Roth IRA Rollovers: How to Roll Over From Another Account

Learn how to roll over your retirement account in virtually any scenario.

By Lyle Daly – Updated May 2, 2025 at 8:40 PM

Key Points

Roth IRA rollovers are a way to transfer funds between retirement accounts.
Direct rollovers from Roth 401(k) to Roth IRA avoid taxes and expand investment choices.
Traditional to Roth IRA conversions are taxable and generally increase your tax income.

A Roth IRA rollover allows you to transfer money between your retirement accounts. Specifically, you move money from another retirement plan into your Roth IRA to take advantage of the wealth-building benefits this type of account offers -- most importantly, that your money grows tax-free.

Loading paragraph...

Woman sitting in front of computer in office late at night — Image source: Getty Images.

Loading image...

Loading paragraph...

Loading table...

How to tackle a Roth IRA rollover

Practically speaking, a Roth IRA rollover is very simple. Simply contact the administrator for your current retirement account and request a rollover to a Roth account (either at the same or another institution). But before you do so, however, figure out if the rollover will trigger a tax liability so you can plan accordingly.

Once the rollover is complete -- assuming you're eligible to complete one -- you'll be well positioned to generate tax-free growth and unhindered income for decades to come.

Related investing topics

Loading paragraph...

401(k) to Roth IRA Conversion

Looking to turn your 401(k) into a Roth IRA? Here's how and why it's a good idea.

Roth IRA Rules: Everything You Need to Know

What can you do with your Roth IRA account?

What to Know About the Roth IRA Five-Year Rule

All investors should be aware of these three five-year rules. You may need to wait before you can access your Roth IRA funds.

Backdoor Roth IRAs: Conversion, Limits and Taxes in 2025

Make too much to contribute to a Roth IRA? There's a way around that.

Loading hub_pages...

Loading paragraph...

Loading faq...

About the Author

Lyle Daly is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering information technology and cryptocurrency. Lyle has been a contributor at the financial services company since 2018. His work has been featured on USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, Fox Business, and Nasdaq. Before joining The Motley Fool, he wrote for financial brands including Intuit.

TMFLyleDaly

@LyleDaly

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.