how do i sell my stock on fidelity

how do i sell my stock on fidelity

Quick summary: If you’re asking "how do i sell my stock on fidelity", this guide walks you through everything from identifying where your shares live (brokerage, IRA, or stock-plan account) to placing sell orders on Fidelity.com, the Fidelity mobile app, or via NetBenefits/Stock Plan Services. You’ll learn required pre-sale checks, order types, tax-lot selection, settlement timing, common problems and practical examples so you can sell with confidence.

As of 2025-12-01, according to Fidelity Help pages and official trading guides, Fidelity continues to offer online sell execution for U.S. stocks and ETFs through its website and mobile app, provides stock-plan sell workflows in NetBenefits, and reports trade proceeds and cost basis on Form 1099-B for taxable accounts.

Note: this article explains how do i sell my stock on fidelity for equity shares (U.S. stocks, ETFs, and employer stock-plan shares). It does not cover cryptocurrency trading or crypto custody. If you also use web3 tools, consider Bitget Wallet as a secure option for crypto custody and decentralized access.

Account types and where your shares live

Before you place a sell order, confirm which Fidelity account holds your shares — the account type affects what you can sell, any restrictions, tax treatment, and how proceeds are handled.

• Fidelity Brokerage Account (individual/Joint/Trust): Standard taxable brokerage accounts where U.S. stocks and ETFs trade freely outside of retirement restrictions. Selling here triggers capital gains/losses for tax reporting.
• IRAs and other retirement accounts: Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP/SIMPLE. You can sell holdings inside IRAs, but proceeds remain in the retirement account and withdrawals may be restricted or taxable depending on account type and distributions.
• Fidelity Cash Management/Bank-like accounts: Some cash management accounts are linked to brokerage; holdings are usually in an underlying brokerage account. Confirm custody before selling.
• Fidelity Stock Plan Services / NetBenefits: Employer equity (restricted stock units, vested shares from an ESPP, or option exercises) are often held in NetBenefits or the stock plan account before distribution. Selling from stock-plan accounts can require additional steps (distribution, tax-withholding election, or sell requests) and may be subject to employer-imposed blackout periods.

Why this matters: rules for selling, tax-withholding, blackout restrictions, and available sell methods (immediate market order vs. internal sell request) depend on which account holds the shares.

Before you sell — checks and preparation

Answer these questions before you try to sell. They prevent failed orders, tax surprises, and delays.

• Are the shares available to sell? Confirm that shares are settled and not pending a distribution. For stock-plan shares, some issuances are held in suspense or subject to vesting schedules and employer blackouts.
• Are there employer-imposed restrictions? NetBenefits or your company’s stock plan may impose blackout windows around earnings, M&A, or other events. Attempting to sell during a blackout will fail.
• What is your holding period? Short-term (<1 year) vs long-term (>=1 year) affects capital gains rates. If timing matters for taxes, check the vesting/exercise date and purchase date.
• What is your cost basis for the lots you plan to sell? Accurate cost-basis tracking matters for 1099-B reporting and tax calculations. Decide if you’ll use FIFO, specific-lot, or other available methods.
• Are there tax-withholding or distribution rules? Stock-plan distributions sometimes require tax withholding at sale/transfer; review NetBenefits prompts.
• Do you need proceeds immediately? Settlement timing determines when funds are available to withdraw or use for other trades.
• What are market hours and liquidity? Review exchange hours and consider pre-market or after-hours orders; note price volatility can be higher outside regular hours.
• Are you on margin or do you have unsettled buys? Selling to cover a margin call or unsettled purchase has additional rules and may trigger restrictions.

Takeaway: spending a few minutes on these checks reduces the chance of errors or surprises when you sell. This preparation is central to understanding how do i sell my stock on fidelity safely and efficiently.

Ways to place a sell order

You can sell shares at Fidelity through several routes. Choose the one that fits your urgency, complexity, and account type.

• Fidelity.com (desktop web): Full-featured trade ticket with advanced order options.
• Fidelity mobile app: Fast access with the same order types in most cases — convenient for on-the-go trading.
• NetBenefits / Stock Plan Services: For employer shares, follow the stock-plan workflow to create a sell or distribution request.
• Phone / assisted trade: Use Fidelity’s customer service for complex, large, or restricted trades. Assisted trades may incur fees.

Below are step-by-step workflows for each method.

