[Fidelity Health Savings Account Mega-Thread]

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Spirit Rider
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by Spirit Rider »

uberme wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:08 pm EDIT: Actually I can't do this BECAUSE HSA BANK SUCKS! $2500 daily withdrawal limit - what a scam
It sounds like you know this from your post, but in case you or others were not aware of it. HSA accounts have a separate, but same rule as IRAs that you can only do one indirect rollover per 12 month period.

Do NOT attempt more than one rollover because of this $2500 limit, because the second and subsequent withdrawals will be considered non-qualified distributions not eligible for rollover and subject income taxes and the 20% penalty.
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southerndoc
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by southerndoc »

Spirit Rider wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:04 pmDo NOT attempt more than one rollover because of this $2500 limit, because the second and subsequent withdrawals will be considered non-qualified distributions not eligible for rollover and subject income taxes and the 20% penalty.
I think I know the answer to this, but just wanted to validate it. This doesn't apply to custodian-to-custodian transfers, correct?
Spirit Rider
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by Spirit Rider »

southerndoc wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 6:08 pm
Spirit Rider wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:04 pmDo NOT attempt more than one rollover because of this $2500 limit, because the second and subsequent withdrawals will be considered non-qualified distributions not eligible for rollover and subject income taxes and the 20% penalty.
I think I know the answer to this, but just wanted to validate it. This doesn't apply to custodian-to-custodian transfers, correct?
Correct, just like with an IRA, you can do unlimited HSA trustee -> trustee transfers.
sco
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by sco »

uberme wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:48 pm
sco wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:58 pm
crg11 wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:53 am Word of warning to folks...if you're initiating a transfer to Fidelity from Optum Bank, do not select the "all funds" option when filling out the Fidelity transfer form. It caused my Optum Bank account to be closed, and I'm currently waiting to hear back from them on whether it can be reopened so I can still receive my payroll contributions :oops:
This happened to me with another custodian, best to just out in a dollar amount or go with the withdrawal route. Which is what I will do moving forward.
Could you please elaborate? Looking to open at Fidelity but need to keep old open. Want to transfer a specific $ amount into Fidelity
My custodian just looked at the Fidelity form and closed the account.

It is far easier to do the once a year withdraw/Deposit and not it on your taxes. Otherwise expect to be out of the market several weeks, and possibly a lot of phone calls. Including your employer wanting to know what to do with your deposit?
AkwardDoct@rd
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by AkwardDoct@rd »

Does the fidelity HSA require you to keep 2K in cash or can you invest it all?
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whodidntante
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by whodidntante »

AkwardDoct@rd wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 10:56 pm Does the fidelity HSA require you to keep 2K in cash or can you invest it all?
You can invest it all.
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whodidntante
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by whodidntante »

sco wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 10:32 pm
uberme wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:48 pm
sco wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:58 pm
crg11 wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:53 am Word of warning to folks...if you're initiating a transfer to Fidelity from Optum Bank, do not select the "all funds" option when filling out the Fidelity transfer form. It caused my Optum Bank account to be closed, and I'm currently waiting to hear back from them on whether it can be reopened so I can still receive my payroll contributions :oops:
This happened to me with another custodian, best to just out in a dollar amount or go with the withdrawal route. Which is what I will do moving forward.
Could you please elaborate? Looking to open at Fidelity but need to keep old open. Want to transfer a specific $ amount into Fidelity
My custodian just looked at the Fidelity form and closed the account.

It is far easier to do the once a year withdraw/Deposit and not it on your taxes. Otherwise expect to be out of the market several weeks, and possibly a lot of phone calls. Including your employer wanting to know what to do with your deposit?
I opted for a 60 day rollover because I wouldn't trust Optum to get my coffee order right. And I like black coffee.
sco
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by sco »

whodidntante wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 10:59 pm
sco wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 10:32 pm
uberme wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:48 pm
sco wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:58 pm
crg11 wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:53 am Word of warning to folks...if you're initiating a transfer to Fidelity from Optum Bank, do not select the "all funds" option when filling out the Fidelity transfer form. It caused my Optum Bank account to be closed, and I'm currently waiting to hear back from them on whether it can be reopened so I can still receive my payroll contributions :oops:
This happened to me with another custodian, best to just out in a dollar amount or go with the withdrawal route. Which is what I will do moving forward.
Could you please elaborate? Looking to open at Fidelity but need to keep old open. Want to transfer a specific $ amount into Fidelity
My custodian just looked at the Fidelity form and closed the account.

