Tracing Shares

[mrtennisball]

A relative of mine dies recently and I've been told he had a number of shares in a number of companies. Is there a way to verify this? I should add I don't know the names of any of the companies.

Many thanks,

Carl

[Old_Geezer]

Having no idea which companies will not help.

This any use : http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-1609147/Tracking-down-lost-shares.html

[EDDIE51]

Whoever is dealing with the will, will have to find the certificates and sell the shares so that the money is added to the estate. No way for you to find out what shares he had.

[Peter Pedant]

erm Eddie - the executor usually doesnt sell/ trade in shares but often is given the power to....but would have to know what is what for probate purposes. The value for probate by the way is the share price on the day of death so buy a Times or FT soonest...

and the issue then lies with the beneficiaries
who can fill out a form costing a few quid - once they know what shares they are

[Canary42]

If the Company pays out a dividend then I understand that at the payout date a tax certificate should be sent to all shareholders (and a cheque unless shareholder has elected to have it paid straight into a bank account) so at least some of the Companies should emerge over the next year, provided the Companies have the right address. This is for paper certificated shares, I'm not sure whether it works under the CREST system.

[Peter Pedant]

If there is automatic pay in to his account
which of course should be frozen
( unlikely if he is old )
then it will be bounced -and the company may just er keep it

My mothers treasury consols 3 1/2% which matured around her death
I found the certificate in her erm personal telephone directory (!!) five years later and the BoE took the view that failure to cash in bonds was nothing to do with them and certainly not worth a first reminder !