How does an employee roll over a 401k from a previous company?

Employees need to rollover their old 401ks themselves; employers cannot do it for them. The first few steps include the employee contacting their former employer or retirement plan provider and notifying them that they would like to transfer/rollover their 401k to their current employer or other retirement plan provider. The employee should follow the instructions from their new employer or new retirement plan provider to open a new account and then follow the transfer/rollover steps provided by their former employer or retirement plan provider.

This article is for informational purposes only, is not legal, tax or accounting advice, and is not an offer to sell, buy or procure insurance. TriNet is the single-employer sponsor of all its benefit plans, which does not include voluntary benefits that are not ERISA-covered group health insurance plans and enrollment is voluntary. Official plan documents always control and TriNet reserves the right to amend the benefit plans or change the offerings and deadlines.

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