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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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