It is far easier to do the once a year withdraw/Deposit and not it on your taxes. Otherwise expect to be out of the market several weeks, and possibly a lot of phone calls. Including your employer wanting to know what to do with your deposit?
I opted for a 60 day rollover because I wouldn't trust Optum to get my coffee order right. And I like black coffee.
never a bad option, as long as you can live with the once a year withdrawl.....
OnLevel
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by OnLevel »

Spirit Rider wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:04 pm
uberme wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:08 pm EDIT: Actually I can't do this BECAUSE HSA BANK SUCKS! $2500 daily withdrawal limit - what a scam
It sounds like you know this from your post, but in case you or others were not aware of it. HSA accounts have a separate, but same rule as IRAs that you can only do one indirect rollover per 12 month period.

Do NOT attempt more than one rollover because of this $2500 limit, because the second and subsequent withdrawals will be considered non-qualified distributions not eligible for rollover and subject income taxes and the 20% penalty.
Would multiple withdrawals then deposit the total amount within 60 days count as one rollover?
cas
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by cas »

OnLevel wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 4:01 am
Spirit Rider wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:04 pm
uberme wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:08 pm EDIT: Actually I can't do this BECAUSE HSA BANK SUCKS! $2500 daily withdrawal limit - what a scam
It sounds like you know this from your post, but in case you or others were not aware of it. HSA accounts have a separate, but same rule as IRAs that you can only do one indirect rollover per 12 month period.

Do NOT attempt more than one rollover because of this $2500 limit, because the second and subsequent withdrawals will be considered non-qualified distributions not eligible for rollover and subject income taxes and the 20% penalty.
Would multiple withdrawals then deposit the total amount within 60 days count as one rollover?
There is a thorough discussion/debate/review-of-relevant-IRS-pronouncements on this "what about multiple withdrawals" topic in this thread:

"reasons to avoid indirect HSA rollover?"; Dec 11, 2018; viewtopic.php?t=266089

Make sure you keep reading all the way through to the end, particularly making sure to make it through to the part where SpiritRider chimes in with this:
You have it exactly backwards and are misinterpreting the Pub 969 quote. Yes, you can only make one rollover contribution per twelve-month period, but the period is based on the distribution and not the contribution. One distribution and one or more contributions, fine. Many distributions and one or more contributions, disaster.

I hate to be the bearer of extremely bad news. Only the first distribution amount of $2,500 is eligible for tax-free rollover. All the other distributions that exceed your unreimbursed qualified medical expenses are non-qualified distributions, subject to ordinary taxes and if < age 65, subject to a 20% excise tax penalty, are not eligible for rollover and constitute excess contributions if not removed.
step-in-time
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by step-in-time »

3NU wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:21 pm Hi, All,

I thought I would share my experience initiating the transfer of my HSA funds from my credit union to Fidelity, particularly speaking to the Transfer of Assets (TOA) form that many of us have needed to complete as Fidelity's "Step 1".

I read earlier in this forum that one or two people were able to initiate their TOA via secure message, so I gave it a try this past Monday (01/07/19) by submitting my form online. Although Fidelity's automated response noted that I'd receive a response within 24 hours (elsewhere on their site it says 3-5 business days), I still had heard nothing from Fidelity as of today (01/10/19), so I initiated a live chat with a representative.

During my live chat, I learned that the reason some of us have been able to get the TOA processed via secure message -- while others of us have not -- has to do with the policies of the HSA custodian out of which you are transferring your HSA funds. Most custodians require that the TOA form with the original signature (some, apparently, also with a Medallion Signature Guarantee) be sent to them; in this case, Fidelity will send your original TOA form to your current HSA custodian in order to initiate the transfer. Other custodians, however, are okay with simply receiving a faxed copy of the TOA to process the transfer.

What ended up happening for me was that the live chat agent called me by phone, I had to three-way conference in my credit union, and the three of us could talk and see if my credit union would accept the faxed copy. It was most efficient to follow this process, as my credit union had to first speak with me to confirm my identity and then could speak with Fidelity, upon my request. Turns out my credit union nearly always receives a TOA with original signatures but because they had my signature on file to compare against, they were willing to accept a faxed version of the TOA.

TL;DR You can submit your Fidelity Transfer of Assets (TOA) form into Fidelity by secure message, but it can only be successfully processed this way if your current HSA custodian is willing to accept the TOA form by fax. As such, if your current HSA custodian needs an original signature with the TOA form, it will be most efficient to mail your TOA form to Fidelity.
Thank you for this helpful post! The Medallion Signature Guarantee was something I was wondering about. I called my credit union, they confirmed they did not need a medallion signature guarantee with my verbal approval of the transfer, and to fax the transfer of assets form directly to them. I also submitted the TOA form to Fidelity online via secure message. Hopefully it will be processed promptly.
OnLevel
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by OnLevel »

cas wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 6:14 am
OnLevel wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 4:01 am
Spirit Rider wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 3:04 pm
uberme wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:08 pm EDIT: Actually I can't do this BECAUSE HSA BANK SUCKS! $2500 daily withdrawal limit - what a scam
It sounds like you know this from your post, but in case you or others were not aware of it. HSA accounts have a separate, but same rule as IRAs that you can only do one indirect rollover per 12 month period.

