Step 1: Contact the institution that will receive your assets.

This will likely be your brokerage, and the customer-service folks there will be eager to help you out with this, so don’t be shy about asking for whatever assistance you might need. The most you should have to do is fill out some forms to establish the account.

Step 2: Contact the institution that will transfer your assets.

Since this is your old employer’s plan provider, and you’re basically giving them the boot, it might not be quite as pleasant an experience as dealing with your new institution. Again, don’t be shy about asking your new institution for any help they can provide in smoothing the process. Although this is mostly on you, the folks at your new institution may be willing to give some guidance or even place a three-way call to make sure everything’s running smoothly.

Step 3: Sit back and relax.

Once the paperwork is completed and delivered, your old plan’s provider will write a check to the new brokerage, which will deposit it into your rollover IRA. The process should only take about a month, and once the money appears in your account, you’ll be ready to take an active role in your retirement funds with this tax-favored investment vehicle.

Most people change jobs many times before they retire - 10 to 12 times on average. Don’t let yourself be one of the people who has a mess of balances floating around, or cashes out crucial pieces of their nest egg. Consolidating all those balances into a rollover IRA is a simple step that gives you manageability and an array of options - and preserves all the tax benefits of 401(k) investments to boot.