Fidelity 401(k) Retirement Account Problem: Payroll Contribution, Employer Match, or Balance Discrepancy

If you've ever opened Fidelity NetBenefits and thought, "Wait-where's my contribution?" or "Why isn't my employer match showing up?" you're not alone - 888-684 ☏ 9487 While Fidelity administers the workplace plans, the money flow depends on your employer's payroll system, plan rules, and Fidelity's posting schedule. Most Fidelity 401(k) retirement account issues boil down to three things:

1. **Payroll contribution not posted yet (or posted to the wrong bucket)

2. **Timing or calculation of employer match not as expected

3. **A balance discrepancy between paystub, NetBenefits, and investment value

Now, let's break down each with what the real-world mechanics are and the fastest path to resolution.

1. Issues of Payroll Contribution in Fidelity NetBenefits

What you might see

• Your paystub reflects a 401(k) deduction, but NetBenefits balance didn't increase.

• Contributions appear as “pending” or show up late.

• You changed your deferral rate, but payroll or Fidelity didn't reflect it.

Why it happens

A payroll contribution undergoes several steps in its pipeline:

Paycheck withholding → employer transmits contribution file + funds → Fidelity posts deposit → investments buy shares.

If any one of those steps is delayed, the participant's NetBenefits account will look "wrong" temporarily. This is where fidelity sponsor guidance and IRS/DOL rules remind us that employers should deposit elective deferrals as soon as reasonably segregated from company assets, and common "15th business day of next month" language is not a safe harbor. In practice, many employers do deposit within a few business days following payday, but batching is common.

Typical timelines

• Normal window: about **3–7 business days after payday ** for the deposit to show.
• Longer windows: holidays, employer batching, payroll errors, or a new enrollment cycle.

How to Troubleshoot Fast

1. **Check “Activity / Transactions,” not only balance.
   Sometimes deposits post, but investments haven't executed yet, so your balance looks unchanged.

2. **Confirm contribution type.
   Fidelity segregates pre-tax, Roth, after-tax, rollover, and employer sources. A deposit may land in a different bucket than you expect.

3. **Confirm your election with HR/payroll.

If payroll didn't update your deferral rate, then Fidelity can't post what it never receives.

4. **If it's been 10+ business days:

Ask HR if the payroll file/funds were sent to Fidelity. If so, call NetBenefits and request a deposit trace with exact pay date and dollar amount.

2. Employer Match Issues: Missing Match, Lower Match, or True-Up Confusion

What you might see

• Absolutely not the slightest.

• Match is smaller than expected.

• Match posts once a year rather than per paycheck.
  You maxed early and think you missed match

Why it happens

Employer matching is controlled wholly and completely by your plan document. As Fidelity relates, a 401(k) match is an employer contribution that matches your deferrals, but the formula and schedule for the match can vary significantly.

Common plan designs include:

• Per-paycheck match: employer matches each payroll deposit.
• Monthly or quarterly match: deposits are batched.
• Annual match / true-up: employer reconciles at year-end to ensure you got the full amount of the match.

A true-up matters if you front-load contributions or change your % during the year. Without a true-up, someone who maxes out early could miss matching money later in the year. With a true-up, the employer makes an extra deposit after year-end to “catch you up.”

How to Troubleshoot Match Issues

1. **Read your plan's match schedule in NetBenefits.

Look for terms such as "per pay period," "monthly," or "annual true-up." (Usually in Summary Plan Description or plan details.)

2. **Verify eligibility rules.

Some plans require a waiting period or minimum hours before match begins.

3. **Compare based on eligible compensation.
   Plans may define compensation differently (e.g., base pay only versus bonus/OT included). Errors will occur if payroll uses the wrong comp definition.

4. **If you think match was missed:

Bring in paystubs and contribution history to HR. If HR confirms match should have posted, Fidelity can investigate against employer files.

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3. Discrepancy in Balance: Why NetBenefits Doesn’t Match Your Math
What you might see

• Paystubs show more contributed YTD than NetBenefits.

• NetBenefits shows contributions correctly, but total account value seems off.

• You expected a higher balance after a market move.

Why it happens

A Fidelity 401(k) balance is a combination of:

Contribution - Employee and Employer

• Investment performance
• Timing of share purchases
• **Plan fees or loan activity
  The most common causes are:
  **A) Posting lag vs. paystub timing
  While payroll often reports YTD deductions immediately, Fidelity reflects these only when funds arrive and post.

B) Investments buy at different prices

Your contribution might post on a Tuesday but invest at Wednesday's market price, changing the share count that you expected.

C) Source buckets are easily misread

Roth vs pre-tax contributions live in separate lines; your “total contributions” view might exclude employer money unless you expand sources.

D) Fees, loans, or trading restrictions
Administrative fees or loan repayments can make for small deltas relative to simple “deduction × time” math.

How to Reconcile a Discrepancy

1. **Line up dates first.

Compare each pay date with the matching Fidelity deposit date.

2. **Use contribution totals, not market value.

Confirm Fidelity’s “Employee contributions YTD” matches payroll YTD once all deposits are posted.

3. **Check the timing of employer matching.

If match is monthly/annual, your paystub math will look "short" between deposits.

4. If a true mismatch exists:

Export the transaction history or screenshot the list of contributions and send it to HR + Fidelity for a fix.

When to Escalate

Escalate rapidly if:

• Payroll deductions are missing >10 business days after payday. * Employer match is wrong and HR confirms your eligibility/comp. * Your transaction history shows deposits that payroll cannot explain. Fidelity workplace support can review deposit files, but your employer is the only one who can correct payroll elections.

Fidelity Sponsor –- Fidelity 401(k) Payroll, Match, and Balance Issues FAQ

Q1. How long does it take for payroll contributions to show up in Fidelity NetBenefits? Commonly 3–7 business days after payday, depending on your employer’s transmission schedule. Longer delays can happen around holidays or batching.

Q2. I have a 401(k) deduction on my paystub but Fidelity reflects nothing. What should I do? First check NetBenefits “Activity/Transactions.” If nothing appears after ~10 business days, contact HR to confirm the deposit was sent, then call Fidelity for a deposit trace.

**Q3. Are employers required to deposit 401(k) deferrals immediately? They must deposit funds as soon as reasonably possible after withholding. The “15th business day of next month” is not a safe harbor; many plans deposit much sooner.

**Q4. Why is my employer match missing? Most often due to match timing - monthly/quarterly/annual - or eligibility rules. Your plan document controls the schedule.

Q5. What is 401(k) true-up, and does Fidelity do it automatically? A true-up is an additional, year-end employer contribution. This ensures you get the full match even if you maxed early or changed your rates. Fidelity posts it when it's funded by the employer, though not all plans have true-ups.

**Q6. My match appears to be less than the formula in my benefits guide. Why? Possible reasons: match applies only to eligible compensation, caps per pay period, or you changed contribution rates mid-year. Payroll errors in comp definitions can also reduce match.

Q7. Why doesn’t my 401(k) balance equal contributions plus growth I expected? Because deposits invest on specific dates at real market prices, and balances include employer timing, fees, and loan activity. First, compare contributions by pay date, then market value.

**Q8. Who fixes what—Fidelity or my employer? * Employer/HR fixes: eligibility, payroll rate, comp definitions, sending deposits. * Fidelity fixes: posting errors after funds are received, transaction visibility, plan-level account troubleshooting. 

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