Do NOT attempt more than one rollover because of this $2500 limit, because the second and subsequent withdrawals will be considered non-qualified distributions not eligible for rollover and subject income taxes and the 20% penalty.
Would multiple withdrawals then deposit the total amount within 60 days count as one rollover?
There is a thorough discussion/debate/review-of-relevant-IRS-pronouncements on this "what about multiple withdrawals" topic in this thread:

"reasons to avoid indirect HSA rollover?"; Dec 11, 2018; viewtopic.php?t=266089

Make sure you keep reading all the way through to the end, particularly making sure to make it through to the part where SpiritRider chimes in with this:
You have it exactly backwards and are misinterpreting the Pub 969 quote. Yes, you can only make one rollover contribution per twelve-month period, but the period is based on the distribution and not the contribution. One distribution and one or more contributions, fine. Many distributions and one or more contributions, disaster.

I hate to be the bearer of extremely bad news. Only the first distribution amount of $2,500 is eligible for tax-free rollover. All the other distributions that exceed your unreimbursed qualified medical expenses are non-qualified distributions, subject to ordinary taxes and if < age 65, subject to a 20% excise tax penalty, are not eligible for rollover and constitute excess contributions if not removed.
Thank you. This is very useful.
jbsmith05
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by jbsmith05 »

Helpful thread...question for the HSA Bank Folks....

I started a HSA at the beginning of the year, unfortunately it was through Cigna/HSA Bank. I then changed jobs last month, the new job doesn't have a HSA option...so since I only had like $1200 in the HSA Bank cash account (no TDA investment account established) I figured I'd transfer to fidelity as I have a number of other investments there.

Filled out the online form etc like I've done in the past...expected completion date passed, no completion. Fido said it's taking HSA Bank 3-5 weeks to do these because its all manual and paper based (read they are mailing fidelity a check). They saw no issues on their end.

Called HSA Bank - they allowed me to email the fidelity form that the online system created and they responded that it has been given to their operations dept.

Any idea how long now I must wait for HSA Bank to mail the check to fido?
OnLevel
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by OnLevel »

I'm about to do a 60-day rollover. Does anyone have experience with bringing the check to a Fidelity branch instead of snail-mailing it?
OnLevel
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by OnLevel »

OnLevel wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:44 pm I'm about to do a 60-day rollover. Does anyone have experience with bringing the check to a Fidelity branch instead of snail-mailing it?
Interesting update:

Called local office to ask if they can handle 60-day rollover check: guy in the phone seems baffled, puts me on hold to check and comes back to tell me I can only do it once in a lifetime.

I think "ok, he probably thinks it's from an IRA, but as long as they can handle HSA deposits I'm good.

I show up to the office with my check and deposit slip identifying the hsa account and that it's a 60-day rollover.
A lady at the front desk takes the deposit, processed it and gives me a receipt.

I have a weird feeling because the lady didn't seem as surprised as the guy I spoke to on the phone, so I log into the Fidelity app when I get to my car to see if the pending transaction is there.

No pending transaction, and upon further review, the check was deposited into my traditional IRA, not into my HSA :oops:

So I go back in to let them know. The manager then explains to me that their location is not able to take HSA deposits yet. She's currently working on getting the erroneous deposit deleted.

I should've just snail-mailed it :(

So much for having a local Fidelity office :(
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jeffyscott
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by jeffyscott »

OnLevel wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:15 pmI should've just snail-mailed it :(

So much for having a local Fidelity office :(
Sorry, I could've warned you of that.

I didn't have your fiasco, but after having been told I could make the deposit for my HSA transfer at the local branch, found out that was not so upon arrival there. They offered to mail the check in for me, which they did. But then Fidelity subsequently returned the check to me, as they required additional documentation.
OnLevel
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by OnLevel »

jeffyscott wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:23 pm
OnLevel wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:15 pmI should've just snail-mailed it :(

So much for having a local Fidelity office :(
Sorry, I could've warned you of that.

I didn't have your fiasco, but after having been told I could make the deposit for my HSA transfer at the local branch, found out that was not so upon arrival there. They offered to mail the check in for me, which they did. But then Fidelity subsequently returned the check to me, as they required additional documentation.
No worries! Lesson learned for me! Do you mind sharing what additional documentation did they required?
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whodidntante
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by whodidntante »

The instructions on the website say to write 60 day rollover and the account number on the check and mail it in. No form required. No branch visit. In spite of the 20 page thread here, HSAs are sufficiently unusual that I would follow instructions.
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jeffyscott
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by jeffyscott »

OnLevel wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:47 pm
jeffyscott wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:23 pm
OnLevel wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:15 pmI should've just snail-mailed it :(

So much for having a local Fidelity office :(
Sorry, I could've warned you of that.

