Old Stock Certificates
Have you found some old, long-forgotten stock certificates? Can’t find any
information about the company named on the certificate? Don’t give up yet! It
may still be in operation but operating under a different name. This could be
due to a merger or simply because of a change in the corporate name.
- Verify if the company is traded on an exchange. If not, contact the transfer
agent shown on the front of the certificate. If that is not successful, try to
contact the company directly.
- The next option would be to contact the Secretary of State in which the company
was incorporated. The Corporations Division may be able to provide information
on the status of the company.
- Research on your own. A good resource is The Robert D. Fisher Manuals of
Valuable and Worthless Securities which shows active, little-known, dormant
and inactive corporations, and those that have been reorganized, merged,
liquidated or dissolved; corporations that have lost their charters, and
information establishing the year the securities became worthless.
Also, you can find many resources on the internet. Listed are just two of the
numerous sites to choose from:
R.M. Smythe - Stock & Bond Research and
The Investment FAQ Fax, e-mail the scanned certificate
or mail us a copy of the front of the certificate and we will assist in the
research. Remember to retain your original certificate.
Transferring Ownership of Inherited Stock
The death of a loved one is a traumatic experience that is often compounded by a
lack of knowledge about changes that must be made to financial accounts. Contact
the transfer agent shown on the certificate now for information on
re-registering assets and keep this with other important financial documents. Be
prepared to supply the agent with the death certificate, affidavit of domicile,
stock power and current court appointment.
Disclaimer
The West Virginia Securities Commission uses links to other Web sites for the
convenience of the user. Whenever you click on links provided, you are leaving
the West Virginia Securities Commission and entering an external site. The
Security Commission cannot attest to the accuracy of the information provided by
the external linked sites, nor does the Securities Commission endorse any
products or information obtained from these external sites.