Should I wait to transfer my Roth or just do it now?

Hopefully this doesn’t get buried under all the “Tariffs and Bear Markets” talk today. I think this is a unique question.

I was planning to transfer my Roth from Edward Jones to Fidelity today, but with all the market chaos, I’m wondering if I should wait for things to settle? I know trying to time the market isn’t a good idea, but I also don’t want to get caught in the middle of panic selling.

Does it even matter when I initiate the transfer? Would waiting until later this week change anything? Just trying to figure out the best move here.

Switching brokers doesn’t change the number of shares you own or their cost basis. I don’t see why a Roth would be any different.

You don’t need to sell anything to transfer your Roth from Edward Jones to Fidelity.

Just start the transfer—it’ll move over as-is.

Arden said:
You don’t need to sell anything to transfer your Roth from Edward Jones to Fidelity.

Just start the transfer—it’ll move over as-is.

I thought they had to sell everything and convert it to cash before the transfer. Guess I need to confirm that when I initiate it. Thanks!

@Cairo
That only happens if you own proprietary funds. If you’re with Edward Jones, you probably have a lot of American Funds, which will transfer over just fine.

Arden said:
@Cairo
That only happens if you own proprietary funds. If you’re with Edward Jones, you probably have a lot of American Funds, which will transfer over just fine.

I actually have Franklin funds—FRDPX and FBLAX, for example. Looks like Fidelity supports them.

@Cairo
Yep, those will move over without a problem. You can switch them to other funds whenever you want.

It doesn’t really matter when you start the transfer.

Why does the timing of the transfer matter?

The only reason to wait would be if you’re worried about not being able to trade while the transfer is in process.

Not sure what you mean by “trying to lower my expense % today vs. later in the week.”

@Melissa
I might have misunderstood how the transfer works, but my goal is to move out of Edward Jones’ expensive funds and into lower-cost ones.

Cairo said:
@Melissa
I might have misunderstood how the transfer works, but my goal is to move out of Edward Jones’ expensive funds and into lower-cost ones.

If you’re going to save 0.5% or more per year in fees, waiting a few days won’t make much difference.

If you plan to swap funds, you’ll need to sell your current ones at some point. Whether that happens before or after the transfer depends on whether Fidelity supports them.

Just do an in-kind transfer—nothing changes except where your account is held. What’s the hesitation? Do you think Edward Jones is better? If so, why are you leaving?

There’s no magic trick here. The real challenge is controlling your emotions. If you’re feeling nervous about taking control, maybe do some more research before making changes. You don’t want to panic and sell at the wrong time.

Move your account, put your money in an S&P 500 fund, and don’t overthink it. Good luck!

@Kimberly
It’s not about hesitating—I just want to understand the process before I do it. I’ve learned a lot since I first opened the account, and I want to make sure I handle this correctly.

Writing out the right question is tough when you’re not deep into investment lingo. Plus, I didn’t want to dump a huge wall of text here.

Once I get through this, my plan is to set it and forget it.

@Cairo
I get it. If you haven’t already, check out Bogleheads—it’s a great resource.

The best reason to pay an advisor isn’t for investment picks (that part is actually easy). The real value is having someone keep you on track and disciplined. If Edward Jones isn’t providing that, then moving to Fidelity makes sense.

You can also use Fidelity’s automated investment services if you want a hands-off approach with lower fees.

Transfer on the dip!

Reilly said:
Transfer on the dip!

It’s an in-kind transfer, so the dip doesn’t matter.

Reagan said:

Reilly said:
Transfer on the dip!

It’s an in-kind transfer, so the dip doesn’t matter.

More shares = same taxable amount.

Reilly said:

Reagan said:
Reilly said:
Transfer on the dip!

It’s an in-kind transfer, so the dip doesn’t matter.

More shares = same taxable amount.

Your shares aren’t sold when you transfer—so you end up with the exact same number of shares at the new brokerage.