Ready to take control of your financial future and master your recurring investments with Fidelity? Excellent! Setting up and managing automatic investments is one of the smartest moves you can make to build wealth consistently over time, thanks to the power of dollar-cost averaging. Let's dive in and demystify the process.
How to See and Manage Your Recurring Investments on Fidelity
Fidelity makes it relatively straightforward to track your automatic contributions, whether you set them up for stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, or even their new Basket Portfolios. Here’s your comprehensive, step-by-step guide to finding and understanding your recurring investment plans.
Step 1: Log In to Your Fidelity Account – Your Gateway to Financial Control
Alright, let's get started! The very first thing you need to do is log in to your Fidelity account. This is your central hub for all your investment activities.
On the Web: Open your web browser and navigate to Fidelity.com. Locate the "Log In" button, usually in the upper right corner of the page.
On the Mobile App: Launch the Fidelity Investments app on your smartphone or tablet. You'll be prompted to enter your credentials.
Pro-Tip: If you've forgotten your username or password, use the "Forgot username" or "Forgot password" links provided on the login screen. It's crucial to have secure access to your account.
Step 2: Navigating to Your Recurring Activity Section
Once you're successfully logged in, you'll land on your portfolio summary or dashboard. Now, we need to find the specific section dedicated to recurring activities. Fidelity offers a couple of pathways, depending on whether you're using the website or the mobile app.
Option A: Via Fidelity.com (Website)
Accounts & Trade: Look for the main navigation bar at the top of the page. You'll typically see options like "Accounts & Trade," "Planning & Advice," "News & Research," etc. Click on "Accounts & Trade."
Account Features (or Transfers): From the dropdown menu or subsequent page, you'll often find an option like "Account Features" or "Transfers." Click on the one that seems most relevant to managing account settings or money movement.
Manage Recurring Transfers/Investments: Within the "Account Features" or "Transfers" section, you should see a heading or link labeled something like "Recurring Transfers" or "Recurring Transfers & Investments." Click "Manage" next to this option. This will take you to the dedicated page for viewing and managing all your automated activities.
Option B: Via the Fidelity Mobile App
Transact Icon: At the bottom of the Fidelity mobile app screen, you'll find a navigation bar. Look for the "Transact" icon (often represented by an arrow or a dollar sign). Tap on it.
Recurring Transfers & Investments: On the "Transact" screen, you'll see various options related to moving money. Look for and tap on "Recurring Transfers & Investments."
Important Note: Fidelity's interface occasionally undergoes updates. While these steps are generally accurate, minor variations in wording or exact placement might occur. Don't worry if it's not precisely as described – the core concept remains the same: look for sections related to "Accounts," "Transfers," or "Recurring Activity."
Step 3: Identifying Your Recurring Investments
Now that you're on the "Recurring Transfers & Investments" page (or similar), you'll likely see a list of all your scheduled automatic activities. This page typically separates "Transfers" (money moving into your core account) from "Investments" (money then being invested into specific securities).
Look for the "Investments" tab or section. This is where your recurring buys will be listed.
Each recurring investment plan will usually display key information:
Account Name: The Fidelity account receiving the investment (e.g., Roth IRA, Brokerage Account).
Security Type: What you're investing in (e.g., Stock, ETF, Mutual Fund, Basket Portfolio).
Ticker Symbol/Fund Name: The specific investment (e.g., FZROX, VOO, AAPL).
Amount: The dollar amount being invested per cycle.
Frequency: How often the investment occurs (e.g., Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly).
Next Investment Date: When the next automatic purchase is scheduled.
Funding Source: Whether it's coming from your linked bank account or your Fidelity core position.
For Fidelity Basket Portfolios: If you're using these, you might see an icon next to the basket name indicating a recurring investment. Clicking on a carat (^) next to the basket name usually expands the view to show the recurring investment details.
Step 4: Reviewing Details and Making Adjustments (If Needed)
This is where you gain true control. On the recurring investments page, you're not just viewing; you're managing.
Viewing Detailed Information
Clicking on an individual recurring investment plan (or the carat next to a basket) will often expand to show more in-depth details. This might include:
History of past investments: To see if your automated buys have been executing as expected.
Source of funds details: Confirmation of the linked bank account or core position.
Start date of the plan.
Editing a Recurring Investment
Next to each recurring investment, you'll typically find an "Edit" or "Modify" option. Clicking this allows you to:
Change the investment amount.
Adjust the frequency (e.g., from monthly to bi-weekly).
Update the next investment date.
Change the funding source (if applicable, between bank and core position).
Modify the specific security being purchased (though this might sometimes require deleting and re-creating the plan for significant changes).
Important Consideration: If you're changing the amount or frequency, make sure you have sufficient funds available in your chosen funding source to avoid failed transactions.