Fidelity.com (desktop web) — step-by-step

1. Sign in to your Fidelity account and confirm you’re on a secure network. Use two-factor authentication when available.
2. From your account dashboard, select the brokerage or retirement account that holds the shares you want to sell.
3. Open the "Trade" ticket (often a button labeled Trade or Trade/Orders).
4. In the trade ticket, enter the symbol (ticker) for the stock or ETF you want to sell. Verify the name and ticker match.
5. Set the action to: Sell.
6. Choose the quantity: number of shares or dollar amount (if fractional shares are supported in your account type). Some retirement accounts don’t support fractional shares.
7. Select the order type: market, limit, stop, or stop-limit. Choose time-in-force (Day, GTC, etc.).
8. (Optional) Advanced settings: routing preferences, all-or-none requests, or specific-lot selection depending on the ticket and account.
9. Review estimated proceeds, fees, and cost-basis impact. The ticket usually displays estimated proceeds for market orders and estimated fill prices for limit orders.
10. Submit the order and confirm any OTP or additional authentication prompts.
11. Track the order in the Orders/History section. You’ll get trade confirmations once executed.

Tips: Use limit orders if you need price control. For large orders, check average daily volume and consider working the order to avoid market impact.

Fidelity mobile app — step-by-step

1. Open the Fidelity mobile app and sign in securely.
2. Navigate to Accounts and pick the account containing the position you want to sell.
3. Go to Positions or Holdings, tap the stock you want to sell, and choose Sell.
4. Enter the number of shares or dollar amount (if supported).
5. Select order type (Market, Limit, Stop, etc.) and time-in-force.
6. Review estimated proceeds, fees, and confirm tax lot or cost-basis choices if prompted.
7. Submit the order and complete any biometric/OTP authentication.
8. Monitor order status in the Orders tab. Push notifications often alert you to fills.

The mobile app mirrors most desktop functionality but keeps the UI compact for quick execution.

NetBenefits / Stock Plan Services (employee equity)

Selling shares held by your employer’s plan is different from selling shares in a retail brokerage account.

• Vested vs. distributed: If shares are vested but not distributed to a brokerage account, you may need to request a distribution or sell request inside NetBenefits. Some plans allow direct sell-to-cover or same-day sales within the plan.
• Initiate a sell request: Log in to NetBenefits, find the stock plan section, and follow the prompts to sell vested shares. You may be asked to elect withholding, choose a broker, or indicate direction of proceeds (deposit to brokerage or transfer to bank).
• Employer restrictions: Blackout windows or administrative holds can prevent selling. The NetBenefits interface will often show whether trading is allowed.
• Tax withholding: For taxable events (e.g., RSU vesting), NetBenefits often withholds taxes automatically; when you sell, confirm the withholding election.
• Transfer to brokerage: You may elect to transfer shares to a Fidelity brokerage account before selling. Transfers can take several business days, and settlement rules apply once shares arrive in brokerage.

If you encounter a workflow labeled "Sell Now" or "Sell on Distribution" inside NetBenefits, follow those steps carefully — they typically walk you through withholding, proceeds routing, and tax consequences.

Phone and assisted trades

When to call: complex orders (options combos with stock leg), bank or account identity issues, very large blocks of stock, or trades affected by court/regulatory holds.

• Fidelity offers assisted trading via phone. Expect verification steps to confirm identity and account permissions.
• Fees: Broker-assisted trades may carry a fee. Confirm the fee before execution.
• Execution: The representative can place the order on your behalf and will provide an order number and confirmation once completed.

Assisted trades are useful when human judgment is needed, but they’re less immediate than an online market order and may cost extra.

Order types and execution details

Choosing the right order type balances speed, certainty, and price control.

• Market order: Executes as quickly as possible at the prevailing market price. Good for highly liquid stocks when you prioritize speed. Risk: price slippage, especially in fast markets or low-liquidity names.
• Limit order: Sets a minimum acceptable sale price (for sells). The order executes only at or above that limit price. Good for price control but no guarantee of execution.
• Stop (stop-loss) order: Becomes a market order when the stop price is hit. Useful to limit losses but converts to a market order — price may differ from stop.
• Stop-limit order: Becomes a limit order when the stop price is hit. Useful when you want the stop trigger but only want execution within a price range.

Explain tradeoffs: Market orders favor speed, limit orders favor price. Use limit orders when selling illiquid or volatile securities to avoid unexpected fills.

Time in force

• Day: Order expires at the end of the trading day if not filled.
• Good-Til-Canceled (GTC): Persists across days until filled or canceled (Fidelity typically sets a maximum GTC duration; verify current limits on Fidelity.com).
• Immediate-or-Cancel (IOC)/Fill-or-Kill (FOK): Certain specialized TIFs may be available for advanced traders.

Select the TIF that matches your trading horizon and risk tolerance.

Routing and execution

Fidelity routes orders to execution venues to seek best execution. The final execution price can differ from the quoted price due to market movements between order placement and fill. Retail routing practices aim to achieve competitive execution, but exact routes can change over time based on liquidity and venue performance.