I didn't have your fiasco, but after having been told I could make the deposit for my HSA transfer at the local branch, found out that was not so upon arrival there. They offered to mail the check in for me, which they did. But then Fidelity subsequently returned the check to me, as they required additional documentation.
No worries! Lesson learned for me! Do you mind sharing what additional documentation did they required?
See here: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=263661&p=4339875#p4339875

But mine was not a 60 day rollover, it was a transfer (though many, including Fidelity, call it a rollover anyway). The check was made out to Fidelity, not me.
wxturtle
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by wxturtle »

Looking for an ELI5 (ok, ELI25).

Have an HSA through HSABank. No longer employed at the company that used them so it's just my HSA with no contributions.

Currently, I have $5k at HSA Bank in cash and $25k at TDA (invested in no-load funds). Would like to move this over to Fidelity.

From those who have done this (HSABank -> Fidelity), what is the most painless process?

0.) I assume step 1 is to open an HSA via Fidelity. After this...

1.) Should I move all of my $$$ into either TDA or the HSABank cash account to get ready to move? Or can Fidelity just "call" HSA to handle the split $$?
2.) Should I liquidate all my positions while they are no-load at TDA?
3.) Do I need to leave some money in HSABank to cover fees/closeout costs?
4.) Is trustee-to-trustee transfer via Fidelity (after signing up for an account) the way to go?

TIA.
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quantAndHold
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by quantAndHold »

wxturtle wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:44 am Looking for an ELI5 (ok, ELI25).

Have an HSA through HSABank. No longer employed at the company that used them so it's just my HSA with no contributions.

Currently, I have $5k at HSA Bank in cash and $25k at TDA (invested in no-load funds). Would like to move this over to Fidelity.

From those who have done this (HSABank -> Fidelity), what is the most painless process?

0.) I assume step 1 is to open an HSA via Fidelity. After this...

1.) Should I move all of my $$$ into either TDA or the HSABank cash account to get ready to move? Or can Fidelity just "call" HSA to handle the split $$?
2.) Should I liquidate all my positions while they are no-load at TDA?
3.) Do I need to leave some money in HSABank to cover fees/closeout costs?
4.) Is trustee-to-trustee transfer via Fidelity (after signing up for an account) the way to go?

TIA.
HSABank will not talk to Fidelity about your account. Ever, for any reason. Even when it makes sense that they should. I had to conference call in with both sides and listen in when the Fidelity guy needed the answer to simple questions. Like “when did you send the check?”

You also can’t move anything in kind, so you’ll need to liquidate everything.

I did trustee to trustee. It took 3 months to the day, and a lot of phone calls. If it had worked correctly the first time, it would have only taken 4-6 weeks.
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hoppy08520
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by hoppy08520 »

wxturtle wrote: Sun Mar 17, 2019 10:44 am Looking for an ELI5 (ok, ELI25).

Have an HSA through HSABank. No longer employed at the company that used them so it's just my HSA with no contributions.

Currently, I have $5k at HSA Bank in cash and $25k at TDA (invested in no-load funds). Would like to move this over to Fidelity.

From those who have done this (HSABank -> Fidelity), what is the most painless process?

0.) I assume step 1 is to open an HSA via Fidelity. After this...

1.) Should I move all of my $$$ into either TDA or the HSABank cash account to get ready to move? Or can Fidelity just "call" HSA to handle the split $$?
2.) Should I liquidate all my positions while they are no-load at TDA?
3.) Do I need to leave some money in HSABank to cover fees/closeout costs?
4.) Is trustee-to-trustee transfer via Fidelity (after signing up for an account) the way to go?

TIA.
Here's how I did it. I had HSA Bank + TDA through my employer and Cigna insurance (not sure if the last part matters). I had the HSA Bank HSA from a former employer, so there were no longer any payroll contributions going into it.

1. Open new HSA at Fidelity

2. In HSA Bank, I had all my assets in TDA in a couple of ETFs, I had $0 in the HSB Bank savings. I was reading that nearly everyone is saying you should transfer everything into TDA, that works better

3. In Fidelity HSA, initiate a trustee to trustee transfer. Choose my TDA account as the "from" account, not HSA Bank. Transfer all assets "in kind" so you'll have the same positions before and after; note that only whole shares can transfer, any fractional shares will wind up in cash/money-market. I did this all online. I believe Fidelity required me to go into my HSA Bank (or TDA?) account and run a statement and download it as PDF, then upload that PDF into Fidelity, as proof that I was the account holder. That was a few months ago so I don't remember those exact details, but I did it all online - no snail mail, no fax, no notary seals, etc.

