Open a Traditional IRA with a brokerage or financial institution
Contact your 401(k) plan administrator and request a direct rollover
Provide the IRA account details to the 401(k) provider
Choose a direct rollover to avoid mandatory tax withholding
Confirm whether your 401(k) allows in-service or full distribution rollovers
Decide whether to roll over pre-tax funds to a Traditional IRA
Decide whether to roll over Roth 401(k) funds to a Roth IRA
Ask the plan administrator to issue the rollover check payable to the IRA custodian if required
Deposit the rollover funds into the IRA within the required time frame if the check is made out to you
Keep records of the rollover confirmation and tax forms
Verify the rollover appears correctly in the IRA account
Consult a tax professional if you have after-tax contributions, company stock, or loan balances