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Rollover IRAs
Get personalized rollover support
Our Rollover Concierge team can guide you through every step—from understanding your rollover options to completing the required paperwork.
Call 800-372-8494 to get started.
What you need to know
Potential Benefits
Considerations
Roll over into an IRA
Potential Benefits
- Continue making contributions to your retirement.
- Continue tax-deferred or tax-free growth, depending on IRA type.
- Consolidate your various retirement accounts.
Considerations
- Cannot borrow against the balance.
- Potentially reduced creditor protection.
- Age rules for penalty-free withdrawals and RMDs may differ.
- In-kind rollovers not available.
- Fees may be higher than the previous plan.
- Investment choices may be more limited.
- Services may be more limited.
Roll over into a new employer’s plan
Potential Benefits
- Tax-deferred or tax-free growth, depending on plan type (e.g., Roth).
- Generally stronger creditor protection than an IRA.
- May be able to borrow against the balance.
Considerations
- Investment choices may be more limited.
- Fees may be higher than the previous plan.
- Some plans don't accept rollovers or in-kind rollovers.
- You may need to roll over the full balance to avoid taxes and penalties.
- Services may be reduced.
- Distribution and loan options may be more limited.
Cash out
Potential Benefits
- Immediate access to cash.
- Penalty-free withdrawal possible, depending on age and other requirements.
Considerations
- Taxes and penalties can be substantial.
- Withdrawn funds stop growing tax-deferred and are no longer invested in the market.
Leave in former plan
Potential Benefits
- No action required.
- Earnings remain tax-deferred or tax-free until withdrawal.
- May carry lower fees than a new 401(k) or IRA.
Considerations
- Can no longer contribute to the plan.
- Investment choices limited to what the plan offers.
- Managing multiple accounts adds complexity.
- Some plans charge fees for maintaining or distributing terminated-employee accounts.
- Investments may be subject to plan restrictions.
- Small balances may not be permitted to remain in some plans.
How to roll over your 401(k)
A Rollover IRA lets you transfer and consolidate assets from an employer-sponsored plan, such as a 401(k), 403(b), Government 457, or Thrift Savings Plan, after leaving a job or retiring, while preserving their tax-deferred status. You can combine rolled-over assets and annual contributions in a single IRA.
1. Contact your former plan administrator
Your plan administrator determines the specific requirements for your rollover. Contact them before you begin.
Helpful questions to ask:
- Is a plan-specific rollover form required?
- Is a medallion-guaranteed signature required?
- Are there additional steps before initiating the rollover (e.g., moving assets to cash first)?
- Are there maturity dates, short-term redemption fees, or spousal consent requirements to consider?
- Will the check be sent directly to Dodge & Cox Funds (preferred) or to you? (If it's not payable to your Dodge & Cox Funds IRA, your custodian may withhold taxes, and a penalty could apply if you don't complete the rollover within 60 days of receiving the check.)
- How long will the transfer take?
2. Open your Dodge & Cox Funds IRA
If you already have an IRA with us, you likely don't need to open a new one. If not, you can open one online, or call us at 800-621-3979, 8 a.m.–7:30 p.m. ET, Monday–Friday. We can complete the application with you by phone.
3. Complete the rollover
Once we receive your completed form, we'll contact your current custodian, request the assets, and mail you confirmation of the request. When the check arrives, we'll invest the assets per your instructions and mail a confirmation statement. A direct rollover can take up to eight weeks, depending on your custodian.
If you've already received a distribution check: include it with your completed forms. The check must be payable to "Dodge & Cox Funds" for the full transfer amount. We cannot accept third-party checks.
Mail to:
Dodge & Cox Funds
P.O. Box 219502
Kansas City, MO 64121-9502
Take the next step
Work with a Rollover Concierge
Receive one-on-one support throughout your rollover—from understanding you options to completing your paperwork. Call 800-372-8494 to reach the Rollover Concierge team.
Open a Rollover IRA online
Access our no-load, low-cost mutual funds to help you invest for your retirement goals.
Watch how to open an IRA rollover account
Read transcript
Download transcriptNarrator: Welcome to Dodge & Cox. We offer a variety of ways to invest for your retirement in our value-oriented, no-load, low-cost mutual funds, and it's easy to open a retirement account online. Our online rollover process is straightforward, and we make it easy for you by submitting your rollover paperwork to your current retirement plan provider. Plus, our specialists are here to help.
Narrator: Let's say you've changed jobs and decided to take control of your retirement plan assets held with your former employer, like a 401k, and you want to complete a rollover into an Individual Retirement Account, also known as an IRA. To get started, click “Start an Application.” Select “Individual Retirement Accounts” to see your IRA options. Use the dropdown menu to pick the right one for your needs. For help, compare the descriptions at the bottom of the page. Remember, you need to map the assets from your current retirement plan to the same type of IRA.
Narrator: Open a traditional IRA for pre-tax savings or a Roth IRA for after-tax savings, or both if your retirement plan has both types of savings. If you're not sure or have questions about the process, you can always contact us. Then tell sus how you're funding your new IRA account. The most common way is a direct rollover. From here, it's just five steps:
- Step one, provide essential information about yourself like your name, address, social security number, and date of birth. You can be confident Dodge & Cox uses a number of security measures to help keep your data safe.
- Step two, name your beneficiaries. These are the people who will receive your IRA assets in the event of your death.
