Transfers FAQs

Your online transfer request will state the reason for a rejection, if it occurs. Keep in mind, to view your transfer activity, you'll need to use a desktop rather than a mobile device. When your transfer gets placed on hold or rejected, we'll also email you with an explanation and with any steps you can take to fix the issue.

Common reasons for transfer rejections

For Ally Bank transfers:

•  You're attempting to transfer before your deposit holding period expires. There's a 6-business-day hold if you attempt to transfer funds back to the outside account you just withdrew from. Additionally, if you transfer funds from one account to another, and then attempt to transfer the same funds to a third account that’s not the originating account, you'll encounter a 60-day hold.
• Your form's filled out incorrectly. If this is the case, we'll email you with instructions on how to provide us with accurate information.
• Your account’s restricted. If this is the case, we'll ask you to provide us with documentation to lift the restriction.
• Your ACH profile’s inaccurate. If the issue is with your profile at another bank, you may need to contact them.
• The bank you're trying to transfer to or from is pending verification. If we're unable to verify, we'll email you with the documents we may need to finish linking your other account.

For most Ally Invest online transfers:

• You entered an account number incorrectly. To resolve, resubmit the request with the correct account number.
• Your transfer would result in an overdraft for your other account. In this case, contact the financial institution that holds the other account.   
• The other firm you're transferring to or from doesn’t use the same ACAT system we use or the assets are black-listed. Contact the other firm for further guidance.

For most Ally Invest paper transfers:

•   The document you signed needed a hand signature rather than an eSignature. To resolve, you'd need to provide us with the hand-signed version of the document.
•   You have incomplete statements or instructions on a transfer form. To resolve, call us, or send us the completed form.

You can now request an account transfer online. Once requested, it takes generally 5 - 7 business days for us to process the request.

To sweeten the deal, we'll credit you $75 (to cover any possible account transfer fees) when you complete an account transfer of $2,500 or more from another broker.

Transfers to or from Ally Invest accounts are processed between 8 am ET and 3:55 pm ET, Monday – Friday. During this time:

• Transfers from Ally Bank to Ally Invest accounts take 1-2 minutes
• Transfers from Ally Invest Self-Directed to Ally Bank accounts take 1-2 minutes
• Transfers from Ally Invest Robo Portfolio to Ally Bank accounts and from Ally Invest Wealth Management to Ally Bank accounts can take up to 5 business days since we have to rebalance your portfolio
• Regular ACAT transfers (transfers from most other outside brokers) usually take 5-7 business days to show in your Ally Invest account
• Non-ACAT transfers (transfers from outside banks, retirement companies, or mutual fund companies) may take several weeks before you receive by mail

Check your email for updates. We'll notify you when your transfer is initiated, gets placed on hold, or if it gets rejected.

Ally Bank accounts:

Online transfers between Ally Bank accounts are immediate.

Standard transfers between Ally Bank and non-Ally Bank accounts, requested before 1 am ET Monday – Friday, will take 3 business days.

Transfers eligible for next-day delivery between Ally Bank and non-Ally Bank accounts, requested before 7:30pm ET Monday – Friday, will take 1 business day.

Keep in mind, transfers between banks aren't processed on weekends and federal holidays, so transfers take longer at those times.

We determine eligibility for next-day transfers based on account tenure (so new accounts aren’t eligible), account activity, and transfer activity such as overdrafts and returns. To combat fraud, we are selective about when we offer next-day transfers.

Between Ally Bank and Ally Invest accounts:

Transfers between Ally Invest accounts are processed between 8 am ET and 3:55 pm ET, Monday – Friday. During this time:

• Transfers from Ally Bank to Ally Invest accounts take 1-2 minutes
• Transfers from Ally Invest Self-Directed to Ally Bank accounts take 1-2 minutes
• Transfers from Ally Invest Robo Portfolio to Ally Bank accounts and from Ally Invest Wealth Management to Ally Bank accounts can take up to 5 business days since we have to rebalance

Learn more about transfers in our Transfers Tutorial.

Once you log in to online banking, choose Transfers, and then select Manage Linked Accounts.

We'll ask you to provide the following information for your other account:

• Routing number
• Account number
• Account type

We verify the ownership of your account before you can use it for transfers. Call us at 1-877-247-2559 if you need help. We’re here 24/7.

If you're transferring money between an Ally Invest account and an account at another institution, go to Transfers and then select Invest Transfers.

Standard and expedited transfers between your Ally Bank and Ally Invest accounts are free, as are transfers between these accounts and accounts at other institutions. Keep in mind, a $30 returned Automated Clearing House (ACH) fee may apply for failed transactions.

Ally Invest charges a $50 transfer fee for each partial or full Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS) transfer of securities or cash from any Ally Invest account to another firm. Additionally, we charge a $25 closing fee when an Ally Invest Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is closed upon full distribution of IRA funds. When an Ally Invest IRA is closed due to a full transfer to another firm, a total of $75 is charged ($50 transfer fee, plus $25 closing fee).

Your form may be filled out incorrectly or missing information. If this is the case, we'll email you with instructions on how to provide us with the accurate information. If your form was rejected for another reason, we'll email you with an explanation and with any steps you can take to fix the issue. 

It sometimes takes 1 to 2 business days before our system displays the transfer in your account. Check your email for updates. We'll email when your transfer is initiated, and if it gets placed on hold or rejected, we’ll email with an explanation.

Ally Invest's DTC number is 0158.

DTC number is used to transfer individual stock positions from broker to broker.

DTC transfers normally take 2 to 3 business days to process.

Some penny stocks that trade on the over the counter bulletin board and pink sheets may not be accepted by our clearing firm APEX Clearing Corp when requesting a transfer into Ally Invest. Please contact customer service if you have any questions about transferring in a security.

A DRS transfer provides registered owners with the option of holding their assets on the books and records of the transfer agent in book-entry form. This method of transferring securities is done electronically.

A DWAC transfer is another type of electronic transfer. DWAC stands for Deposit / Withdrawal at Custodian and allows transfers to be done directly with the issuer's transfer agent.