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Find tax forms, stock transfer instructions and information about investment plans.

Knowledge Center

Investment Plans

Direct stock purchase plans and dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) are easy, effective ways to maximize your investments.

Through direct stock purchase plans, you can buy stock directly from the issuing company, potentially reducing your cost of investing.

DRIPs are programs that allow company shareholders to reinvest dividends to purchase additional stock in the company (through the plan's administrator.) To be eligible, plan participants must become a shareholder of record and register the stock in his or her name, not in a brokerage or "street" name.

Each plan type differs for each offering company, so please be sure to read each plan's information booklet carefully before enrolling.

Search through a list of direct stock purchase plans and dividend reinvestment plans using InvestDirect Search.

Getting more from your investment through a dividend reinvestment plan

• Increase your stock holdings while paying little or no brokerage commissions/fees on purchases
• Generate additional dividend income with your increased stock holdings
• Automatically reinvest your dividends through the plan administrator
• Receive a comprehensive statement after each transaction

Depending on the plan, you may...

• Make voluntary cash investments to purchase additional shares, paying little or no brokerage commission/fees
• Decide to reinvest only a portion of your dividend, receiving cash for the remaining part
• "Deposit" all or a portion of your stock holdings in the plan for safekeeping and alleviate worry about losing your stock certificate
• Take advantage of additional plan features

Important Information to Consider

The reinvestment of dividends DOES NOT relieve the participant from any federal, state or local taxes, which may be payable as a result of such distributions. The administrator will send an Internal Revenue Service Form 1099 to the participant and the IRS after each year end, reporting all dividend income the participant received during the tax year.

Depending on plan parameters, shares are purchased on a predetermined cycle - e.g., once a month. Thus, market price fluctuations may favorably or adversely affect your investment. For example, you may wish to purchase the stock at today's price. However, by the time your stock is purchased, the stock price may have fallen/risen. The same also applies when selling your dividend reinvestment shares.

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