What is a Transfer Agent?

A transfer agent is a third party financial institution that is appointed by a corporation, mutual fund or other organization to act as the master securityholder recordkeeping agent and perform any transactions that may affect the securities and/or shareholders for that company. Transfer agents primary tasks include the issuance and cancellation of stock/security certificates, stock splits for the organization, and other shareholder account maintenance items.

Transfer agents may also perform the following functions:

Find the transfer agent for your stock

In many cases, you can find the transfer agent for a certain company or stock by searching the company on OTCmarkets.com and selecting the Company Info tab for that company. You may also want to visit the company's investor relations' website, call the company directly, or ask your broker. You can also search the company's previous SEC filings at SEC EDGAR Company Search.