- Step three, set up your investments by estimating your rollover amount and assigning a percentage to the Dodge & Cox Funds you want to invest in.
- Step four, provide rollover details including a contact name and the address of your former employer’s retirement plan provider, along with your account number. You should be able to find this information on a recent account statement. Then create a username and password and review your information. Once you verify your account details and accept our terms of use, we’ll confirm your new account request.
- The final step is to print a copy of the transfer request form and sign, date, and mail it to us. We'll reach out to the plan administrator and arrange for your rollover. It can take several weeks to complete the process.
Narrator: To view your new account, just click “Login to my Account” and use the login information you created and that's it. You can log into your new account to view the Funds you selected. Once we've received your rollover, you'll see the account balance invested in the Funds you selected earlier.
Additional considerations
Direct vs. indirect rollover
A direct rollover moves your savings straight from one retirement account to another—no taxes withheld. An indirect rollover means you receive the funds yourself and must reinvest them within 60 days to avoid early withdrawal penalties and taxes on the full amount. Required minimum distributions aren't eligible for rollover.
Tax withholdings
A direct rollover preserves the full tax-deferred status of your assets. An indirect rollover requires your plan administrator to withhold 20% for federal taxes; if you don't replace that 20% with other funds when you reinvest, it becomes taxable. Withholding applies toward your tax bill regardless of how much you ultimately roll over. Your plan administrator must explain these rules before your distribution and must honor your direct rollover instructions.
FAQs about Rollover IRAs
Yes. For personalized step-by-step support from start to finish, call 800-372-8494 to reach the Rollover Concierge team.
Almost all distributions from employer plans, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans, are eligible for rollover to a traditional IRA. The main exceptions are payments over the lifetime or life expectancy of the participant (or participant and a designated beneficiary), installment payments for a period of 10 years or more, a loan treated as a distribution, required distributions from your retirement plan, and hardship withdrawals.
All or part of an eligible rollover distribution may be transferred directly into your traditional IRA. This is called a “direct rollover.” Alternatively, you may receive the distribution and make a regular rollover to your traditional IRA within 60 days. By making a direct or regular rollover, you can defer income taxes on the amount rolled over until you make withdrawals from your traditional IRA.
Note: If you elect a direct rollover, you will preserve the full tax-deferred status of your assets. If you chose an indirect rollover, the retirement plan administrator must withhold 20% of your cash distribution for federal income taxes. The withholding amount will be returned as a tax credit in the year you complete the rollover if you reinvest the funds in a new plan within the 60 day window. Your plan administrator is required to provide you with information about direct and regular rollovers and withholding taxes before you receive your distribution and must comply with your directions to make a direct rollover.
The rules governing rollovers are complicated. Be sure to consult your financial or tax advisor or IRS Publication 590-A if you have questions about rollovers.
Yes, if you haven’t rolled over the assets from another traditional IRA within the previous 365 days. A regular rollover from one traditional IRA to another must be completed within 60 days after the withdrawal from the first traditional IRA. After making a rollover from one traditional IRA to another, you must wait one full year (365 days) before you can make another such rollover. However, at any time you may instruct a traditional IRA custodian to transfer assets directly to another traditional IRA custodian; this is called a “direct transfer” and is not considered a regular rollover. Accordingly, a direct transfer isn't subject to the 365-day waiting period described above.
Rollovers, if properly made, don’t count toward the maximum contribution limits. In addition, rollovers aren’t deductible, and they don’t affect your deduction limits as described above.
Yes, taxable distributions from qualified retirement plans or 403(b) arrangements are eligible for rollover or direct transfer to a Roth IRA. Under certain circumstances it may also be possible to make a direct transfer or rollover of a taxable distribution to a traditional IRA and then convert the traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Consult your tax or financial advisor for further information.
You may transfer or roll over after-tax deferrals from a Roth account under an employer’s 401(k) plan or 403(b) arrangement to a Roth IRA. If such amounts are rolled over to a Roth IRA, they're subject to standard rules for the start date and holding period that apply to your Roth IRA(s).
Yes, if you haven’t received and rolled over the assets from another Roth IRA within the previous 365 days. The rollover must be completed within 60 days after the withdrawal from your first Roth IRA. After making a rollover from one Roth IRA to another, you must wait one full year (365 days) before you can make another such rollover. However, at any time you may instruct a Roth IRA custodian to transfer assets directly to another Roth IRA custodian; this is called a “direct transfer” and isn't considered a rollover. Accordingly, a direct transfer isn't subject to the 365-day waiting period described above.
Rollovers, if properly made, don’t count toward the maximum contribution limits. Also, you may make a rollover from one Roth IRA to another even during a year when you aren't eligible to contribute to a Roth IRA.
Disclosures
Tax laws and regulations are complex, and subject to change, which can materially impact investment results. Dodge & Cox cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely and makes no warranties with respect to such information, including your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information. Only Dodge & Cox Funds are available for purchase in a Dodge & Cox Fund IRA Account. Investment options available through an employer's retirement plan or other IRA providers and any associated fees and expenses will differ. Consult with a tax or legal advisor before making any investment decision.
We’re here to help.
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Available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Eastern Time
Regular
Dodge & Cox Funds
P.O. Box 219502
Kansas City, MO 64121-9502
Express
Dodge & Cox Funds
801 Pennsylvania Ave
Suite 219502
Kansas City, MO 64105-1307