4. Wait it out. I did need to call Fidelity and HSA Bank and TDA one or two times each because of snags in the process, so pay attention to the "tracking" areas in Fidelity to monitor your status. I did my transfer very soon after Fidelity opened up this new individual HSA program, and I am guessing it's easier now because Fidelity has more experience with this routine. I didn't have to pay any closing fees at HSA Bank or TDA but that might have changed since then.

Good luck
step-in-time
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by step-in-time »

step-in-time wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2019 9:05 am
3NU wrote: Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:21 pm Hi, All,

I thought I would share my experience initiating the transfer of my HSA funds from my credit union to Fidelity, particularly speaking to the Transfer of Assets (TOA) form that many of us have needed to complete as Fidelity's "Step 1".

I read earlier in this forum that one or two people were able to initiate their TOA via secure message, so I gave it a try this past Monday (01/07/19) by submitting my form online. Although Fidelity's automated response noted that I'd receive a response within 24 hours (elsewhere on their site it says 3-5 business days), I still had heard nothing from Fidelity as of today (01/10/19), so I initiated a live chat with a representative.

During my live chat, I learned that the reason some of us have been able to get the TOA processed via secure message -- while others of us have not -- has to do with the policies of the HSA custodian out of which you are transferring your HSA funds. Most custodians require that the TOA form with the original signature (some, apparently, also with a Medallion Signature Guarantee) be sent to them; in this case, Fidelity will send your original TOA form to your current HSA custodian in order to initiate the transfer. Other custodians, however, are okay with simply receiving a faxed copy of the TOA to process the transfer.

What ended up happening for me was that the live chat agent called me by phone, I had to three-way conference in my credit union, and the three of us could talk and see if my credit union would accept the faxed copy. It was most efficient to follow this process, as my credit union had to first speak with me to confirm my identity and then could speak with Fidelity, upon my request. Turns out my credit union nearly always receives a TOA with original signatures but because they had my signature on file to compare against, they were willing to accept a faxed version of the TOA.

TL;DR You can submit your Fidelity Transfer of Assets (TOA) form into Fidelity by secure message, but it can only be successfully processed this way if your current HSA custodian is willing to accept the TOA form by fax. As such, if your current HSA custodian needs an original signature with the TOA form, it will be most efficient to mail your TOA form to Fidelity.
Thank you for this helpful post! The Medallion Signature Guarantee was something I was wondering about. I called my credit union, they confirmed they did not need a medallion signature guarantee with my verbal approval of the transfer, and to fax the transfer of assets form directly to them. I also submitted the TOA form to Fidelity online via secure message. Hopefully it will be processed promptly.
Very impressed with Fidelity. In less than a week and the account is up and running, transfer of assets completed. TOA forms were submitted 3/13, everything is complete online 3/19. Very helpful to know about submitting the forms via secure message and calling the HSA custodian to confirm and verbally approve the transfer to expedite the request.

One thing though, I do not see the interest rate clearly stated for the Core Position FDIC Insured Deposit Sweep default holding.
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jeffyscott
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by jeffyscott »

step-in-time wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:36 amOne thing though, I do not see the interest rate clearly stated for the Core Position FDIC Insured Deposit Sweep default holding.
They do show it somewhere, it's around 0.4%, I leave nothing in that account. You can even trade directly from a money market account at Fidelity, so there is little reason to leave anything in the FDIC account.

This is for IRA, but I assume rate is the same for HSA (but the HSA allows only the FDIC account as sweep):
https://accountopening.fidelity.com/ftg ... erestRates
numberman
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by numberman »

Sharing my experience with a Saturna/Pershing -> Fidelity transfer:

Brief background: I had an HSA with Saturna (not through an employer or anything; I'm self-employed), with all assets invested in VTSAX. This was several months ago; took me awhile to just get around to writing this down.

On December 11, 2018, I downloaded the Fidelity TOA form. Filled it out, printed it, signed it, scanned it, and sent it to Fidelity electronically. I specified to transfer all assets in-kind. The medallion signature thing was left blank.

Sometime in late December or early January, I got a physical letter in the mail saying that they couldn't process the transfer because they needed a letter of release from Saturna. The online transfer status page also had a generic message saying there was an issue preventing them from completing the request (but doesn't give the reason). The online page gives a date of 12/26/18 for this, but I don't think I got an email or other notification; the only way to know this happened was the physical letter, or if I just kept checking the Fidelity site.

