What is a medallion signature guarantee? What do I do if the transfer agent asks me for the medallion signature guarantee? 

The medallion signature guarantee is a certification stamp that guarantees the authenticity of a signature authorizing a transfer of securities.  

Transfer agent parties such as the TMX, ComputerShare, CIBC Mellon, will generally require a signature guarantee in the form of a medallion when an owner wishes to transfer securities, such as stocks or bonds, held in physical certificate form to a new holder without going through a broker's account.

National Bank Direct Brokerage does not offer this signature directly to the client to finalize the activity with the transfer agent.  Instead, the process will be through a deposit to a brokerage account.

If the owner holds securities and wishes to deposit them into his brokerage account, the holder of the securities can simply request the deposit. Find out more about the procedures:

• How to register shares to my Direct Registration Notice (DRS)
• How to transfer a share certificate into my direct brokerage account

To make a donation between NBDB clients, the owner of the securities must deposit them in their brokerage account and complete the “Security Donation at National Bank Direct Brokerage” form, available in the Transfers and Donations section of the Forms page.

For securities in the name of a deceased person (estate), the file must be handled by the National Bank Estate Expertise Centre team. The liquidator can contact a National Bank branch directly to find out how to proceed.

For more information, please contact our team via the secure Message Centre or by telephone at 1-800-363-3511.