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Fund an Account

How do I add money to a client’s account?

You can fund your client’s account by:

  • Wire transfer
  • Electronic funds transfer (EFT)
  • Direct deposit/payroll deduction
  • Transfer of money between their accounts with us
  • Check deposit

Open the appropriate Client page, select Transfer Money from the Actions dropdown menu next to Cash Available. Select the method of deposit, and follow the instructions given.

For check deposits to an IRA account, be sure to include your client’s account number and the year of the IRA contribution (if applicable).

How does a client add money to his/her account online?

Instruct your client to:

  1. Log into www.folioclient.com.
  2. Open his/her Client page.
  3. Select Transfer Money from the Actions dropdown menu.
  4. Follow the instructions given for the desired method of deposit.

Note that only clients with account permission at the level of Money Mover, Trader, Account Manager, or Account Creator/Owner can deposit money online. Clients with a lower level of account permission can always mail us a check.

How will I know when money has arrived in a client’s account?

A notification will be posted to your Message Center. Both you and your client will also receive an email message alerting you each time that funds have been deposited in the client’s account.

To confirm a deposit in a client’s account, open the Client page and review Cash Available under Current Market Value.

Our Funds Availability Policy details when your client’s money will be available.

What types of checks does Folio accept?

We accept the following types of checks:

  • Personal checks made payable to Folio Investments, Inc. Checks must be drawn on an account in your client’s name at a financial institution located in the U.S.
  • U.S. government checks or federal or state tax refund checks made payable to your client and endorsed to us.
  • Corporate checks drawn on an account at a financial institution located in the U.S., in the name of a corporation, and made payable to us.

We do not accept the following types of deposits:

  • Cash
  • Temporary checks (starter checks)
  • Money orders
  • 3rd party checks (e.g., a check endorsed by a third party to your client)
  • Post-dated checks
  • Foreign checks payable in foreign funds
  • Traveler’s checks

How much time does it take for an EFT deposit to complete?

  • Transfer time for EFT deposits initiated here is 1 - 2 business days after the start date.
  • The cut-off time for EFT deposits to begin processing the same day is 12:00 noon ET.

Is there a maximum limit on the amount that can be deposited?

There are no maximum limits on deposits by check, wire, direct deposit, Bill Pay, or EFT initiated at your financial institution. The maximum amount that can be deposited to an account via EFT initiated with us is $100,000 over a 30 calendar-day period.

How do I view a specific date that a deposit arrived in a client’s account?

  1. Open the Client page.
  2. In the Actions dropdown menu, select View Transaction History.
  3. On the Transaction History page, select Deposits from the dropdown menu on Step 2.
  4. Select Search to see all deposits.

How do I set up check writing for a client’s account?

  1. Open the Client page.
  2. Select Set Up Check Writing from the Actions dropdown menu.
  3. Print the Set Up Check Writing form.
  4. Have your client sign it, and mail or fax it back to us.

Distributions from certain types of retirement accounts are not eligible for check writing.

Review our Special Services & Fees to learn more about the costs of setting up check writing capabilities.

How do I transfer a client’s account from another brokerage?

  1. Open your Client Accounts page.
  2. Select Transfer Account from the Account Options dropdown menu for selected client.
  3. Review the Transfer an Account Introduction, then select Continue.
  4. Choose the account type you are transferring assets from, then select Continue.
  5. Designate which account will receive the transfer (a transfer must occur between the same account types, e.g., Roth IRA to Roth IRA), then select Continue.
  6. Follow the detailed instructions given.

During this process, you will have the option to transfer all or part of your client’s assets.

How do I get assistance completing an account transfer?

Contact us at 1-888-485-3456 and one of our Customer Service Representatives will guide you through the process.

Can I complete a transfer from one account type to a different account type?

Generally, transfers can only be done between the same account types (e.g., Roth IRA to Roth IRA). Call a Customer Service Representative at 1-888-485-3456 if you require additional information.

What securities can I transfer for my client?

You can transfer the following types of securities for your client:

To transfer a client account that holds other types of assets, such as options, the transferring brokerage will need to sell those securities first and transfer the cash. Because this may have tax implications, we recommend that you consult with a tax professional before selling your client’s assets.

How do I roll over a client’s 401(k) or other qualified retirement plans?

Once you have opened an IRA rollover account for your client, you can initiate the transfer by selecting Transfer an Account from the dropdown menu on the Client Accounts page and following the instructions given.

Qualified plans can include:

  • 401(k)
  • 403(b)
  • Defined benefit
  • Employee stock ownership (ESOP)
  • Keogh
  • Stock bonus
  • Thrift or savings plans

Contact your client’s plan administrator to confirm that the retirement account is a qualified plan and that all plan assets can be transferred into an IRA rollover account.

Also be aware that if IRA rollover assets from a qualified plan are co-mingled with regular IRA contributions, this may disqualify the plan assets from being rolled back into a qualified plan in the future.

Can my client transfer stock in a Direct Registration Program/Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP)?