I called Saturna, and they said they just have to flag my account appropriately for the transfer or whatnot; I don't need an actual letter of release. They had now done so, so I just had to tell Fidelity to try the transfer again (if I recall correctly, they suggested I wait 1 business day). The next day I called Fidelity and had them retry the transfer. A few days later the transfer went through, and the assets showed up in my account. I assume this step and the resulting delay could be skipped if you call Saturna before the transfer request gets to them (so if I did this again, I'd probably call them the same day I submitted the Fidelity request).

I did incur a $75 fee for closing out my Saturna account. I didn't try to get this waived or reimbursed; I just didn't care enough to try. No assets were sold or anything to cover this; I just had a -$75 cash balance in my account, which eventually went away as I made contributions.

My VTSAX shares were transferred intact. I wasn't sure if they would be sold or not since I thought Admiral shares are harder to transfer outside of Vanguard, but they came through fine. I don't plan on selling them, but of course future contributions will go into a Fidelity fund.

Contributions to the Fidelity HSA so far have gone through fine. I've been making my contributions via ACH deposits using the direct deposit info on Fidelity's page.
step-in-time
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by step-in-time »

jeffyscott wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:51 am
step-in-time wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:36 amOne thing though, I do not see the interest rate clearly stated for the Core Position FDIC Insured Deposit Sweep default holding.
They do show it somewhere, it's around 0.4%, I leave nothing in that account. You can even trade directly from a money market account at Fidelity, so there is little reason to leave anything in the FDIC account.

This is for IRA, but I assume rate is the same for HSA (but the HSA allows only the FDIC account as sweep):
https://accountopening.fidelity.com/ftg ... erestRates
Thank you! I will get this invested asap.
schildi
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by schildi »

OnLevel wrote: Fri Mar 15, 2019 4:15 pm
OnLevel wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2019 9:44 pm I'm about to do a 60-day rollover. Does anyone have experience with bringing the check to a Fidelity branch instead of snail-mailing it?
Interesting update:

Called local office to ask if they can handle 60-day rollover check: guy in the phone seems baffled, puts me on hold to check and comes back to tell me I can only do it once in a lifetime.

I think "ok, he probably thinks it's from an IRA, but as long as they can handle HSA deposits I'm good.

I show up to the office with my check and deposit slip identifying the hsa account and that it's a 60-day rollover.
A lady at the front desk takes the deposit, processed it and gives me a receipt.

I have a weird feeling because the lady didn't seem as surprised as the guy I spoke to on the phone, so I log into the Fidelity app when I get to my car to see if the pending transaction is there.

No pending transaction, and upon further review, the check was deposited into my traditional IRA, not into my HSA :oops:

So I go back in to let them know. The manager then explains to me that their location is not able to take HSA deposits yet. She's currently working on getting the erroneous deposit deleted.

I should've just snail-mailed it :(

So much for having a local Fidelity office :(
LOL, the exact same thing happened to me.
TaxingAccount
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by TaxingAccount »

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Last edited by TaxingAccount on Tue Aug 13, 2019 3:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Big Dutch
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by Big Dutch »

Success! Our move from Further (formerly SelectAccount) to Fidelity was completed today. I initiated the request on 2/11 by completing the TOA form online with Fidelity, then we printed/signed/mailed the form to Fidelity (w/o medallion signatures). I liquidated funds in Further account for (perceived) simplicity. Request was completed on 3/25, correct dollar amount shows in correct HSA account at Fidelity. Account was automatically closed at Further with no additional fees.

Most of our accounts are with Fidelity; besides lowering our fees this further simplifies our lives. Mission accomplished.

~Big Dutch
jbsmith05
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by jbsmith05 »

My Rollover from HSA Bank has been a nightmare

I started it on 2/14 (still not complete). HSA says they never received the paperwork from Fidelity. Fidelity calls them with me on the line - Fido Fax's the paperwork. A week later we call back together, they say didn't receive the fax :oops:

A bit crazy - but according to Fidelity - they've not had one work successfully with HSA Bank on the first try!!! and HSA is all paper based - whenever they do figure it out - they are mailing a check to fido....

Going on 45 days for my transfer now....
lstone19
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by lstone19 »

jbsmith05 wrote: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:45 am A bit crazy - but according to Fidelity - they've not had one work successfully with HSA Bank on the first try!!! and HSA is all paper based - whenever they do figure it out - they are mailing a check to fido....
Not true. Mine went through fine. It took longer than it should but I did not need to do any follow-up. I think it was a little over three weeks from sending the transfer form to Fidelity until it was complete.
veggivet
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by veggivet »

My transfer from HSA Bank to Fido went quickly and smoothly. I was an early adopter, if that makes any difference. I wonder if HSA Bank is now purposefully slowing things down as they see their customer base shrinking by the day with defections to Fidelity.
lstone19
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by lstone19 »

veggivet wrote: Sun Mar 31, 2019 8:28 am My transfer from HSA Bank to Fido went quickly and smoothly. I was an early adopter, if that makes any difference. I wonder if HSA Bank is now purposefully slowing things down as they see their customer base shrinking by the day with defections to Fidelity.
More likely a place to apply Hanlon's Razor: Never ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence.
veggivet
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by veggivet »

