How to Locate CUSIP Numbers for Municipal Bonds

CUSIP stands for "Committee on Uniform Security Identification Procedures." It is a universal identifier for all U.S. securities. This includes equities, options and bonds. Each CUSIP is assigned by Standard & Poor's. The first few numbers designate the issuer and the last few numbers are specific to the individual security. There are many ways to look up a CUSIP, but the fastest and least expensive way is to use a free tool provided by Fidelity Investments.

Instructions

1. Perform a search using an online search engine. Fidelity Investments is a well-known financial institution. They also have a tool which allows users to look up the CUSIP for any investment security, including municipal bonds. See References for a link.

2. Enter the name given to the bond and any other information you have about the bond. You can also search by the trading symbol or the fund number.

3. Walk through an example. Let's look up the CUSIP for the municipal bond American Century Tax-Free Bond Fund (TWTIX). Enter either the full name or the symbol into the box. The CUSIP is: 025075201. Click the symbol for a market quote of the security.

Tips & Warnings

• Standard & Poor's issues a CUSIP directory which can be accessed online at cusip.com. Subscriptions can be costly. Alternatively, you can also look up the CUSIP in Mergent Bond Record for municipals.

References

• Fidelity CUSIP Look up

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish