To move retirement money into a John Hancock account, you fill out a John Hancock rollover form that matches the product receiving the funds — an annuity contract, a mutual-fund IRA, or an employer group plan — then send it to the mailing address tied to that product. The form identifies the sending institution, specifies the amount and type of rollover, and authorizes the trustee-to-trustee transfer. The rest is a matter of using the right version and getting the supporting paperwork right the first time.
Pick the Right Form First
John Hancock operates several business divisions, and each has its own paperwork. Using the wrong form is one of the fastest ways to stall a rollover before it starts.
- For a John Hancock annuity contract, use the 1035 Exchange, Rollover, Transfer Form. It covers rollovers from qualified plans — 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), pension — and direct transfers from IRAs. Section 3C lists the qualified account types you can roll from.
- For a John Hancock mutual-fund IRA, use the IRA Rollover/Transfer Form from Manulife John Hancock Investments. It includes fields for fund selection and allocation percentages.
- For a John Hancock group annuity contract held through an employer’s retirement plan, the form must be completed and signed by the plan’s trustee or authorized representative, not just by you.
If you’re not sure which contract type you have, check your John Hancock welcome materials or call 1-800-395-1113 before filling anything out.
Gather This Information Before You Start
Missing a single field can push the transfer back by weeks. Have the following in front of you:
- Your John Hancock contract or account number, which appears on any statement or correspondence from them.
- The sending institution’s full name, phone number, mailing address, and your account number there. The annuities form calls this the “surrendering company” in Section 2.
- The account type at the sending institution: traditional IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b), SEP-IRA, SIMPLE IRA, or other qualified plan.
- Your Social Security number. The mutual-fund IRA form requires it directly; the annuities form may already have it on file through your contract.
- The amount you want to move, as either a dollar figure or a percentage, and whether the rollover is full or partial.
Filling Out the Annuities 1035 Exchange, Rollover, Transfer Form
Section 1 covers your John Hancock contract: name, date of birth, contact details, and contract number. If the annuity has a co-owner, their information goes here too.
Section 2 identifies the surrendering company. Enter the institution’s name, your account number there, and the account type (annuity contract, life insurance policy, or other). List the owner and any insured or annuitant names exactly as they appear on the sending account.
Section 3C is where qualified retirement account rollovers go. Pick the account type from the list — 403(b), 401(k), traditional IRA, Roth IRA, and so on — mark the rollover as full or partial, and enter the estimated transfer amount. If you’re transferring from an IRA, the form asks whether the previous carrier has already calculated the current year’s required minimum distribution.
Section 4 handles liquidation timing. The default is “as soon as possible,” but you can request a specific maturity date. You can also instruct the sending institution to distribute your RMD before liquidating the account, which matters if you’re 73 or older and haven’t yet taken your RMD for the year.
Section 5 is for signatures. You sign and date it. A co-owner or irrevocable beneficiary signs here if there is one. For 403(b)-to-403(b) transfers, your employer must sign this section as well.
Filling Out the Mutual-Fund IRA Rollover/Transfer Form
The Manulife John Hancock Investments form follows a different layout. Section 1 covers the transferring account: the institution you’re leaving, its address and phone number, your account name and number, and the account type (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, inherited IRA, etc.).
Section 2 is about you and your new John Hancock account — name, address, Social Security number, phone number, date of birth. Section 3 handles the transfer instructions themselves, including which John Hancock funds should receive the money and what percentage or dollar amount goes into each. Have your fund choices ready before you start, because this is where you set your investment allocation.
Fill the form out in black ink. Your signature goes in the taxpayer certification section, and a signature guarantee may be required depending on the transaction.
Choose a Direct Rollover, Not an Indirect One
The rollover forms are built for direct trustee-to-trustee transfers, and that is almost always the right choice. The sending institution cuts a check payable to John Hancock for your benefit, or wires the funds directly. No taxes are withheld, nothing is reported as taxable income, and the IRS one-rollover-per-year rule doesn’t apply.
An indirect rollover puts the money in your hands first. If the distribution comes from a 401(k) or 403(b), the plan must withhold 20 percent of the taxable amount for federal income taxes before sending you the rest.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 3405 – Special Rules for Pensions, Annuities, and Certain Other Deferred Income You then have 60 days to deposit the full original amount — including the withheld 20 percent — into the new IRA to avoid taxes and penalties.2Internal Revenue Service. Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions That means covering the withholding out of pocket and reclaiming it at tax time.
