Yes! You can use AI to fill out 401(k) Program Rollover Certification

The instructions require the check be made payable to a very specific and long entity name, including a custodian, plan name, account number, and the participant's personal details. People often shorten this name or omit key details like the 'f/b/o' information. A check with an incorrect payee cannot be deposited, leading to its rejection and requiring the participant to request a new check from their prior provider, causing significant delays. To avoid this, provide the exact payee text from the instructions to your prior plan administrator and verify the check upon receipt.

The form explicitly requires documentation proving the source of the rollover funds, such as a Form 1099-R or a final distribution statement from the prior plan. Participants often overlook this requirement and only send the check and certification form. Without this proof, the receiving institution cannot legally accept the rollover, putting the entire process on hold until the documents are provided. Always create a checklist and ensure you include this documentation in the same envelope as your form and check.

In the Investment Elections section, participants must allocate their rollover funds across various options, and the percentages must sum to exactly 100%. Simple arithmetic errors are common, leading to totals like 99% or 101%. This discrepancy will cause the form to be rejected, and the funds may be held in a non-invested cash account or a default fund until a corrected form is received. To prevent this, double-check your math before submitting the form. AI-powered form fillers like Instafill.ai can automatically validate that these fields sum correctly.

This error occurs when the dollar amount written in Section 3 of the Rollover Certification form does not exactly match the amount on the enclosed check. This often happens due to typos or writing the amount from memory instead of looking at the check. This mismatch creates a reconciliation problem for the processing team, halting the transaction until they can contact you for clarification. Always verify the amount on the physical check and carefully transcribe that exact figure onto the form.

Forgetting to sign and date the Employee Authorization section is one of the most frequent and critical errors. An unsigned form is not legally valid and cannot be processed under any circumstances. This simple oversight will result in the immediate rejection of your application, forcing you to resubmit and delaying your investment. Always perform a final review of the entire form, paying special attention to the signature and date fields before mailing.

The instructions state to 'PRINT clearly,' but handwritten information, especially for names, addresses, and Social Security Numbers, can often be illegible. This leads to data entry errors, failed identity verification, and processing delays while the administrator attempts to clarify the information. To avoid this, use clear, block capital letters. For non-fillable PDFs like this one, tools like Instafill.ai can convert them into digitally fillable forms, ensuring all information is perfectly legible and accurate.

A small note at the top of the certification form states that an 'Account Application' must be submitted alongside the rollover form if the participant does not already have an account. New employees often miss this note and only submit the rollover paperwork. This results in the rejection of the rollover, as there is no established account to deposit the funds into. Carefully read all instructions, including headers and footnotes, to identify any additional required forms.

It is surprisingly common for participants to complete all the paperwork perfectly but forget to include the actual rollover check in the envelope. They may set it aside and forget to enclose it before sealing and mailing the documents. Without the check, the rollover cannot be funded, and the form is useless, stalling the entire process until the check is received. Always use a paperclip to attach the check directly to the completed certification form before placing them in the envelope.

Section 2 asks for 'Employer Information,' and since the process involves a prior employer's plan, participants sometimes mistakenly enter the old employer's details. The form is for the plan you are rolling money *into*, so it requires your *current* employer's information. This error can lead to incorrect data in your new retirement account and communication breakdowns. To avoid this, remember that this form is for your new plan and should contain your current employment details.