Take the stock certificates and the documents to a financial institution, such as a bank or brokerage firm, that participates in the Medallion Stamp Program. An authorized bank official must witness your signature on the transfer of ownership form and on the stock certificates.

Is a stock certificate a security?

Code §§ 8102(a)(4) & (18). A “securities certificate” means a certificate representing a security, it is not the security itself.

How are stock certificates transferred?

In order to cash in the stock, you need to fill out the transfer form on the back of the certificate and have it notarized. Once complete, send the notarized certificate to the transfer agent, who will register the stock to you as owner.

How do I transfer stock certificates after death?

To facilitate a transfer, the executor will need a copy of the decedent’s will or a letter from the probate court confirming that the beneficiary in question is indeed the person entitled to receive the shares. The executor must then send these documents to a transfer agent, who can complete the transfer of ownership.

Where can I Sell my inherited stock certificate?

Stock certificates are registered with the transfer agent that handles securities transactions for the company that issued the stock. If you are the person who inherited the stock, how you handle transferring ownership and selling the shares depends on whether the shares have to go through probate.

What do you need to know about a share certificate?

An investor is issued a share certificate also known as a stock certificate when they buy shares of a publicly-traded company. The share certificate serves as a receipt for the stock purchase. The certificate includes important details about the investor’s stock ownership such as the number of shares purchased.

How is inherited stock valued by tax accountants?

Inherited stock, unlike gifted securities, is not valued at its original cost basis –a term used by tax accountants to describe the original value of an asset. When an individual inherits a stock,…

Where can I find the cost basis of inherited stock?

If the decedent’s estate executor filed an estate tax return, use the value of shares reported on the tax return as your cost basis for the inherited stock. If no estate tax return was filed, you can find the stock’s closing price on the date of death through historical share price information on Yahoo Finance and Google Finance.