What is share recovery, and why does it matter?
How old physical shares, unpaid dividends and IEPF holdings can be traced and brought into a demat account.
What is share recovery?
Share recovery is the legal process through which shareholders, or their legal heirs, reclaim old physical shares, unpaid dividends, or holdings that have been transferred to the government's Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) after seven consecutive years of inactivity. It matters most when the original investment was made many years ago.
The process involves verifying the old certificate and the shareholder's details, establishing either self-ownership or succession, completing the required documentation, and following the applicable procedure so that the recovered shares are transferred into the claimant's demat account.
Depending on the circumstances, eligible shareholders or legal heirs can start an IEPF claim and recover the applicable shares and dividends. If you are unsure whether an old investment appears in an unclaimed shares list, the shareholder and company details can be checked and the right process started.
When it gets complicated
Recovery is straightforward when the certificates are intact and the holder is alive. It becomes harder when:
- the original certificates are lost or damaged
- the name on the certificate is incorrect or differs from your records
- the shareholder has passed away
- no nominee is registered and several legal heirs are involved
- the shares have already moved into the IEPF
This is where most families give up, and where Swasam Investments takes over the documentation and follow-up on your behalf.
Why people discover old certificates now
Someone finds a certificate belonging to a parent or grandparent and wonders whether it still has any value. A vast majority of the unpaid dividends and the shares behind them have either moved to the IEPF or are in the process of moving there. The certificate may be the only visible sign of an investment the family has forgotten.
Old investments are very often traceable, and recoverable once the right process is followed. Do not decide a certificate is worthless because it is decades old. Get the details checked first.
Find your route.
Lost or damaged certificates
Torn, burnt, water-damaged or simply gone. We arrange the duplicate and the paperwork behind it.
Shares of a deceased family member
Nominee, will, or several legal heirs. We choose the right route and complete the transmission.
IEPF shares and dividend claims
Shares and dividends moved to the government's IEPF can be claimed back. We run the process.
Physical certificates to demat
Since April 2019 physical shares of listed companies cannot be transferred. Convert them to demat.
Found an old certificate? Check it before you do anything else.
Call Swasam Investments for the status and value of your shares, or send the details and we will call you.