How to Liquidate Stocks
Liquidating a stock is the process of selling shares to another buyer or shareholder for the current market value. The simplest and most common way to go about this process is by simply contacting a broker, who will handle the entire procedure for you. However, a broker's fee can often be hefty, so if the desired amount of shares to liquidate is small, it may not be worth it. There are a few other methods to attempt to liquidate shares of stock on your own.
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Instructions
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Research online to attempt to find a person or company who owns large shares of your stock. Major shareholders of major stocks are often public about their assets. Contact the person/company and offer to sell your existing shares to him/them for the market value. This avoids broker fees, but the other shareholder may be hesitant to enter into the hassle.
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Some companies like Ameritrade allow you to fund an account with stock certificates. While this does not directly liquidate the stock, it does convert it to a far more manageable format, in which you may be able to liquidate it later. Inquire about any transaction fees ahead of time.
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Wait until a larger company acquires your stock, at which point you are eligible to receive a check. This is not the most ideal of options, but if your stock is with a relatively small company, the odds are decent that you may be bought and sold earlier than you think.
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If your primary goal is simply to get rid of a sinking stock, and you are not hard up for the money, you can donate the stocks to a church or charity. Most of these organizations receive donations of this sort regularly. The donation can then be written off on your taxes at year's end.
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Tips & Warnings
Going through a broker is far and away the best way to liquidate a stock. The above methods will usually avoid you any fees, but they are also quite a hassle to embark upon. In addition, there is no guarantee that they will work. In the case of large quantities of stock, it is usually best to just contact a broker and pay the fee. It is up to you to decide what method is most appropriate for your situation.