If you’ve already received a distribution check and are trying to complete an indirect rollover within the 60-day window, call John Hancock at 1-800-395-1113 to confirm the correct deposit procedure for your account type. Miss the 60-day deadline and the entire distribution becomes taxable income, plus a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty if you’re under 59½.
Supporting Documents the Form May Need
Depending on the size and circumstances of your transfer, the rollover form alone may not be enough.
- A recent account statement from the sending institution. The mutual-fund IRA form asks for a copy if one is available, which helps John Hancock verify the account and match the incoming funds.
- Spousal consent, if you’re rolling money out of an ERISA-covered pension plan that provides joint and survivor annuity benefits. Federal law requires the consent be witnessed by either a plan representative or a notary public. Your current plan administrator handles this form; it’s separate from the John Hancock paperwork.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 417 – Definitions and Special Rules for Purposes of Minimum Survivor Annuity Requirements
- A Medallion Signature Guarantee, which John Hancock requires for transactions of $250,000 or more. The same requirement applies when a check will be mailed to an address different from the one on file, or if your address was changed within the last 15 days. The guarantee must be an original; photocopies and faxes are not accepted. Most banks and brokerage firms offer the service, often by appointment.4John Hancock. Required Minimum Distribution Request
Where to Send the Completed Form
Annuity Contracts
Mailing addresses for the annuities 1035 Exchange, Rollover, Transfer Form depend on where the contract was issued:5John Hancock. Individual Annuities Contact Information
- National contracts (all states except New York): John Hancock Annuities Service Center, PO Box 55444, Boston, MA 02205-5444.
- New York contracts: John Hancock Annuities Service Center, PO Box 55445, Boston, MA 02205-5445.
- Overnight delivery (all contracts): Annuities Service Center, John Hancock Insurance, 372 University Avenue, Suite 55444, Westwood, MA 02090.
Use the overnight address only with private carriers like FedEx or UPS. Verify the address on the John Hancock help center before sending, since processing centers change.
Mutual-Fund IRA Accounts
The Manulife John Hancock Investments IRA form has its submission address printed on the form itself. If yours doesn’t include a pre-printed address, call the John Hancock Investments service line to confirm the destination before mailing.
Employer Group Plans
If you’re rolling assets into a John Hancock group retirement plan, return the completed form according to the instructions provided by your plan administrator rather than sending it to John Hancock directly. The administrator acts as the intermediary.
After You Send It: Timing, Status, and Tax Forms
Processing time varies by delivery method. For a direct deposit, expect two to three business days after John Hancock has the completed form and all required documentation. For a mailed check, allow seven to ten business days, and factor in extra time if the check routes through a plan sponsor first.6John Hancock. Manage Your Money
Check status by calling 1-800-395-1113 or by logging into your John Hancock online account. If nothing has posted after two weeks, contact both John Hancock and the sending institution. The bottleneck is usually on the sending side.
A completed rollover generates paperwork on both ends. The sending institution issues a Form 1099-R for the year the distribution was made, reporting the amount distributed. John Hancock (or whichever custodian receives the funds) issues a Form 5498 reporting the rollover contribution. Custodians have until May 31 of the following year to send Form 5498 to the IRS and to you.
Report the rollover on your Form 1040 even though a properly executed direct rollover isn’t taxable. The rollover amount appears on the return, but the taxable portion is zero if the full amount was transferred. Keep both the 1099-R and the 5498 with your tax records. Without the matching 5498, the IRS may assume the distribution was taxable and send you a notice.
If You’re 73 or Older, Take Your RMD First
A required minimum distribution cannot be rolled over.7Internal Revenue Service. Retirement Topics – Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) If you try to roll over an amount that includes your RMD for the year, the RMD portion is treated as an excess contribution in the receiving IRA and taxed accordingly.
Section 4 of the annuities form addresses this directly: you can instruct the sending institution to distribute your RMD before liquidating the account for the rollover. If you’re close to or past RMD age, take the distribution first, then roll the remainder. Getting the sequence wrong is much harder to fix than to prevent.