1. In-Person Check Deposit at Fidelity Branch

Visit a local Fidelity Investor Center to deposit your contribution check in person. Use the Fidelity branch locator to find a nearby office. Bring your account number and keep the receipt for your records.

2. Mail a Check

• Prepare the Check:

• • Make the check payable to your Solo 401k plan name “F.B.O. [Your Name].”
    • Example: If your Solo 401k plan is named “World Leader Trust” and your name is Susan Smith, the check should be made payable as follows:
      World Leader Trust F.B.O. Susan Smith.

• Memo Section:
  • Write the applicable contribution type in the memo section (e.g., “Pre-tax Contribution,” “Roth Contribution,” etc.).
  • Include your Solo 401k brokerage account number in the memo section.

• Endorse the Check:
  • Endorse/sign the back of the check with your name.
  • After signing, write:
    “Trustee of [Solo 401k Plan Name] For Deposit Only”.
    Example: “Trustee of World Leader Trust For Deposit Only.”

• Prepare a Cover Letter:
  • Include a cover letter addressed to Fidelity with instructions to deposit the check into your Solo 401k account.
  • In the cover letter, specify the applicable Fidelity brokerage account number.
  • If depositing multiple checks into different accounts, mail in separate envelopes with separate cover letters to avoid confusion

• Mailing Addresses:
  • Regular Mail:
    Fidelity Investments
    P.O. Box 770001
    Cincinnati, OH 45277-0048
  • Overnight Mail:
    Fidelity Investments
    100 Crosby Parkway, KC1H
    Covington, KY 41015

• Optional Fidelity Contribution Form:
  • While not required, you may choose to include Fidelity’s optional contribution form. This form (i.e. Fidelity Investment-Only Retirement Account
    Contribution Form) can be downloaded from Fidelity’s website or requested by contacting customer service.

3. Wire Transfer from Your Bank

4. ACH Transfer from Your Bank

To contribute to your self-directed Solo 401k account at Fidelity via ACH transfer, follow these steps to obtain the necessary routing and account information and instruct your bank to “push” funds to your Fidelity account:

• Log into Your Fidelity Account:
  • Go to Fidelity.com and log into your account using your credentials.

• Navigate to Account Features:
  • Once logged in, click on the Account Features option. If you don’t see it immediately, it may be located under the “More” option in the menu.

• Access Direct Deposit Information:
  • Under the Payments and Transfers section, click on Manage for Direct Deposits.

• Select the Applicable Account:
  • From the drop-down menu, choose the Solo 401k brokerage account into which you wish to transfer funds.

• Choose the “Do It Yourself” Option:
  • Select the Do it Yourself option for setting up direct deposits or ACH transfers.
  • Click Continue to view the routing number and account number for the Fidelity brokerage account for your self-directed Solo 401k.

• Provide Information to Your Bank:
  • Use the routing and account numbers provided by Fidelity to set up an ACH transfer (also known as a “push” transfer) from your external bank account.
  • Instruct your bank to send funds directly to the Fidelity brokerage account for your self-directed Solo 401k.
  • Click here to see specific instructions

5. Link External Bank Account

Update: Fidelity is now offering linking of external bank accounts – click HERE to learn more.

While Fidelity does not offer direct linking of external bank accounts to the Fidelity brokerage account for your self-directed Solo 401k, you can still fund your account by following these steps:

• Open a Non-Retirement Brokerage Account:
  • Open a personal, non-retirement brokerage account in your name at Fidelity if you don’t already have one.

• Link Your External Bank Account:
  • Link your external bank account to this non-retirement brokerage account at Fidelity (note: Fidelity does allow a non-retirement brokerage account to be linked to an external bank account). This will allow you to transfer funds from your bank to the non-retirement brokerage account.

• Transfer Funds:
  • Once the external bank account is linked, transfer the desired contribution amount from your external bank account to the non-retirement brokerage account at Fidelity.

• Call Fidelity to Transfer Funds:
  • After the funds have been transferred to the non-retirement brokerage account, call the Fidelity team that handles investment-only brokerage accounts for third-party plans at 800-544-5373.
  • Request that they process a transfer of funds from your non-retirement brokerage account to the applicable brokerage account for your Solo 401k.

6. Automatic Payroll Contributions

Use Fidelity’s Atomic integration to set up automatic contributions from your payroll provider like Gusto, ADP, or Paychex.

You can set up automatic recurring contributions to your self-directed Solo 401k account at Fidelity through your payroll provider by following these steps:

• Log into Your Fidelity Account:
  • Go to Fidelity.com and log into your account using your credentials.

• Navigate to Account Features:
  • Once logged in, click on Account Features. If you don’t see it immediately, it may be located under the “More” option in the menu.

• Access Direct Deposit Information:
  • Under the Payments and Transfers section, click on Manage for Direct Deposits.

• Select the Applicable Account:
  • From the drop-down menu, choose the Solo 401k brokerage account into which you wish to set up automatic contributions.

• Set Up Automatic Contributions with Atomic:
  • Select the Automatic setup with Atomic option and then click Continue.

• Proceed to Atomic Setup:
  • Click on Continue to Atomic, which will take you to the Atomic platform for setting up payroll contributions.

• Choose Your Payroll Provider:
  • Under the “Who Pays You?” section, select Payroll, and then choose your payroll provider from the list (e.g., Gusto, ADP, Paychex, Paylocity, Rippling, etc.).

• Sign Into Your Payroll Provider:
  • Sign into your payroll provider’s system and follow the prompts to set up a split payroll payment.
  • Allocate part of your payroll payment to be sent as a contribution to your Solo 401k account at Fidelity.

Important Notes:

• Avoid Overcontributing: It is your responsibility to ensure that you do not overcontribute to your Solo 401k account. Make sure that the automatic contributions are set to an amount that ensures the cumulative total will not result in an excess contribution.
• W-2 Reporting Requirements: Since this is set up as a split payroll payment, you will need to inform your payroll provider (or whoever prepares your W-2) of the amount contributed as Pre-tax and/or Roth employee contributions by year-end. This will ensure accurate reporting on your W-2 form.
  • Tip: Set a reminder on your calendar to remember both of these points.

Important Note for Gusto Payroll Users:

• If you’re using Gusto as your payroll provider, follow this procedure instead of the procedure described HERE. At the end of the year, simply inform Gusto of the Pre-tax and/or Roth employee contributions made so that they can accurately report them on your W-2 form.
  • Tip: Set a reminder on your calendar to remember to notify Gusto.

7. Mobile Check Deposit

Use the Fidelity mobile app to deposit contribution checks by taking photos with your smartphone:

Here’s how to deposit checks in the Fidelity Android/iPhone App

• Open the app and select “Transact” at the bottom of the screen.
• Select “Deposit Checks” and agree to the terms of use.
• Select the account you want for the deposit.
• Enter the dollar amount on your check and don’t forget to sign it.
• Snap a photo of the front and back of your check and select “Submit”—and you’re done!