An in-kind transfer brings your stocks, ETFs, and vested employer shares to Betterment exactly as they are. No sale, no tax bill, no starting over. Cost basis and holding period come with them.
The first step is a phone call, not a transfer. Nothing moves until you have talked to a human and said go.
You keep every position you own. What changes is everything around it.
In kind means in one piece. Positions move untouched, and your cost basis and holding period carry over with them.
Nothing is sold, so nothing is realized. A standard in-kind ACATS transfer is not a taxable event.
Rebalancing, dividend reinvestment, and tax loss harvesting can switch on the day your shares land.
Concentrated stock, RSU and ESPP quirks, employer plan rules. A transfer specialist has seen it before.
Pick your brokerage, tap what you hold, and get an instant read on what moves over as-is and what needs a pit stop first.
A brokerage transfer runs on an industry system called ACATS. You will never have to think about that again after reading this page.
Five minutes online. Taxable, IRA, joint, or trust. Opening the account does not move anything yet and costs nothing.
About 5 minutesGive us your current account number and we initiate the transfer with your old brokerage. You track every position while it travels. Most transfers complete in 5 to 8 business days.
No paperwork packets, no fax machinesShares arrive as they were. Keep managing them yourself, put them in an automated portfolio, or split the difference. Your call, changeable anytime.
Fractional leftovers arrive as cashA typical brokerage holds your positions. Betterment puts them to work.
| Betterment | Typical brokerage | |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer method | In-kind ACATS, guided | DIY paperwork, varies by firm |
| Tax on transfer | $0 when nothing is sold | $0 if done in kind |
| Tax loss harvesting | Automated, daily scans | |
| Automatic rebalancing | Included | |
| Dividend reinvestment | Automatic | Off by default at many firms |
| Fractional shares | Yes | Varies |
| Concentrated stock plan | Built with a specialist | Usually self-serve |
| Human advice access | CFP® professionals (Premium) | Often 1%+ of assets via an advisor |
| Advisory fee on automated investing | 0.25% a year | $0 to hold, but no management included |
Composite sketches drawn from real customer inquiries, with identifying details changed.
"Years of RSUs and ESPP left one engineer with most of his net worth in a single tech stock. His shares transferred intact, and a staged diversification plan plus daily tax loss harvesting went to work the same week."
"She wanted her Amazon shares to stay Amazon shares, her words. Full in-kind transfer, nothing sold, vested employer stock included, with the rest of the portfolio automated around it."
"His questions were precise: which ETFs transfer as-is, what happens to positions that do not fit the model, and how taxes are minimized. He got written answers before moving a dollar."
Three quick steps about your assets. Your transfer plan builds instantly, then a Betterment advisor calls to walk you through it. No money moves until you have spoken with a human and said go.
Select every brokerage you currently use. Multi-account transfers are our most common case.
Select at least one brokerage to continue.
This tells us what transfers as-is and what needs a plan first.
Select at least one holding type to continue.
Your transfer plan builds instantly on the next screen. Then a Betterment advisor calls to walk you through it and answer anything the plan does not cover.
We need your first and last name, date of birth, a valid email, a phone number, and consent to contact you so an advisor can schedule your call.
Based on what you told us about your assets
Next step: a 15-minute call with a Betterment advisor. No transfer begins until you say go.
By submitting, you consent to being contacted about your transfer inquiry. Advisory services are offered by Betterment LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser.