What to do if you receive an Abandoned Property Notice

Receiving an abandoned property notice can be unsettling and may cause you some concern. In most cases, it's not too late to stop your Fidelity assets from being turned over to your state's unclaimed property division—a process called escheatment. For additional information on escheatment and how it works, visit What is Escheatment.

This article will cover the necessary steps to take if you receive an abandoned property notice from Fidelity.

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Questions?

Why did I get this notice?

If an account owner does not engage with their accounts or with Fidelity for a certain period of time, depending on their state's laws, the assets may be considered abandoned.

If any of these conditions exist, your assets may be at risk:

  • Returned mail - the U.S. Post Office returns as undeliverable mail we've sent to your address of record, followed by a period of time, often 3 or 5 years, in which you have not interacted with Fidelity.
  • Inactivity - you have not interacted with your Fidelity account or contacted Fidelity for a period of time determined by the state, often 3 or 5 years.

In an attempt to protect your assets from being escheated to the state, Fidelity may contact you using your information on file. Such notices require immediate attention.

What do I need to know?

We attempt to contact you using one or more of the following methods: SMS message, email, telephone call, U.S. Mail, and/or service alerts on Fidelity.com. Depending on the type of notice you receive, Fidelity asks you to complete at least one of the following actions within one month of receiving the notice to help ensure your account is not escheated:

  • Log in to Fidelity.com website or mobile app. When you log in, please confirm that we have your current mailing and legal addresses. If you need to update your address, visit your profile.
  • Call Fidelity at 800-343-3548 to speak with a representative.
  • Sign and return mailed correspondence.

What to expect:

If you complete one of the aforementioned actions within 30 days of receiving the notice, your account will no longer be identified as abandoned property.

  • If you need to update your address, the change is effective immediately and you will receive a letter of confirmation from Fidelity within 5-7 days.

To avoid future notices:

  • Keep your account information current with an up-to-date mailing address, legal address, email address, and phone number.
  • Keep your account active by logging in to Fidelity.com or calling Fidelity at 800-343-3548. It is best practice to interact with your account at least annually.