How to Set Up Recurring Investments on Fidelity

Investing consistently is one of the simplest ways to build wealth over time, and Fidelity makes the process easy with its automation tools. By setting up recurring investments on Fidelity, you can schedule regular contributions to stocks, ETFs, or mutual funds without having to manually place orders each time.

This guide walks through the process of creating, managing, editing, and deleting recurring investments directly from the Fidelity app.

Why Set Up Recurring Investments on Fidelity?

Automating your investments helps remove emotion from the process and ensures you stay consistent. Instead of trying to time the market, recurring investments on Fidelity allow you to contribute regularly and take advantage of long-term growth.

Benefits include:

• Hands-free investing
• Consistent contributions
• Flexible schedules
• No penalties for changes or cancellations
• Easy management from the app

How to Access the Automation Tools

To begin setting up recurring investments on Fidelity:

1. Open the Fidelity app.
2. Tap Transact at the bottom of the screen.
3. Select Automate.

You’ll see four options:

• Create a recurring investment
• Create a recurring transfer
• Create a smart habit
• Manage recurring activity

Choose Create a recurring investment to continue.

Choose an Investment Type

Fidelity gives you three investment categories:

Stocks and ETFs

This option allows you to automate purchases of individual stocks or exchange-traded funds.

Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are popular among long-term investors because they provide diversification. In this example, a mutual fund is selected.

Fidelity Basket Portfolios

This feature allows you to create a custom basket of up to 50 stocks and ETFs and manage them as a single investment. It comes with a monthly fee and may be more suitable for advanced investors.

For beginners, mutual funds are often the simplest choice.

Select the Account

Next, choose the account where your investments will go.

Examples include:

• Individual brokerage accounts
• Retirement accounts
• Other eligible investment accounts

Make sure you select the account you intend to use for your automated contributions.

Add the Investment

Tap the green Add Simple button and enter the ticker symbol of the investment you want to purchase.

For example, you might enter:

FSKAX (Fidelity Total Market Index Fund)

After entering the ticker, specify how much you want to invest.

A small, sustainable amount is often better than making large contributions that are difficult to maintain. Consistency is more important than trying to invest a huge amount occasionally.

Set the Investment Amount

Choose an amount that comfortably fits your budget.

For example:

• $25 every two weeks
• $50 monthly
• $100 weekly

The key is choosing an amount you can continue contributing even during months when expenses are higher.

Choose the Frequency

One of the advantages of recurring investments on Fidelity is the flexibility in scheduling.

You can choose:

• Weekly
• Every two weeks
• Monthly

Many investors align their schedule with payday so that money gets invested before they have a chance to spend it.

Select the Day and Start Date

After choosing the frequency, select the day you want the investment to run.

For example:

• Friday
• Monday
• Any available weekday

Next, choose a start date. Fidelity automatically suggests the next available date, but you can change it if needed.

You will also see an optional end date field. Leaving it blank allows your investment plan to continue indefinitely until you decide to stop it.

Link Your Bank Account

Funds need to come from somewhere, so enable Use a linked bank account.

Select the bank account you want Fidelity to withdraw from. If you’ve already linked a checking account, it will appear here.

This creates a seamless process where money moves automatically from your bank into your investment account.

Review and Confirm

Before finalizing your recurring investments on Fidelity, you’ll see a preview screen displaying:

• Security type
• Account
• Ticker symbol
• Investment amount
• Frequency
• Day of the week
• Start date
• Funding source

Take a moment to review everything carefully.

If all the information looks correct, tap Confirm.

That’s it. Your automatic investing plan is now active.

The Benefits of Automated Investing

With recurring investments on Fidelity, your contributions happen automatically. This helps you stay disciplined and take advantage of compounding over the long term.

Rather than trying to predict market movements or chase the latest trends, many investors focus on:

• Regular contributions
• Broad, low-cost funds
• Long-term growth
• Reinvesting dividends

Over time, these habits can help create significant wealth.

How to Manage Recurring Investments on Fidelity

Life changes, and you may want to adjust your plan later.

To manage your investments:

1. Tap Transact.
2. Select Automate.
3. Choose Manage recurring activity.

You’ll see two tabs:

• Investments
• Transfers

Stay on the Investments tab to view all active recurring investments.

Each entry displays:

• The ticker symbol
• Funding account
• Contribution amount
• Next investment date

How to Edit an Existing Recurring Investment

Tap the investment you want to change.

The details screen will show:

• Positions
• Total amount
• Schedule
• Next investment date

Tap Edit.

Fidelity takes you back through the original setup process, with all your information already filled in.

You can change:

• Investment amount
• Frequency
• Day of the week
• Start date
• Funding account

After making changes:

1. Tap Preview.
2. Review the details.
3. Tap Confirm.

Your updates will take effect immediately.

How to Delete a Recurring Investment

If you no longer want the automatic investment, deleting it is simple.

1. Open the investment details page.
2. Tap Delete.
3. Confirm your choice.

Fidelity does not charge fees or penalties for canceling. You can always create a new recurring investment later if your circumstances change.

Final Thoughts

Setting up recurring investments on Fidelity is a straightforward way to automate your financial future. By choosing an investment, selecting an amount you can comfortably afford, and scheduling regular contributions, you create a system that works in the background without requiring constant attention.

The most important part isn’t finding the next hot stock. It’s building a habit of investing consistently. With recurring investments on Fidelity, steady contributions and time can do much of the heavy lifting toward long-term financial growth.