In Street Name

Filed Under »
Dictionary Says

Definition of 'In Street Name'

A brokerage account where the customer's securities and assets are held under the name of the brokerage firm, rather than the name of the individual who purchased the security or asset. Although the name on the certificate is not that of the individual, they are still listed as the real and beneficial owner and have the rights associated with the security.
Investopedia Says

Investopedia explains 'In Street Name'

It is more convenient for brokers to hold securities in street name due to the complexity of tracking each stock certificate to each individual. Almost all brokers hold securities electronically and all securities in a brokers name comprise their inventory. Any time a client needs to buy or sell stocks, the broker is readily able to allocate a portion of their inventory as required.

If brokers were to hold an inventory of paper securities, securities transactions would take more time. For example, if a client would like to sell their certificates, the broker would have to find the exact stock certificates owned by the client and send those securities back to the issuing company who would then change the names on the securities to that of the new owners.

Articles Of Interest

  1. What does "in street name" mean, and why are securities held this way?

    In almost every instance when you buy or sell securities with a broker, your name is not actually on the stock or bond certificate. The name that appears on the certificate is that of your broker, ...
  2. I lost my share certificate. Do I still own the stock?

    Regardless of whether a shareholder loses his or her stock certificate, that person still owns the shares. However, in order to replace the physical certificate, the shareholder must contact ...
  3. Brokers and Online Trading

    How do you find the right broker for your investment needs? Start by reading our broker tutorial.
  4. Role Of A Market Maker

    A market maker is a firm or an individual that stands ready to buy and sell a particular security throughout the trading session to maintain liquidity and a fair and orderly market in that security. ...
  5. Decline Of The Independent Broker-Dealer

    Since the financial crisis of 2008-2009 the numbers of independent broker-dealers have been steadily declining. Find out why, and if the trend will continue.
  6. What happens if I cannot pay a margin call?

    Minimum margin is the amount of funds that must be deposited with a broker by a margin account customer. With a margin account, you are able to borrow money from your broker to purchase stocks ...
  7. Bid-Ask Spread

    Find out more about this frequently referenced, but often misunderstood, term used to describe the price at which a stock is bought or sold at.
  8. What is a "wash sale"?

    The Wash-Sale rule was established to disallow a loss deduction of a security sold, if within 30 days of the date of the sale an investor buys substantially identical stock or securities, or ...
  9. What are some common hand signals on the trading floor?

    "Hand signal" is the sign language used by traders to transmit basic information on the trading floor. The use of hand signals on the trading floor is said to have originated for many reasons. ...
  10. When is it acceptable for a broker to commingle funds with a client?

    a. Never b. When he or she has written approval from the firm c. When he or she has written approval from the firm AND contributes equally to the account and shares equally in any losses ...
comments powered by Disqus
Marketplace
Hot Definitions
  1. Network Effect

    A phenomenon whereby a good or service becomes more valuable when more people use it. The internet is a good example...
  2. Racketeering

    Racketeering refers to criminal activity that is performed to benefit an organization such as a crime syndicate. Examples of racketeering activity include...
  3. Lawful Money

    Any form of currency issued by the United States Treasury and not the Federal Reserve System, including gold and silver coins, Treasury notes, and Treasury bonds. Lawful money stands in contrast to fiat money, to which the government assigns value although it has no intrinsic value of its own and is not backed by reserves.
  4. Fast Market Rule

    A rule in the United Kingdom that permits market makers to trade outside quoted ranges, when an exchange determines that market movements are so sharp that quotes cannot be kept current.
  5. Absorption Rate

    The rate at which available homes are sold in a specific real estate market during a given time period.
  6. Yellow Sheets

    A United States bulletin that provides updated bid and ask prices as well as other information on over-the-counter (OTC) corporate bonds...
Trading Center