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Fund Your Alto IRA with IRA Transfers

In this article

Fund Your Alto IRA with IRA Transfers

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What You’ll Need

Before starting your transfer, make sure you have:

  • The account number of your current retirement account
  • The name of your current custodian

Initiate an IRA Transfer in Your Dashboard

  • Log in to your Alto dashboard
    • Select Transfer Funds from the top menu
    • Choose Into Alto from the dropdown
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  • Choose IRA Transfer
    • Select IRA Transfer as your funding method

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  • Choose the type of funds you’re transferring (e.g., Traditional, Roth, SEP).
    • This ensures your transfer aligns with the correct Alto IRA type.
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  • Select your current custodian.
    • Use the search bar or scroll through the list.
    • You’ll see the top eight custodians displayed first, based on data from the last 24 months.
    • If your custodian isn’t listed, select Other.

  • Enter your account number.
    • This helps Alto prepare the required Transfer of Assets (TOA) form for your custodian.
  • Select your receiving Alto account.
    • If you only have one qualifying account for the selected type, it will pre-fill automatically.

  • Choose your transfer method — typically wire or check.
    • Wire transfers generally process faster.

  • Review your details and click Continue.

  • You’ll now be prompted to sign your Transfer of Assets (TOA) form electronically using HelloSign (or Dropbox Sign).
    • Click Sign to open the signature form.
    • Follow the on-screen steps to review, sign, and submit the form.
    • You’ll see confirmation once the form has been successfully submitted.

‍Note: A small number of custodians (fewer than 8%) require additional verification steps such as a wet signature or medallion signature guarantee. If required, instructions will appear on-screen after signing.

  • Upload Your Statement (if prompted)

Some custodians may require a recent account statement for verification.If prompted:

  • Click Upload under Statement Summary.
  • Choose a PDF or clear screenshot of your statement.
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Click Open, then Continue once both checkmarks appear.

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  • If a Wet Signature is Required
    • Click Print to download your Transfer of Assets Request form
    • Sign the form in black ink in the Wet Signature Required section
    • Scan the signed form as a PDF
    • Return to the Wet Signature Required step in your Alto dashboard
    • Upload the scanned PDF and click Submit
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Next Steps After Submitting Your IRA Transfer

Once you’ve completed the IRA Transfer process in your Alto dashboard, we’ll review your request and fax it to your transferring custodian.

  • What to Do Next
    • Follow up with your custodian 1–2 business days after initiation to confirm they received the request and have started processing.
    • If your custodian has not received the request, contact us and we’ll resend it right away.
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  • Processing Times
    • Wire Transfers
      • Processing times vary by custodian. Some send wires quickly, while others may take several business days to review and release the funds.
      • Once a wire is sent and received by Alto, we’ll allocate it to your account within 24 business hours.
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    • Check Transfers
      • If your custodian sends the check by standard mail, it may take 7–15 business days to arrive. If overnighted, it usually arrives within 1 business day.
      • All checks are held for 4 business days after receipt to help prevent chargebacks. Funds are allocated on the 4th business day.
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Once the funds are received and credited to your Alto account, you’ll receive an automated confirmation email with the details.
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Tips for a Smooth Transfer

We recommend reaching out to your custodian after submitting your request to:

  • Confirm they’ve received the transfer paperwork
  • Ask when they expect to send the funds
  • Request tracking details if the transfer will be sent by check
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How to Cancel an IRA Transfer

  • If you haven’t completed the transfer process in your Alto dashboard, please contact our Support team, and we can cancel it for you.
  • If you’ve already received confirmation that the transfer request was sent to your custodian, you’ll need to:
    • Contact your custodian to cancel the request on their end
    • Once they confirm the cancellation, reach back out to us, and we’ll cancel the request in our system as well
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Need Help?

If you have any questions, we’re happy to assist:

Looking for information on CryptoIRA? Visit https://public.com/invest/crypto-ira.

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