As you learn how do i sell my stock on fidelity, remember that routing and execution quality are part of the broker’s duty but are influenced by market conditions.

Selling specific tax lots and cost-basis methods

Tax-lot selection affects your realized gain/loss. Fidelity offers methods to control which lots you sell when you have multiple purchase dates.

• FIFO (first in, first out): Default for many platforms. Older lots are sold first unless you choose otherwise.
• Specific Identification (Specific-lot): Lets you pick exact lots by purchase date, cost, or holding period. Good for tax optimization (e.g., selling high-cost lots to minimize gains or choosing long-term lots to qualify for favorable rates).
• Highest-cost or Lowest-cost: Some systems let you automatically choose highest or lowest cost first.
• Short-term or Long-term preference: Useful to manage tax rate outcomes.

How to select: On the trade ticket, choose lot selection or cost-basis method before submitting. If you fail to specify, your account may use FIFO by default. After execution, cost-basis reporting to the IRS will reflect the method applied at the time of sale.

Recordkeeping: Keep purchase confirmations and basis adjustments handy for audits. Fidelity reports cost basis on Form 1099-B for taxable accounts but ensure that any corrected or split lots are reconciled.

Fees, commissions, and charges

• Online U.S. stock and ETF trades: As of 2025-12-01, according to Fidelity’s fee disclosures, online trades for U.S. stocks and ETFs are typically commission-free. Verify current fee schedules in your account.
• Broker-assisted trades: May have a per-trade fee for phone-assisted or special handling.
• Regulatory and exchange fees: Small pass-through fees (e.g., regulatory trading fees) may appear on confirmations.
• Stock-plan fees: NetBenefits or stock-plan services may have account maintenance or transaction fees for certain actions (transfer, certificate issuance, accelerated withdrawal). Check plan documents or NetBenefits for fee schedules.

Always verify the current fee schedule in your Fidelity account because fees and promos can change over time.

Settlement, proceeds, and withdrawing cash

Settlement period: For U.S. equities, settlement is commonly T+2 (trade date plus two business days), but practices can change. As of 2025-12-01, Fidelity’s help materials indicate that most U.S. stock and ETF trades settle on a T+2 basis.

• Proceeds availability: After settlement, funds are available to withdraw or transfer. Some brokers allow provisional credit sooner for margin customers.
• Restrictions: Selling shares and attempting to withdraw proceeds before settlement in a cash account can trigger a good-faith or free-riding violation if you use unsettled proceeds to buy other securities.
• Margin accounts: If you sell in a margin account, proceeds may post immediately as available margin but keep in mind that margin activity has separate rules.
• Withdrawals: Link and verify your bank account in advance. Withdrawals via ACH typically take 1–3 business days after you initiate them.
• Transferring positions: If you decide to move cash or holdings to another broker (noting policy: this guide avoids naming alternative platforms), account transfer forms and ACAT transfers may take several business days and could incur transfer fees.

Plan accordingly: If you need cash for a purchase or bill, factor settlement timing into your planning when you look into how do i sell my stock on fidelity.

Tax reporting and recordkeeping

• Form 1099-B: Fidelity reports sales of taxable securities on Form 1099-B for each calendar year.
• Cost basis reporting: Fidelity reports cost basis for covered securities (acquired after certain dates) but you must verify the basis for plan-issued shares or foreign purchases.
• Wash sale rules: Be aware of wash-sale rules if you sell at a loss and buy substantially identical securities within 30 days before or after the sale. Wash sales can disallow current loss recognition and adjust basis.
• Long-term vs short-term: Holding period determines classification on your tax return; Fidelity’s transaction history and trade confirmations provide the dates to calculate holding periods.

Keep confirmations and records for at least several years. If you use tax software, import Fidelity’s tax documents or manually reconcile to your records.

Common problems and troubleshooting

Here are frequent issues when selling and suggested steps to resolve them.

• Order not filled or partially filled: For limit orders, price may not be met. Consider adjusting the limit or converting to a market order if execution is urgent.
• Trading halts: Exchange halts can freeze trading. Monitor news or your account messages for resume notices and relax — you cannot force a trade during a halt.
• Market volatility / price slippage: Large market moves between submission and execution can produce fills far from the expected price. Use limit orders to control price or break a large order into smaller chunks.
• Account holds/verification delays: Funding or identity holds can prevent trading. Complete outstanding verifications and contact customer support for exact status.
• Stock-plan blackout: Check NetBenefits or speak to your HR/Plan Administrator to understand blackout windows and the reason for the hold.
• Incorrect cost basis: If you think cost basis is wrong, reconcile your purchase confirmations and contact Fidelity to correct the lot-level data before tax reporting cutoff dates.

