How to Add Money to Your Fidelity Account

Funding your investment account is one of the most important steps before you can start investing. Fortunately, Fidelity makes the process straightforward whether you’re making your first deposit or transferring money regularly. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to add money to your Fidelity account, connect a bank account, and set up future deposits.

Before You Add Money to Your Fidelity Account

Before you can add money to your Fidelity account, you must connect a bank account. If you’ve already linked a bank, you can skip ahead to the funding section.

Open the Fidelity app and tap the profile icon in the top-right corner. On your profile page, select Banks and Cards and then tap Linked Accounts and Banks.

You’ll see two tabs:

• My Banks
• Other Recipients

Select My Banks, then tap the green Add button at the bottom of the screen.

Choose a Transfer Method

Fidelity offers three ways to connect funding sources:

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)

EFT is the most common option and the one most investors should choose. It allows you to move money between your bank and Fidelity for free.

Benefits include:

• No transfer fees
• Typically takes 1 to 3 business days
• Easy setup
• Ideal for regular investing

Bank Wire

Bank wires are faster and may arrive the same day if initiated before the bank’s cutoff time.

However:

• Banks often charge fees of $25 to $35
• Usually unnecessary for everyday investing

Fidelity Account Transfer

This option is designed for transferring money to another person’s Fidelity account, not for funding your own account.

For most users looking to add money to your Fidelity account, EFT is the best choice.

Connect Your Bank Instantly

After selecting EFT, choose Myself as the account owner and continue through the setup process.

Fidelity gives you two options for adding bank information:

Secure Bank Login

The fastest method is to log in directly to your bank through Fidelity’s secure connection service.

This option:

• Verifies your account instantly
• Automatically imports account details
• Reduces typing errors
• Eliminates the waiting period for manual verification

You’ll be asked to select your bank and sign in using your online banking credentials. After authorization, choose the account you’d like to use for funding your brokerage account.

Once completed, your bank will be linked successfully.

Verify Your Bank Manually

If you prefer not to connect your bank through online banking, you can enter your routing number and account number manually.

With this method:

• Fidelity sends two small trial deposits to your bank account
• Verification usually takes 1 to 2 business days
• You’ll confirm the deposit amounts to complete the setup

Both methods work well, but the secure login option is much faster.

How to Add Money to Your Fidelity Account

Once your bank is connected, Fidelity will redirect you to the transfer screen.

To add money to your Fidelity account:

1. Select your linked bank account as the funding source.
2. Choose your Fidelity brokerage account as the destination.
3. Select a one-time transfer.
4. Enter the transfer amount.
5. Review the details.
6. Tap Submit.

That’s it. Your deposit request will be sent for processing.

Transfer Limits and Availability

Fidelity allows deposits of up to $250,000 per day through standard transfers.

There is no minimum deposit requirement, meaning you can start investing with as little as $1.

Keep in mind that Fidelity may place a hold on transferred funds for up to seven business days before they can be withdrawn or transferred elsewhere. However, some or all of the funds may still be available for trading immediately.

This makes it easy to add money to your Fidelity account and begin investing without waiting for the entire holding period to expire.

How to Make Future Deposits Faster

After your bank has been linked, future transfers become much easier.

Simply:

1. Tap the green Transact button.
2. Select Transfer.
3. Choose the source account.
4. Choose the destination account.
5. Enter the amount.
6. Review and submit.

Once everything is set up, you can add money to your Fidelity account in less than a minute.

Deposit Checks Using Your Phone

Fidelity also allows mobile check deposits.

To deposit a paper check:

1. Tap Transact.
2. Select Deposit.
3. Choose Check.
4. Take a photo of the front and back of the check.
5. Enter the amount and submit.

Most mobile check deposits clear within one to four business days.

This feature is especially useful for:

• Tax refund checks
• Bonus checks
• Gift checks
• Other paper payments

Set Up Direct Deposit

Another convenient way to add money to your Fidelity account is through direct deposit.

Fidelity provides paycheck deposit options that allow all or part of your paycheck to go directly into your brokerage account.

For example, if you receive $4,000 every two weeks, you could direct:

• $3,800 to your checking account
• $200 to your Fidelity brokerage account

This approach automates your investing and helps build wealth consistently over time.

Why Automatic Deposits Matter

Many investors focus on picking stocks, but long-term success often comes down to consistency.

Setting up recurring transfers or direct deposits helps ensure that money is invested regularly without requiring constant attention. The easier it is to contribute, the more likely you are to stay on track with your financial goals.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to add money to your Fidelity account is an essential step toward building your investment portfolio. Whether you choose a standard EFT transfer, mobile check deposit, or direct paycheck contributions, Fidelity provides several convenient ways to fund your account.

Once you add money to your Fidelity account, you’ll be ready to take the next step and start investing for the future.