What is a blackout period?

A blackout period is a customary window during a plan transfer to another provider during which certain plan transactions will be temporarily paused to safely transfer assets and data. This includes activities such as withdrawing funds from retirement accounts or changing investment strategies.

What happens if I miss my transition group?

While all plan transitions must be completed by May 6th to ensure continuous operations of your retirement plan, you’ll be able to kick off your process and register at a later point if you miss your specific window. Employees won’t receive invitations to log in to their Vestwell account until you’ve set up your plan on Vestwell’s platform, and your plan blackout period and transfer have been completed.

How long will the transition take?

Our goal is to make the transition as short, simple, and straightforward as possible while securely and carefully transferring over all your plan details. From registration through plan transfer completion, the transition will only take about two weeks. This includes a brief blackout period to ensure accurate data and asset transfer, followed by a return to normal plan operations. Vestwell will handle the plan transfer carefully to facilitate continuity, accuracy, and minimal disruption.

What actions are required from me during the transition window?

During your transition window, you’ll complete a quick, guided plan setup flow to set up your plan on the Vestwell platform. This allows you to register your Vestwell account, confirm your company, plan, and payroll information, select plan feature preferences, and reconnect your payroll integration, if applicable. Vestwell handles the data migration and asset transfer behind the scenes, and our service team is available to support you throughout the process. In addition, we’ve put together this pre-transition checklist with a few quick steps to take and information to keep on hand for the most seamless transition experience.