If you need help, please check the PF Wiki to see if your question might be answered there.
This thread is for personal finance questions, discussions, and sharing your success stories:
-
Please make a top-level comment if you want to ask a question! Also, please don't downvote "moronic" questions! If you have not received your answer within 24 hours, please feel free to start a discussion.
-
Make a top-level comment if you want to share something positive regarding your personal finances!
A big thank you to the many PFers who take time to answer other people's questions!
Weekend Help and Victory Thread for the week of February 06, 2026
byu/IndexBot inpersonalfinance
Posted by IndexBot
1 Comment
I am having an aggravating time trying to complete a task with TIAA: rollover a Traditional IRA at Schwab to my employer 403(b) plan at TIAA (in order to have a zero balance in the TradIRA and do a backdoor Roth this year). Their website is throwing up many roadblocks. I was just about to complete the task and was confronted with the text below. I have no qualifying event and the combination of account types I’m working with are not represented under Option 2. Am I completely confused about what I’m trying to do, or has TIAA sent me the wrong form to fill out, again?
>**HOW TO MOVE YOUR FUNDS**
>**OPTION 1**
>• **Rollover:** You may be eligible to do a rollover of retirement funds from one account to another if you have one of the following qualifying events: separation from service, disability or reaching age 59½. There are two ways to roll over your funds: You can do either a direct or indirect rollover. With a direct rollover, you may move funds directly to any eligible retirement plan that agrees to accept the rollover. Eligible plans may be tax-qualified plans under 401(a)/403(a) (including 401(k) plans), 403(b) plans, governmental 457(b) plans and IRAs. With an indirect rollover, you may receive a distribution from a tax-qualified plan and then, within 60 days of the distribution, you roll it over to another tax-qualified plan or an IRA.
>**OPTION 2**
>• **Direct Transfer:** A transfer enables you to move all or a portion of your retirement funds from one investment provider to another within your qualified retirement plan (examples of qualified plans include 401(a), 401(k) and 457(b) plans). Both investment providers must be part of the same employer’s plan, and the one receiving the funds must be an approved provider in your employer-sponsored plan.
>• **Contract Exchange (403(b) plans only):** If available under your current employer’s plan, a contract exchange enables you to move your 403(b) retirement funds from one investment provider to another within your retirement plan. A contract exchange is permitted even if you have not had one of the following qualifying events: separation from service, disability or reaching age 59½.
>• **Plan-to-Plan Transfers: (403(b), 457(b) or Qualified Retirement Plan):** A plan-to-plan transfer enables you to move funds from one employer’s plan to another as long as it is the same type of retirement plan. For example, if you have changed employers and would like to move your account from your former employer’s 403(b) plan to your current employer’s 403(b) plan, you may initiate a plan-to-plan transfer.