Direct trustee-to-trustee transfer
We process rollovers as direct transfers between custodians, not as a check sent to you. Cleanest tax treatment, no 60-day clock, no withholding risk.
IRA rollover work handled by a fiduciary CFP, covering 401(k), 403(b), and old employer plan transfers. The right destination, the right tax positioning, and the right fit with the rest of your retirement plan.
We process rollovers as direct transfers between custodians, not as a check sent to you. Cleanest tax treatment, no 60-day clock, no withholding risk.
The rollover lands inside a portfolio that already reflects your risk tolerance, time horizon, and tax situation. Not a parked balance waiting for a decision.
Sometimes the old plan has better fund options, lower fees, or creditor protections worth keeping. We tell you when staying put is the right call.
A rollover is often the right moment to look at Roth conversion strategy, especially if you're in a low-tax year.
We meet on a real cadence, usually quarterly. The plan flexes as your life and the tax code change. Most relationships span decades.
Offices in Boca Raton and Plantation, plus licensed in all 50 states. Existing clients keep us when they move.
The mechanics are usually straightforward, but the order matters. We open the receiving IRA first, then initiate a direct trustee-to-trustee transfer from the old plan. The money moves between custodians without ever passing through your hands. That avoids the 20% mandatory withholding and the 60-day rollover clock that catches people who take a check.
For 401(k) plans that only allow check-based distributions, we work with the plan administrator to get the check made payable to the new custodian for benefit of you. Still no taxable event if handled correctly.
What you shouldn't do. Take a personal check from your old 401(k) and try to deposit it into the new IRA yourself. The withholding gets messy, the 60-day clock starts, and one missed deadline turns the whole rollover into a taxable distribution plus penalties if you're under 59 1/2.
Sometimes the right move is the reverse direction: rolling an old IRA into your current employer 401(k). Reasons that might make sense: the current plan has institutional share classes with very low fees, you want to use the Rule of 55 separation-of-service withdrawal, or you've IRA balances that complicate a future backdoor Roth contribution. We'll tell you when this applies.
Most rollover work connects to one or more of these:
The broader hub. Income strategy, Social Security, RMDs, healthcare. The rollover is one decision inside a longer arc.
See retirement planning →Where the rolled-over funds land. Portfolio construction, asset allocation, tax-sensitive investing.
See investment management →Often paired with a rollover. Multi-year tax modeling and conversion ladders.
See roth conversion strategy →Most rollover clients come to us from one of these life moments:
"I had three old 401(k)s from three different jobs, plus a SEP from before that. Beth had them all consolidated within six weeks. The investment work that came after was the actual value, but the rollover itself was painless."
"When I retired with a lump-sum pension, I had no idea what to do with the check. They walked me through the trustee-to-trustee process and got it landed in an IRA without a tax event."
"We rolled over my husband's 401(k) after he passed. Beth handled the inherited IRA setup and the 10-year rule planning. I wouldn't have known where to start."
Posts our wealth advisors have put together on this topic.
Usually yes, but not always. A rollover into an IRA gives you a wider investment universe, easier coordination with the rest of your plan, and simpler RMD tracking later. Reasons to consider leaving it in the old plan: institutional-class shares with very low fees, the Rule of 55 separation-of-service withdrawal access (if you're 55 or older), or specific creditor-protection considerations under federal law.
A direct rollover is a transfer between custodians. The money never touches your bank account. An indirect rollover is when the old plan sends you a check, and you've 60 days to deposit it into the new IRA. Indirect rollovers also trigger 20% mandatory withholding on 401(k) distributions, which you've to replace from other funds to keep the rollover whole. We always do direct rollovers when possible.
Yes. That's called a Roth conversion. You pay income tax on the amount converted in the year of the conversion, in exchange for tax-free growth and withdrawals from that point forward. It's one of the most powerful planning moves for pre-retirees in the low-tax window between when work stops and when RMDs begin. See the Roth conversion page.
For most non-spouse beneficiaries who inherit an IRA after 2019, the SECURE Act requires the entire balance be drawn down within 10 years. Spouses have different rules and can usually treat the inherited IRA as their own. The planning question is how to spread the 10-year drawdown across the years where your tax bracket is lowest, which often means taking nothing in high-income years and accelerating in low-income years.
Most direct rollovers from 401(k) plans take two to six weeks, depending on the speed of the plan administrator. IRA-to-IRA transfers usually settle in five to ten business days. We handle the paperwork on both ends and follow up with the old custodian when needed.
The first meeting is a conversation, not a sales pitch. We'll talk about where you are, what you're working through, and whether Intercoastal is the right fit. In person in Boca Raton or Plantation, or by video from anywhere.