Or a combination of both, perhaps?
Corgitodd
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by Corgitodd »

Anyone here transfered from HSA Authority/Old Nat’l bank to Fido? If so, did it go smoothly?
findthebest
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by findthebest »

I've recently (i.e. today) started an HSA with HSA Bank (only option with my employer and contributions through payroll allow me to avoid FICA and get a employer match). I would like to transfer my contributions from HSA Bank to Fidelity (via trustee-to-trustee transfer ideally) as frequently as possible, without paying any fees.

People in this thread have said that this process is easier via TD Ameritrade than HSA Bank, however HSA Bank appears to have a $1000 cash minimum prior to transferring funds to the investment account (TD Ameritrade). Is this the case? Several people have stated that they transferred ALL funds to TD Ameritrade so curious if I'm missing something here.

Further, it seems that there is no fee for performing a trustee-to-trustee transfer from TD Ameritrade to Fidelity, is this also the case for HSA Bank to Fidelity? If both are free then why is TD Ameritrade preferable.

I've read through much of this thread and still haven't been able to find a definitive answer to these questions - would appreciate it if someone could help me out!
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jhfenton
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by jhfenton »

findthebest wrote: Mon Apr 01, 2019 1:38 am People in this thread have said that this process is easier via TD Ameritrade than HSA Bank, however HSA Bank appears to have a $1000 cash minimum prior to transferring funds to the investment account (TD Ameritrade). Is this the case? Several people have stated that they transferred ALL funds to TD Ameritrade so curious if I'm missing something here.

Further, it seems that there is no fee for performing a trustee-to-trustee transfer from TD Ameritrade to Fidelity, is this also the case for HSA Bank to Fidelity? If both are free then why is TD Ameritrade preferable.
I can't answer the first part of the question, because I was at Lively+TD Ameritrade, so I had no cash to worry about.

The reason why TD Ameritrade transfers go faster and usually more easily is that in-kind brokerage-to-brokerage transfers can use the well-established ACATS system. The transfer itself only takes 2-3 days, and everything can be submitted online. I never sent a single piece of paper to Fidelity, and my in-kind transfer was complete in less than two weeks from beginning to end.
marcopolo
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by marcopolo »

findthebest wrote: Mon Apr 01, 2019 1:38 am
People in this thread have said that this process is easier via TD Ameritrade than HSA Bank, however HSA Bank appears to have a $1000 cash minimum prior to transferring funds to the investment account (TD Ameritrade). Is this the case? Several people have stated that they transferred ALL funds to TD Ameritrade so curious if I'm missing something here.
Perhaps it is plan specific?
I had HSA-TDA set up. Kept $0 in HSA. When i did transfer to Fidelity, HSA was never involved in the process as far as i knew.

Set up account online at Fidelity,
Initiated transfer online at Fidelity, Uploaded TDA statement from previous month.
About a week later, in-kind transfer of whole shares showed up in Fidelity account.
A few days later a cash transfer of the fractional shares showed up in Fidelity account
I then called TDA and asked them to close my account.
Never had any contact, or fees, with HSA

The whole process was very simple in my case.
Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.
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southerndoc
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by southerndoc »

Am I missing something on Fidelity's website that lists contributions? HealthEquity had a summary page that listed the contributions you've made for the year, remaining (based on family vs personal HDHP), etc. I had to go through the history page of Fidelity's website and it mixed in dividends, interest, etc.
lstone19
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by lstone19 »

southerndoc wrote: Mon Apr 01, 2019 12:40 pm Am I missing something on Fidelity's website that lists contributions? HealthEquity had a summary page that listed the contributions you've made for the year, remaining (based on family vs personal HDHP), etc. I had to go through the history page of Fidelity's website and it mixed in dividends, interest, etc.
YTD contributions are on the monthly statement when > $0 but I'm not aware anyplace else or how much more you can contribute.
snorkelwise
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by snorkelwise »

Has anyone successfully made this transfer?


Elements (Eli Lilly Federal Credit Union) AND TD Ameritrade (TDA) to Fidelity



I was planning on doing this in the following steps:


1) Fidelity Online:
"Transfer Assets from Another Financial Institution" ---- my TDA account (all assets)
Should be in kind brokerage to brokerage transfer

2) After this has completed,
do the same for my Elements HSA Account (the $2,500 cash left to meet the minimum balance)

My understanding is that this would represent 2 Custodian to Custodian transfers, with no limits per year.

