Direct Registration System

The Depository Trust Company’s Direct Registration System (DRS) is a benefit to many shareholders as it enables quicker stock transfers with the added advantage of being less costly than traditional methods.

Shareholders can send their stock certificates to Castle Brick International, and we will transfer them into a book-entry format for you. By having your holdings in book form, you can eliminate the need for costly postage fees and also speed up the transfer process dramatically. Once the shares are in book form, the owner will be sent a notice, generally known as a DRS Advice. This form is the official receipt and reflects the underlying ownership of the holding.

Having your shares held in an electronic format massively reduces postal expenses and the time needed to process physical certificates. If stocks are maintained electronically, you still have the option to transfer them back into paper form if you wish, and neither format affects your voting rights. Should you want to transfer or make a gift of some or all of your holdings, doing so via the DRS system is straightforward and does not need to have a Medallion Signature Guarantee. The DRS method also has the advantage of being more secure, and certificates can no longer be mislaid or damaged, and the possibility of fraud is vastly reduced.

Either the shareowner or the broker/dealer can ask for shares to be changed into the electronic format. Broker/dealers must have the share owner’s authority, which is demonstrated by producing a signed and dated Stock Power of Attorney. As long as that document is available, a simple request from the broker/dealer along with the relevant fee is all that is required to initiate the change.