When in doubt, contact Fidelity customer service or the NetBenefits help desk for stock-plan questions. For complicated tax or legal concerns, consult a qualified tax advisor — this guide does not provide tax advice.

Security and best practices

• Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication for your Fidelity account.
• Use limit orders for better price control, especially in low-liquidity securities.
• Avoid trading impulsively during extreme market events; execute orders in smaller tranches if managing market impact is important.
• Review trade confirmations and account statements regularly to detect unauthorized trades promptly.
• When dealing with stock-plan sales and tax elections, download and archive confirmations and withholding statements for your records.
• If you use Web3 or crypto alongside securities, secure keys in a hardware or reputable custody solution. For wallet recommendations, consider Bitget Wallet for secure key management and compatibility with decentralized applications.

Security and careful pre-trade checks make the process of how do i sell my stock on fidelity smoother and safer.

Examples and sample workflows

Below are short, practical examples that show the steps in action.

Example A — Placing a market sell for 100 shares on desktop

1. Log in to Fidelity.com and select your taxable brokerage account.
2. Click Trade, enter ticker (e.g., XYZ), set Action = Sell.
3. Quantity = 100 shares; Order Type = Market; Time-in-Force = Day.
4. Review estimated proceeds, then Submit and confirm authentication.
5. Monitor Orders; a market order typically fills quickly during market hours.

Example B — Placing a limit sell on the mobile app

1. Open the Fidelity app, go to Holdings, tap ABC stock, choose Sell.
2. Enter quantity = 25 shares, Order Type = Limit, Limit Price = $50.00, Time-in-Force = GTC.
3. Review and Submit. The order will only execute at $50.00 or better.

Example C — Submitting a stock-plan sell request via NetBenefits

1. Log in to NetBenefits and open the Stock Plan section.
2. Locate vested shares, choose Sell or Sell-to-Cover depending on the event.
3. Follow prompts to elect tax withholding, select destination for proceeds (brokerage or bank), and confirm.
4. If shares need to be transferred to a brokerage account first, request the distribution and monitor arrival before initiating a separate sell in the brokerage account.

These examples highlight the common paths users take when they wonder how do i sell my stock on fidelity.

Additional resources and official Fidelity references

For the most current, account-specific guidance, consult Fidelity’s official help pages and NetBenefits resources. Verify fee schedules, settlement rules, and service phone numbers in your account portal or official documentation.

Helpful topic areas to search inside Fidelity’s help center: "How to trade stocks and ETFs", "Fidelity trading ticket", "Stock Plan Services — selling shares", and "Fidelity cost basis reporting".

As of 2025-12-01, according to Fidelity help documentation, online U.S. stock and ETF trades commonly incur zero commission for retail online orders, and Form 1099-B is used for reporting sales to tax authorities. Check your account notices for updates.

See also

• How to buy stocks on Fidelity
• Tax lot methods and cost-basis selection
• Order types explained (market, limit, stop)
• Fidelity account types and retirement-account rules
• Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) selling rules

Common questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I sell fractional shares on Fidelity? A: Fractional share selling depends on the account type and whether the security supports fractional trading. Check the trade ticket; it will indicate if fractional amounts are accepted.

Q: How long does it take to transfer shares from NetBenefits to my brokerage? A: Transfers depend on plan mechanics and internal processing; allow several business days and verify the status in NetBenefits. Once shares arrive in brokerage, standard settlement rules apply.

Q: If I sell during pre-market hours, what should I expect? A: Pre-market liquidity is usually lower and price volatility higher. Some order types may not be available, and pre- or post-market orders may have limited routing/execution options.

Notes and disclaimers

• Platform interfaces, fee schedules, and settlement rules change. Always verify current procedures, fees, and trading rules in your Fidelity account or by contacting Fidelity directly.
• This guide synthesizes publicly available Fidelity help materials and common brokerage practices to explain how do i sell my stock on fidelity. It is educational in nature and not investment, tax, or legal advice.
• For tax-specific or legal questions about your trades, consult a qualified tax advisor or attorney.

Further exploration: If you’d like, I can expand any step-by-step section into a screenshot-style walkthrough (desktop or mobile), produce a printable checklist for selling shares on Fidelity, or summarize the exact current Fidelity help pages and customer-service phone numbers for you to reference in your account materials.

Next steps: Ready to sell? Review the prep checklist, confirm account and lot information, and choose the route (desktop, mobile, or NetBenefits) that fits your situation. For web3 custody or crypto needs, consider Bitget Wallet for secure management alongside your securities activity.