Yes. To do so:

  1. Open the Client page.
  2. Select Transfer Securities from the Actions dropdown menu.
  3. Click on Transfer Security from a Direct Registration Program.
  4. Follow the detailed instructions provided to complete the transfer.

Can my client transfer stock certificates?

No. However, you can convert your client’s physical stock certificates for publicly-traded companies into electronic book entry form (also known as "street name") and then transfer them to us. Check with the issuer of the security, your current broker, or your financial institution to see if they can convert your client’s physical stock certificate into street name.

How do I make a withdrawal from a client’s account?

Open the Client page. Select Transfer Money from the Actions dropdown menu next to Cash Available. Select the method of withdrawal and then follow the instructions on the page.

You can withdraw money from your client’s account via:

  1. Electronic funds transfer (EFT) initiated here or at your financial institution
  2. Check (either standard mail or next-business-day delivery)
  3. Wire transfer
  4. Transfer of money between your accounts with us (also known as an internal transfer)

How much time does it take for a withdrawal to complete?

  • EFT withdrawals initiated with us will complete in 1 - 2 business days after the start date.
  • Wire withdrawals are completed the same day they are processed.
  • Check withdrawals take 1 - 5 business days to receive in the mail depending on the delivery option that you select (e.g., overnight vs. standard mail).
  • The cut-off time for processing all withdrawals is 12:00 noon ET. Withdrawals received after that time will be processed the following business day.

Is there a maximum limit on the amount that can be withdrawn?

The maximum amount that can be withdrawn from an account via EFT initiated with us is limited to $200,000 over a 30 calendar-day period. Withdrawals by check, wire or by EFT initiated at your financial institution may be for any amount up to the available cash in your account.

Why would a particular withdrawal type be unavailable?

Some types of deposits and withdrawals may be unavailable based on account type, restrictions on the account, or permission levels-or they may be unavailable as an online feature.

Your account permission level must be at Money Mover or higher to withdraw money from a client’s account. Learn more about permission levels here.

If you would like to make a request that is unavailable online, you may be able to make the request using the EFT Authorization Form or the IRA Distribution Form or by contacting Customer Service.

What information is required to set up an EFT bank link?

Prior to requesting an electronic funds transfer (EFT), you will need to set up an EFT bank link using your client’s bank routing and account numbers. After setting it up, you must also verify the bank link before it can be used to schedule transfers.

Bank links can only be established for accounts with the identical account name(s). If the name on the account with us and the name on the bank account are not an exact match, such as in the case of an investment club account or corporate account, use the EFT Authorization Form, located on the Forms page in the Help Center, to set up the bank link.

What information is required to set up a wire bank link?

Prior to requesting a wire transfer, you will need to enter wire instructions using your bank’s FedWire routing and account numbers. The FedWire routing number is sometimes, but not always, the same as that financial institution’s ABA routing number. Please check with your financial institution to make sure you are using the correct number for FedWire transfers.

Wires can be sent only to accounts with identical account names.

How do I verify my new bank link?

Depending on the security options selected by your firm, new bank links will require certain additional verifications before they can be used.

If your firm chooses the Small Deposit Verification option, then 3 - 4 days after submitting a new bank link request, your client will see in the account at his/her financial institution 2 small deposits of less than $0.50 each and a corresponding withdrawal. These transactions will come from UMB, our banking services provider.

To verify a new bank link, instruct your client to log into www.folioclient.com, open his/her Accounts page, select Transfer Money from the dropdown menu, open the Bank Links tab, click Verify, and enter the exact deposit amounts received by his/her financial institution. This will activate the bank link and make it available for immediate use.

If your firm chooses the Client Verification option, then the bank link will need to be verified by the account owner before it can be used. This is to ensure that the account owner approves all money transfers into or out of his/her account, and it is intended to comply with the SEC Custody Rule.

The account owner can verify a new bank link by logging into www.folioclient.com, opening the Accounts page, selecting Transfer Money from the dropdown menu, opening the Bank Links tab, clicking Verify and checking the I Agree checkbox. This will activate the bank link and make it available for immediate use.

If you have any questions about the security options your firm has chosen, please call a Customer Service Representative at 1-888-485-3456.

For your client’s account security, bank links that are not verified within 10 business days are automatically deleted.

How do I transfer funds from one folio to another folio?

  1. Open the Client page.
  2. In the Actions menu located next to the folio, Select Transfer within Account from the Actions dropdown menu located next to the folio.
  3. Select the folio you are transferring shares out of.
  4. Choose the holdings you are transferring.
  5. Decide which folio the funds will be moving to, or create a new folio to transfer the shares into.
  6. Enter the amount of shares to move for each security, and then select Continue.
  7. Review the transfer, and then select Complete Transfer.

Online money transfers are also permitted between folios.

How do pending order amounts affect withdrawals?

Pending Buy Orders

When you place a buy order, the buy amount will be subtracted from the cash available for transfer, even before the trade executes. We process in this way so you can’t accidentally transfer the cash needed for the purchase.

Pending Sell Orders

Until a sell order is executed and the trade has settled, the proceeds from the sale will not be added to the cash available for use or transfer.

Card Security Code

3-digit or 4-digit verification number on credit card