If you have other qualified retirement plans or IRAs, you may be able to rollover, or transfer, those retirement funds into your active Guideline 401(k) account. To do so, you’ll need to complete several steps in your Guideline dashboard and with your prior retirement account provider.
When to start your inbound rollover
You can initiate the request to rollover your fund to Guideline any time after the plan’s start date (for newly established plans) and you’ve created your account. Starting a rollover before these steps occur could result in processing delays or returned funds.
We’ll send you an email after your first contribution with the plan to let you know it’s time to rollover your funds. You can also check your employer’s plan start date on the Plan Details page of your Guideline dashboard.
Information needed for your rollover
Before taking any action in your participant dashboard, please collect and confirm the following information from your previous retirement account. You will need to provide this information to Guideline to ensure the proper allocation of your funds:
Previous brokerage firm name
Account type (IRA, 401(k), 403b, 457b, defined benefit, etc.)
Pre-tax balance (as applicable)
Roth balance (as applicable)
Roth basis: The total contributions made to your previous Roth 401(k) without earnings
Roth earnings: The total amount of earnings associated with Roth contributions
Please note that you cannot rollover Roth IRA assets into a 401(k) plan. Learn which types of retirement accounts are eligible for a rollover.
How to initiate the request in Guideline
Once you have the information above ready, click on the Transfers button in the main menu of your dashboard and navigate to “Move funds to Guideline.”
In the rollover page, select the “+ Add a rollover” button, then enter the requested information and complete the workflow. If any info entered changes, you will be able edit the details later.
The workflow will request both the pre-tax and Roth amounts you will be rolling over. If you are only rolling over one type of fund, enter $0 in the other fund type to allow submission of the request.
Once you have completed the process, instructions for requesting the rollover from your previous provider and sending the funds to Guideline will be displayed.
Note that initiating the process in your Guideline dashboard does not start the process with your prior provider. Instead, you must work with your prior provider on processing the request on their side, as well. Additionally, the plan must be active and you must be eligible to participate before you can start an inbound rollover.
Once your rollover is initiated with Guideline, you will be able to view, edit, and track the status or see the rollover instructions again from the “Move funds to Guideline” page.
Sending your funds to Guideline
After initiating the rollover request in your Guideline dashboard, you must contact your previous provider to request a release of the funds.
Typically, you can request the funds be sent via a direct rollover (where the payment would be sent directly to Guideline) or to your address with a check made payable to BTC/Guideline for your benefit.
You may also request an indirect rollover where the check will be made payable to you or deposited directly into your personal bank account. However, indirect rollovers have mandatory tax withholding as well as strict time constraints and require additional steps. You can learn more about the indirect rollover process here.
When working with your previous provider, please share with them the following information:
Checks should be made payable to: “BTC for GDL FBO [your full name]” (this stands for "Benefit Trust Company for Guideline for the benefit of [your full name]")
Include your Guideline account ID on the check. This can be on a memo line, the check payable line, or in an attached check stub or statement. Failure to include your account ID may lead to a delay in funds being attributed to your account or the check being rejected and returned to the sender.
Checks should be mailed to:
Benefit Trust Company
P.O. Box 12765
Overland Park, Kansas 66282
Benefit Trust Company (BTC) is the custodian name.
In the event your previous provider mails the check directly to you, we recommend making copies of it for your financial records. Then, mail the check and all supporting documents to the custodian at the address above. Please do not endorse or sign the check before sending it.
Inbound rollover processing timeline
It typically takes about 7-10 business days for mail to reach the custodian if sent via USPS. You will be notified by email within 5-7 business days, when BTC has received your check.
Funds will be attributed to your Guideline 401(k) account within 10 business days after receipt of your rollover check. The funds will appear in your dashboard under “Recent Transactions” in the Activity tab once the rollover has completed.
Please note, there may be delays in processing if specific information is not included and, therefore, must be verified. In cases where we cannot verify the information or when required information is missing or incorrect, the rollover check may be returned.
Important notes
Please do not send checks to any of Guideline’s business addresses. Rollover checks should only be sent to Benefit Trust Company at the address listed above to ensure timely processing. Checks sent to an alternative mailing address may experience longer processing times, as they will require rerouting to the correct department before processing can begin.
Guideline does not support rollovers via a wire or ACH transfer.