Deleting a Recurring Investment
If your financial goals have shifted or you no longer wish to make a specific recurring investment, you can usually "Delete" or "Cancel" the plan from the same management page. Be sure to confirm your decision, as this action is usually irreversible once confirmed.
Step 5: Understanding Funding Sources for Recurring Investments
It's vital to understand where the money for your recurring investments is coming from. Fidelity offers flexibility here:
From a Linked Bank Account: This is a common and often preferred method. Money is automatically debited from your external bank account and directly invested into your chosen security. This streamlines the entire process, as you don't need to manually transfer funds to Fidelity first.
From Your Fidelity Core Position: Your Fidelity account has a "core position," which is essentially a cash management account where uninvested cash is held. If you choose this option, you'll need to ensure that enough cash is present in your core position before the scheduled investment date. You might set up a separate recurring transfer from your bank to your Fidelity core position, and then have a recurring investment drawing from that core position. While this adds a step, it gives you more control over when funds arrive in your Fidelity account.
Key Takeaway: For most users, especially those aiming for consistent, hands-off investing, linking directly to a bank account for recurring investments is the most convenient option.
Benefits of Recurring Investments
While knowing how to see them is important, let's quickly touch on why recurring investments are so powerful:
Dollar-Cost Averaging: This strategy involves investing a fixed amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of the market's ups and downs. When prices are low, your fixed amount buys more shares; when prices are high, it buys fewer. Over time, this can help reduce your average cost per share and mitigate the risk of investing a large sum at a market peak.
Automation & Discipline: Life gets busy. Recurring investments automate your saving and investing, removing the need for manual intervention and fostering financial discipline. You "pay yourself first" without even thinking about it.
Reaching Goals Faster: Consistent contributions, even small ones, compound over time, helping you reach your financial goals (retirement, a down payment, a child's education) more effectively.
Reduced Emotional Investing: By automating, you remove the temptation to try and "time the market," which is notoriously difficult and often leads to poor investment decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Fidelity Recurring Investments
Here are 10 common "How to" questions related to Fidelity recurring investments, with quick answers:
How to Set Up a New Recurring Investment on Fidelity?
To set up a new recurring investment, log in to Fidelity.com, go to "Accounts & Trade" > "Account Features" (or "Transfers") > "Manage Recurring Transfers & Investments," then select "Create New" or "Set up an automatic investment" and follow the prompts. On the mobile app, tap "Transact" > "Recurring Transfers & Investments" > "Create."
How to Change the Amount of a Recurring Investment?
Log in to Fidelity.com or the mobile app, navigate to "Recurring Transfers & Investments," find the specific investment, click "Edit" or "Modify," and adjust the dollar amount.
How to Change the Frequency of a Recurring Investment (e.g., monthly to bi-weekly)?
Access your recurring investments through "Accounts & Trade" > "Account Features" (or "Transfers") on the website, or "Transact" on the app. Select the plan you wish to modify, click "Edit," and choose your desired frequency.
How to Stop or Cancel a Recurring Investment?
Go to the "Recurring Transfers & Investments" section on Fidelity.com or the Fidelity mobile app, locate the recurring investment you want to stop, and click the "Delete" or "Cancel" option. Confirm your choice when prompted.
How to See if My Recurring Investment Went Through?
You can check your "Activity" or "History" section for the specific account on Fidelity.com or the mobile app. Look for the transaction date you expected, and you should see a "Buy" order for your recurring investment.
How to Change the Funding Source for a Recurring Investment?
If your recurring investment is drawing from your core position and you want it to draw from a linked bank account (or vice versa), navigate to the "Edit" options for that recurring investment plan and change the funding source. You might need to add or verify a bank account first if it's new.
How to Set Up Recurring Investments for Fidelity Basket Portfolios?
When setting up a new recurring investment, choose "Fidelity Basket Portfolios" as the security type. Once a basket has a recurring investment, you'll see an icon next to it on your basket dashboard; clicking the carat will reveal the details.
How to Set Up Recurring Investments for Stocks or ETFs?
Log in to Fidelity, go to the recurring investment setup page, select "Stocks/ETFs" as the security type, enter the ticker symbol(s), amount, and frequency.
How to Ensure My Bank Account is Linked for Recurring Investments?
On Fidelity.com, go to "Accounts & Trade" > "Transfers" > "Manage Bank Accounts." On the app, you can usually find this under "Profile" or "Settings" > "Bank Accounts." Ensure your desired bank account is listed and verified.
How to Troubleshoot a Failed Recurring Investment?
If a recurring investment fails, first check your Fidelity "Activity" or "Alerts" for messages explaining why (e.g., insufficient funds). Then, review your linked bank account balance or Fidelity core position balance to ensure sufficient funds are available for the next attempt. You may need to edit the plan or manually fund your account.
