I found a stock certificate for Curtiss-Wright from 1979, and it was titled to my late father-in-law.
I reached out to Broadridge Financial (the current transfer agent for Curtiss-Wright), and they said they couldn’t locate an account for the certificate. They told me to contact AST Financial, who was their transfer agent before 2012.
So, I called AST Financial, and they said to go back to Broadridge. It’s like I’m stuck in this back-and-forth loop with no clear answers.
Broadridge is probably the right place to start, but you might need to dig deeper. Have you tried contacting Curtiss-Wright’s investor relations? They could guide you better.
FYI, sometimes shares get converted to electronic ownership and sold, which could explain the lack of records. But usually, when that happens, the paper certificate would need to be surrendered. If no one can give you a clear answer, like when or if the shares were sold, keep pressing Broadridge. It might just take a bit more effort to trace the ownership.
You might want to check your state’s unclaimed property division. If they couldn’t find your father-in-law, the funds could’ve been surrendered to the state.
Jem said:
You might want to check your state’s unclaimed property division. If they couldn’t find your father-in-law, the funds could’ve been surrendered to the state.
I already tried that, but nothing came up. Thanks for the suggestion though!
Take the CUSIP number on the certificate and go back to AST. Ask them politely to review their old records. Either AST or Broadridge should be able to trace whether the shares were redeemed or not based on the CUSIP.
Levi said: @Holt
Wait, really? How can you tell? I’m genuinely curious!
You can usually tell because they make vague, irrelevant comments or post too quickly after a thread starts. Some bots are getting better at blending in, though.