What to do when a Computershare account holder dies

Notify Computershare of the death or start the online Estate Hub, which walks executors and other representatives through the steps. Computershare provides a Deceased Shareholder Transfer Request form for the specific company. Complete it, attach the required documents (a copy of the death certificate and a certified copy of the will or notarized small estate documentation), sign it with a medallion signature guarantee, include a completed Form W-9, and mail the package to Computershare.

A medallion signature guarantee is a stamp that certifies the signature on a securities transfer. Computershare requires it on a deceased-shareholder transfer form. Get it from a qualified financial institution in the medallion program, such as a bank, credit union, or US stockbroker; you can find a participant at msglookup.com. A notary seal is not accepted in place of a medallion.

For a transfer from a deceased shareholder's account, Computershare asks for a copy of the death certificate and a certified copy of the will, or small estate documentation (which must be notarized). When an executor or administrator signs, the request must include evidence of appointment and authority, such as court-issued letters. Missing or incorrect documents are the most common reason a transfer is rejected.

Shares registered jointly with right of survivorship (the registration reads "and," not "or") pass to the surviving joint holder at death. Shares with a Transfer on Death (TOD) beneficiary pass to that beneficiary outside probate. TOD accounts follow a different, personalized process, so the representative calls the company-specific shareholder line to get the correct TOD transfer form rather than the standard deceased-shareholder packet.

Yes. A directly registered account can be re-registered into the name of a revocable living trust, or carry a Transfer on Death beneficiary that passes the shares outside probate. Both changes are made on a Computershare transfer or enrollment form and may require a medallion signature guarantee; a trust registration also requires trust certification or an attorney certification letter dated within 60 days.