3) I can simultaneously also mail a check from my Workplace HSA checking account (Once per 12 month Limit Rollover) with the deposit form:

https://www.fidelity.com/bin-public/060 ... t-slip.pdf


This would result in 2 trustee to trustee transfer and 1 rollover transfer, which is allowed, correct?

Thanks.
Bfwolf
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by Bfwolf »

findthebest wrote: Mon Apr 01, 2019 1:38 am I've recently (i.e. today) started an HSA with HSA Bank (only option with my employer and contributions through payroll allow me to avoid FICA and get a employer match). I would like to transfer my contributions from HSA Bank to Fidelity (via trustee-to-trustee transfer ideally) as frequently as possible, without paying any fees.
This sounds like quite a hassle for the modest amount of fees saved. Why not just use HSA Bank until you leave the company and switch once?
findthebest
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by findthebest »

Bfwolf wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2019 1:03 pm
findthebest wrote: Mon Apr 01, 2019 1:38 am I've recently (i.e. today) started an HSA with HSA Bank (only option with my employer and contributions through payroll allow me to avoid FICA and get a employer match). I would like to transfer my contributions from HSA Bank to Fidelity (via trustee-to-trustee transfer ideally) as frequently as possible, without paying any fees.
This sounds like quite a hassle for the modest amount of fees saved. Why not just use HSA Bank until you leave the company and switch once?
It's not just the fees, but the ability to invest immediately without having to wait 4 months to hit a $1000 minimum to invest
DonIce
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by DonIce »

Successfully completed transfer from HSABank/TDAmeritrade to Fidelity. HSABank was very helpful and did not charge any closing/termination fees and will keep the account visible so I can access tax forms in the future if needed. I transferred assets in kind directly from TDAmeritrade to Fidelity and had $0 in my HSA Bank account.
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gilgamesh
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by gilgamesh »

DonIce wrote: Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:50 pm Successfully completed transfer from HSABank/TDAmeritrade to Fidelity. HSABank was very helpful and did not charge any closing/termination fees and will keep the account visible so I can access tax forms in the future if needed. I transferred assets in kind directly from TDAmeritrade to Fidelity and had $0 in my HSA Bank account.
So, you open a Fidelity account
Move all funds into TD, so HSA bank account is zero
Request Fidelity to transfer in-kind from TD

When did you contact HSA bank? I’d also like to talk to HSA to make sure it’s closed. Was it chat or phone?

Thanks!
FireAway
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Is Fidelity sitting on my money?

Post by FireAway »

I opened a Fidelity HSA Mar 21, and mailed them a transfer of assets request the next day to transfer from my old HSA at a credit union. A week later, I saw the funds disappear from the original HSA. I never saw the funds appear in the Fidelity HSA, so I contacted Fidelity last week. They said they had received a paper check from the CU, and now were just "waiting for it to clear". As of today, still no $$ in my Fidelity HSA.

Should it really take this long to do a bank-to-bank transfer of HSA funds? It feels to me that Fidelity is just sitting on my check. All I know is that for 3 weeks now I haven't had access to my $$, nor am I earning interest on it. I'm guessing someone is, though.
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RickBoglehead
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Re: Is Fidelity sitting on my money?

Post by RickBoglehead »

FireAway wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 11:00 am I opened a Fidelity HSA Mar 21, and mailed them a transfer of assets request the next day to transfer from my old HSA at a credit union. A week later, I saw the funds disappear from the original HSA. I never saw the funds appear in the Fidelity HSA, so I contacted Fidelity last week. They said they had received a paper check from the CU, and now were just "waiting for it to clear". As of today, still no $$ in my Fidelity HSA.

Should it really take this long to do a bank-to-bank transfer of HSA funds? It feels to me that Fidelity is just sitting on my check. All I know is that for 3 weeks now I haven't had access to my $$, nor am I earning interest on it. I'm guessing someone is, though.
No. You got a [misleading -- mod oldcomputerguy] answer.

My HSA from a bank transferred slow. But, once I got involved and talked to the old bank, they cut a check and mailed it on a Thursday and Fidelity credited that check on Monday.
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TaxingAccount
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by TaxingAccount »

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jhfenton
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by jhfenton »

TaxingAccount wrote: Tue Apr 16, 2019 12:01 pm i transferred my hsa from optum to fidelity in november but now my employer just jacked up my insurance premium 50% and is now offering a $500 hsa match so basically forcing me to switch back to optum bank what bull crap is that
They can force new salary deferrals to go to Optum Bank, but they can't make you move your existing HSA money back to Optum. I have an employer HSA at Fifth Third that receives new deferrals, but most of my HSA money is at Fidelity.
TaxingAccount
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Re: Rumor mill - Fidelity starting individual HSA's Nov. 15th

Post by TaxingAccount »

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