MTL
Mechel PAO
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We keep all our accounts (including our CMA account) in virtually permanent MTL lockdown. It doesn't prevent any transactions that would normally involve your CMA. Everything you mention above is going to be handled as normal even with MTL enabled on the account.
There is really very little that MTL actually blocks. There have been discussions and suggestions about adding an option to have MTL block ACH direct debits on a specific Fidelity accounts. But right now, it doesn't. That is the normal mechanism that most businesses use to pull their payments from your account. While many people would like to be able to protect their brokerage accounts from ACH direct debits, I believe universally blocking ACH direct debits would absolutely kill CMA (replace your bank) accounts.
While MTL is turned on:
1) You cannot INITIATE a new Wire or ACATS transfers that would pull funds or investments from the account. Fidelity will not honor any WIRE or ACATS requests that they receive from outside while MTL is turned on.
2) ACH tranfers: When connected to Fidelity, you are not allowed to initiate the movement of any assets from this account to any other internal or external account. However, you can go to any other FI and initiate an ACH pull (direct debit) that will withdraw funds from this account even with MTL turned on. I believe that is still true on setting up "new" direct debits but I don't know for sure. Previously scheduled/repeating transfers are processed normally even with MTL turned on.
3) Scheduling new payments (both electronic or via check) in BillPay or write checks as normal with MTL turned on. It is probably an oversight but Fidelity does not allow me to request a QCD check be written by Fidelity while MTL is enabled on the account. Probably because Fidelity regards a QCD as a transfer rather than a payment.
4) MTL does not affect ATM transactions at all.

No, I have not had any problems with the MTL and really appreciate how it works. But that does bring up one other question. If I need to turn off MTL to make a transfer am I going to have any problems as I will be 2 weeks in Mexico and then 2 months traveling Europe, (Turkey, Croatia, then England, Spain, Italy and France, etc.). I have T-Mobile here in the US and I will use their international plan that connects to local cell companies, will connecting from overseas and making changes be a cause of concern? Thanks for all the help.

Great follow-up question!
The Money Transfer Lockdown (MTL) won't affect any trading activity or the recurring plans you have set up on your accounts. However, please keep in mind that the MTL feature cannot be added or modified once it is enabled on the account.
Have you had any concerns using the feature before?

TOA is transfer of assets.
The Fidelity lock people are talking about is called Money Transfer Lockdown, or MTL.

We keep all our accounts (including our CMA account) in virtually permanent MTL lockdown. It doesn't prevent any transactions that would normally involve your CMA. Everything you mention above is going to be handled as normal even with MTL enabled on the account.
There is really very little that MTL actually blocks. There have been discussions and suggestions about adding an option to have MTL block ACH direct debits on a specific Fidelity accounts. But right now, it doesn't. That is the normal mechanism that most businesses use to pull their payments from your account. While many people would like to be able to protect their brokerage accounts from ACH direct debits, I believe universally blocking ACH direct debits would absolutely kill CMA (replace your bank) accounts.
While MTL is turned on:
1) You cannot INITIATE a new Wire or ACATS transfers that would pull funds or investments from the account. Fidelity will not honor any WIRE or ACATS requests that they receive from outside while MTL is turned on.
2) ACH tranfers: When connected to Fidelity, you are not allowed to initiate the movement of any assets from this account to any other internal or external account. However, you can go to any other FI and initiate an ACH pull (direct debit) that will withdraw funds from this account even with MTL turned on. I believe that is still true on setting up "new" direct debits but I don't know for sure. Previously scheduled/repeating transfers are processed normally even with MTL turned on.
3) Scheduling new payments (both electronic or via check) in BillPay or write checks as normal with MTL turned on. It is probably an oversight but Fidelity does not allow me to request a QCD check be written by Fidelity while MTL is enabled on the account. Probably because Fidelity regards a QCD as a transfer rather than a payment.
4) MTL does not affect ATM transactions at all.

No, I have not had any problems with the MTL and really appreciate how it works. But that does bring up one other question. If I need to turn off MTL to make a transfer am I going to have any problems as I will be 2 weeks in Mexico and then 2 months traveling Europe, (Turkey, Croatia, then England, Spain, Italy and France, etc.). I have T-Mobile here in the US and I will use their international plan that connects to local cell companies, will connecting from overseas and making changes be a cause of concern? Thanks for all the help.

Great follow-up question!
The Money Transfer Lockdown (MTL) won't affect any trading activity or the recurring plans you have set up on your accounts. However, please keep in mind that the MTL feature cannot be added or modified once it is enabled on the account.
Have you had any concerns using the feature before?

TOA is transfer of assets.
The Fidelity lock people are talking about is called Money Transfer Lockdown, or MTL.