What to do with stock certificate?

[dregalia]

A company I used to work for will be releasing some stock I had accrued while there. In the paperwork they sent me it will be released in the form of a stock certificate.
Now this may seem stupid but what the hell is a stock certificate? Can I just go to a bank and cash this in or do I have to go through some broker?

[Stocktrading101]

Originally Posted by dregalia

A company I used to work for will be releasing some stock I had accrued while there. In the paperwork they sent me it will be released in the form of a stock certificate.
Now this may seem stupid but what the hell is a stock certificate? Can I just go to a bank and cash this in or do I have to go through some broker?

Hey there dregalia, a good question!

A stock certificate is a piece of paper that gives you ownership of x number of shares of stock. Think of it as a title to a car.

So, let's say the certificate is for 20 shares, well you have ownership of 20 shares of that company you used to work for.

When it comes to cashing it, I think it depends on how the company is traded. Your best bet on that would be to either google it, call and ask a broker, or ask your accountant if you have one.

Hope that helps!

[oldstocks]

You can cash it out with a broker. The online brokers take them also and have written procedures for turning them in (and then trading them).