Russell sent a message to Abigail Johnson – President and Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Investments and Chairman of Fidelity Worldwide Investment email address that said:
Dear Ms. Johnson,
Hope you are well.
My name is Russell and I am having a problem that no one seems to know what to do with.
Back in October I chose to convert my Time Warner Cable pension account to a newly created Roth IRA at fidelity. I chose electronic transfer option so I could have access to this money for a specific reason. I needed it to buy a new house so I can move my mom in-law and my own mother in due to them needing care for dementia and old age. I was planning on putting this money back in under the 60 day IRS rule once my current house sold which is taking place on December 15.
I provided all the documentation needed. Setup a new fresh empty Roth IRA just for this purpose at fidelity.com. Everything was set to go for December 1 according to your website (my account summary). I have been on the phone and chat with numerous reps over the past 3 weeks who assured all was good and scheduled and that I had done everything correctly. Now today December 1 the day I was to sign my contracts for the new house and provide the down payment that was coming from this transfer I am being told it won't be done. I was told by your rep(Sarah Chowgule) who was very helpful and caring about this whole situation that fidelity MAILED the check from my pension to yourselves to fund my Roth IRA and that nothing will happen till next week. What is this?!? Mailed?! I was not told about anything like this before. I chose electronic transfer which your website allowed to opt for. I had to do this in order to satisfy the 60 day IRS (transfers between qualified funds) rule for withdrawals so I didn't lose any money. I also added my bank wire transfer information so there would be no delay sending it to my local bank account where I would get a bank check for the down payment.
So now today is the last day I can sign my contracts and provide the down payment. I will be losing the house we found and will have to move into a motel as a result. We have already spent $500 for the inspection and have a lawyer setup. The seller is going to cancel our deal and go with the next offer behind mine. He needs the money from his house to retire and I fully understand it. I just told my wife on the phone who is literally tears as well as I am.
I am looking to somehow cancel this check you sent yourselves and have a direct wire transfer or whatever you call it to my roth ira. I cannot live in a motel till this gets resolved with 2 parents, a wife, 2 dogs and 2 cats. This is not an option. I still don't understand how you mailed yourselves a check when full electronic transfer option was chosen. Even Ms. Chowgule was taken aback by this and didn't know what to say. She has since escalated the situation but at this point it doesn't matter unless it is resolved today I am going to be at a total loss on this real estate transaction.
Please please please help. Do not let my family go to a motel for the holiday season and lose this house we are trying to buy.
Thank you and God bless.
Russell Susan
