time to completion. The non-ACATS transfer method described above to move ETFs into Robinhood may take even longer due to the amount of red tape involved.
Updated on 1/12/2026.
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