Fidelity’s EFT Authorization form is the paper route for linking an outside bank account to a Fidelity brokerage or retirement account, and you only need it in specific situations: trust accounts, business accounts, third-party links, and cases that require a Medallion Signature Guarantee. Everyone else can link a bank online in a few minutes. If the paper form is the right path for you, the work is straightforward once you have the document, your Fidelity account number, your bank’s routing and account numbers, and a voided check or bank statement in hand.
When the Paper Form Is Required
Most individual brokerage and mutual fund accounts can be linked to a bank through the tool on Fidelity.com or the mobile app. When instant verification works, the link is active within minutes; when it doesn’t, the process can stretch to seven to ten business days.1Fidelity Investments. Moving Money FAQs
Trust accounts and business accounts cannot use the online tool at all and must submit the paper EFT Authorization form.1Fidelity Investments. Moving Money FAQs The paper form is also the way to authorize a third-party EFT (linking a bank account not in your name) and to handle any situation that calls for a Medallion Signature Guarantee. You can download the PDF from Fidelity’s Customer Service forms page or pick up a copy at a Fidelity Investor Center.
One boundary worth flagging before you start: not every Fidelity account is eligible for EFT. Self-employed 401(k) plans, Self-Directed Brokerage accounts, SIMPLE IRAs, Fidelity Retirement Plans (Keogh), and non-prototype accounts are excluded, and Inherited IRAs cannot accept contributions through EFT. On the bank side, the external account must be a checking, NOW, non-passbook savings, or money market deposit account; non-Fidelity investment accounts that accept ACH via a routing number also qualify.1Fidelity Investments. Moving Money FAQs
What to Gather Before You Start
Have these ready before you open the PDF:
- Your Fidelity account number (or numbers, if you want one bank link to serve several accounts)
- The bank’s nine-digit ABA routing number
- Your bank account number
- A voided check, deposit slip, or bank statement showing the account number and all preprinted owner names
At least one name on the bank account must match a name on your Fidelity account exactly. A middle initial where Fidelity has a full middle name, or vice versa, is enough to cause a rejection.1Fidelity Investments. Moving Money FAQs
Filling Out the Form, Section by Section
Section 1: Account Owner Information
Enter your first, middle, and last name exactly as they appear on your Fidelity account. If there is a joint owner or authorized individual on the Fidelity account, add that person in the additional-owner field. The names here need to match Fidelity’s records, not the bank’s — any mismatch between Section 1 and your Fidelity registration will delay processing.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
Section 2: First-Party EFT Authorization
Use this section when the bank account is in your own name, or, for a trust, when the bank account is in the same trust’s name as the Fidelity account. Fill in your Fidelity account number(s), indicate checking or savings, write the bank account owner’s name exactly as it appears on the bank’s records, then enter the routing number, bank name, and account number. You can list multiple Fidelity account numbers here to link them all to the same bank in a single submission.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
Section 3: Third-Party EFT Authorization
Only complete this section if the bank account belongs to someone other than the Fidelity account owner. Third-party EFT is one-directional: it allows transfers from Fidelity to the outside bank account, not the other way around. Business accounts are not eligible for third-party EFT at all. The fields mirror Section 2, but expect stricter documentation because the ownership differs.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
Section 4: W-8-Certified Customers
Skip this section unless you are a non-U.S. person with a W-8 certification on file with Fidelity. If the bank account is in a country different from your country of tax residence, you must add a written explanation, up to 250 characters, describing why you are requesting the link.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
Section 5: Signature, Date, and Medallion Stamp
Print your name, sign, and date. All owners of a jointly held Fidelity account must sign. For a self-employed 401(k), the Plan Administrator signs here as well. This section also contains the designated box for a Medallion Signature Guarantee stamp when your situation requires one.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
Attach the Right Supporting Document
The final page of the form asks for one of three attachments: a voided check, a deposit slip, or a bank statement that shows the account number along with all owner names preprinted on it. For a trust account, the document needs to show the full trust name and trustee name(s) rather than a personal name alone. This is the step where most rejections happen, so verify that the names on your attachment line up with the names Fidelity has on file before you send anything.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
Trust accounts that want first-party EFT, which allows transfers in both directions, need the supporting document to match the full trust name at Fidelity and the trustee names. If the bank account is personally owned by the trustee rather than titled in the trust, the document should show the trustee’s full personal name, and the link will only function as first-party when the names align with Fidelity’s records.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
For fiduciary accounts such as employer-sponsored retirement plans, the trustee, custodian, or fiduciary who signs acknowledges responsibility for their legal and fiduciary obligations. Self-employed 401(k) plans carry an additional restriction: only transfers from the bank into Fidelity are permitted, never the reverse.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization
When You Need a Medallion Signature Guarantee
A Medallion Signature Guarantee is typically required for third-party links and when you complete the form somewhere other than a Fidelity Investor Center. You obtain the stamp from your bank or credit union, and it goes in the designated box in Section 5 before submission.2Fidelity. Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Authorization If every signer can be present at an Investor Center, a representative can generally process the form on-site without the stamp.
How to Submit
Fidelity no longer prints a static mailing address on the EFT form. The form instead directs you to Fidelity.com/customer-service/mailing-address for the current instructions.
To submit digitally, log in to Fidelity, open the secure message center, and upload the completed and signed form along with your supporting bank document. Scanned PDFs and clear photos are both accepted. You should see an on-screen confirmation number right away, followed by an email when the request enters the processing queue. In person, bring the form and supporting document to a Fidelity Investor Center; with all signers present, the representative can handle the paperwork and, in most cases, skip the Medallion requirement.
What Happens After You Submit
Fidelity confirms that you actually control the bank account before activating the link. There are two verification paths.
Instant verification asks you to log in to your bank through a secure third-party connection, which confirms ownership in real time and activates the link within minutes. This path may request your bank login credentials.1Fidelity Investments. Moving Money FAQs
Micro-deposit verification is the fallback when instant verification isn’t available. Fidelity sends a small credit, typically between $0.01 and $0.99, to your external account, usually within one to three business days. The transaction shows up in your bank history as coming from “FIDELITY INVESTM.” Once it lands, log back in to Fidelity, go to the Transfers section, and enter the exact amount.3Fidelity. How to Set Up Direct Deposit for Flexible Spending and Reimbursement Accounts When the number matches Fidelity’s records, the link status moves from Pending to Active.
Transfer Limits Once the Link Is Active
After activation, Fidelity caps EFT activity per day:
- Deposits into Fidelity: up to $250,000 per day, no limit on the number of transactions, with a $0.01 minimum per transfer.
- Withdrawals from Fidelity: up to $100,000 per day, capped at three transactions.
If you need to move more than these limits allow, call Fidelity at 800-343-3548 about alternatives such as a bank wire.4Fidelity. How to Choose Between an EFT or a Bank Wire
Transfers out of Fidelity to your bank generally take one to three business days. Deposits into Fidelity credit faster for trading: up to $25,000 is available to trade on the same day if you submit the request before 4:00 p.m. ET on a business day. Fidelity places a temporary hold on deposited funds before they become available for withdrawal or transfer to another account, and the length of that hold varies with the transfer amount and your account history.5Fidelity. How Hold Times and Processing Periods Affect the Status of Your Account