If a transfer agent or brokerage asks for a medallion signature guarantee, a notary stamp won’t do. Medallion guarantees come from banks, credit unions and brokerages enrolled in a medallion program, and the guarantor takes on financial liability if the signature turns out to be forged. A notary only verifies identity.
We get this call from executors and successor trustees all over the Westside, often after a stock transfer form came back rejected. Here’s how to avoid that.
Where to get a medallion guarantee
- Your own bank or credit union, if it participates. Many will only guarantee for existing customers.
- The brokerage receiving the shares. If you’re moving shares into an account there, ask them first.
- Call ahead. Ask whether the branch has someone authorized that day, and what documents they want to see. Estate transfers often need letters testamentary, a death certificate or a trust certification.
Read the transfer agent’s written instructions closely. They say exactly which signature they need guaranteed and what has to go with it.
Where a notary still comes in
Estate paperwork often needs both. A transfer agent may want a medallion on the stock power and a notarized affidavit of domicile or small estate declaration in the same package. Common notarized pieces include:
- An affidavit of domicile, when the transfer agent’s form has a notary section
- A trustee’s certification of trust
- A small estate affidavit, where the institution asks for one notarized
- Affidavits for out-of-state or foreign accounts
We can notarize those at your home or your office in Century City, so you can bring them to the bank with everything else. Our medallion signature guarantee page explains the difference in more detail.
A quick order of operations
- Get the transfer agent’s instructions and forms.
- Gather certified death certificates and court or trust papers.
- Get any forms with a notary section notarized.
- Take the whole package to the bank for the medallion.
We’re not attorneys and can’t advise on probate or who has authority to sign. An estate attorney can help with that.
Need a notary? We come to you anywhere in Los Angeles County, 24/7 by appointment. Book online or call (424) 484-9268.