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Where to start? Only know name of stocks and amount of shares.

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newwidow, I checked back on your previous post and see that your husband had passed away a couple of years ago. Are you still caring for mother-in-law?

As for the stocks, are the stock sitting with a stock broker? If yes, you would be getting monthly statements from the broker... look for a name on the Statement, then call the broker to find out what do you need to do to sell that stock. If the stocks were in your name and in your late husband's name, the account would need to be transferred to a new account that only has your name. The broker can help you with that.
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if you don't have a telephone number, Google the Stock..sometimes the stock is handled by banks..the stock will take money from the sale. Do you have the stock certificates? If you don't they will most likely charge you for replacing them, which you need to sell.
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newwidow, DPOA ends at death. If the stock owner has died, the Executor of the Will has to probate the Estate.
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Pam is right. When my father died I had to file to change ownership of his stock from her to him. Some companies are easier than others. You have to follow their rules exactly. The good thing is that they are very easy to work with and will help you through it. The main thing to learn is the name of the company handling the stocks. They will guide you through the rest.
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Newwidow, just last month I found all the stock that my parents had... I was glad none of it was buried in the backyard, none a safe deposit box, or hidden under the floorboards of the house.

All the shares were held by several stock brokerage houses.... I got all the stocks under one broker roof now. The stock broker made it easy, but there was a lot of paperwork flying back and forth that needed to be signed and notarized.
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I had to do this once several years ago.

If all you have is the name of the stock, you can call that company, ask for its investor services department, explain the issue, and ask what they need to work with you to sell shares. If a broker's involved, they'll let you know and you can contact the broker.

I assume you're proxy under a DPOA and have authority to make financial transactions? If so, any company issuing stock as well as a broker or mutual fund holder will likely require that, unless there's already one on file, completed by your MIL.

If the stocks are held as mutual funds, it's a lot easier. As FF advises, you'll need to find the statements, generally issued quarterly. You can also review the federal 1040s for whichever person this is - your MIL, I assume from FF's post? Look for a Schedule B for a list of stocks paying dividends and capital gains.

If MIL hasn't signed up for dividend reinvestment, there may very well be a dividend check issued in June. Some stocks and funds pay dividends quarterly, some semi-annual, and others only annually. We have all three.

Selling stocks has also changed with the advent of technology. Some are held only in electronic form; paper stock certificates are no longer issued. If the stocks in question are held electronically, you don't have to locate the paper shares to submit in order to sell.

And some mutual fund holders are very easy to work with; Vanguard is one. Nor does Vanguard charge a fee for sale of stock - that's a broker's game. Never once has Dad paid a fee to sell mutuals.
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Thanks everybody. It's MIL's stock she got as part of husband's estate when he died. I'll call lady who does her taxes. Maybe she can help. I live far from MIL or else I'd search in her house. I was hoping I could do it from here without making a trip there. According to DPOA, I can do anything financially that she could do when she was able to. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again.
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If you dont have POA from your mother are you able to access her stocks and other finances if she is not competent
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I do have POA. I'm getting help right now with a financial advisor to help me do this. I could probably figure it all out myself, but time is kind of short. Thanks for your help.
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New - if your FA has a series 7 license, they should be able to deal with any stocks, mutuals, etc.

fFreqflyer is spot on about getting all investments under 1 brokerage account.
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