How can we receive annual reports automatically by mail?

[Mephistopheles]

I'm not sure if people still do this or if everyone just reads annual reports online. Personally, I find it much more comfortable reading printed materials than I do reading from a screen. I know that we can go to the company's website and manually order the annual report every year, but how can shareholders automatically receive materials in the mail? Someone once told me that you have to talk to your broker and ask them to take you off of "street name" so that you are directly registered with the companies you own. Is that true? I've talked to my broker, MerrillEdge, and they seem clueless on this issue. But MerrillEdge service associates are pretty incompetent on most issues, and so I thought I'd ask this on the forum to see how people go about doing this? Thanks.

[turar]

I'm also curious about this. I have requested the same thing with my brokers, but it's very sporadic. I do receive all of the proxy materials, but annual reports come only for a couple of companies. The rest don't seem to bother (?).

 

[bookie71]

I believe that you have to opt out of email delivery of your brokerage staements. I get all of my annual reports other than Fairfax via snail mail. Check with your broker and insist that you get the reports.

[eclecticvalue]

Depends on the broker. Brokers have options to allow you to choose to receive shareholder material electronically or printed. Next time chat with your broker about receiving only printed shareholder materials. In the past, few of the companies I owned sent printed annual reports to my house (not many though). Also most companies want to avoid sending printed annual reports every year because of the costs associated with printing. When you register your shares with the company, it will cost money, I do not think it is worth it.

[oddballstocks]

I know with my broker there's a place in their online system where you can set your preference.  I get all my confirms electronically but everything else on paper.

 

I agree about reading annual reports on paper, much easier.  I have some stranger stocks as well so I like to have a library of hard to get annual reports, paper copy is the best for those.

[Mephistopheles]

Thanks for your replies guys. I guess I'll try talking to someone at MerrillEdge again and hopefully I get better service this time.

 

I believe that you have to opt out of email delivery of your brokerage staements. I get all of my annual reports other than Fairfax via snail mail. Check with your broker and insist that you get the reports.

 

I know with my broker there's a place in their online system where you can set your preference.  I get all my confirms electronically but everything else on paper.

 

I agree about reading annual reports on paper, much easier.  I have some stranger stocks as well so I like to have a library of hard to get annual reports, paper copy is the best for those.

 

Just out of curiosity, what brokers do you guys use?

[oddballstocks]

I use Fidelity, just got an annual report in the mail today incidentally.

 

Any reason you're with MerrillEdge?  From what I've seen they cost more and have less features than other brokers.  Just curious.

[bookie71]

I use Schwab (main accounts) and have my "crap shooting" account with Ameritrade.  I get my annual reports from both.

[Mephistopheles]

I use Fidelity, just got an annual report in the mail today incidentally.

 

Any reason you're with MerrillEdge?  From what I've seen they cost more and have less features than other brokers.  Just curious.

 

Yea, I get free trading with them. My dad has a $25,000 Joint CD with Bank of America, with his, my mom's, and my name's on it. So we get 30 free trades/month each. We have 5 accounts in total, so it saves a fair amount annually in commissions, even accounting for the better rates that we might get with another bank for the CD. Also, my own portfolio is fairly small, so the free trading certainly helps me out most.

 

Despite all of this, I am seriously considering switching brokers. MerrillEdge is just horrible with features, like you mentioned, and their service sucks too. Not to mention a horrendous online platform.

 

I was looking into several brokers, including Fidelity. I'm thinking about Interactive Brokers, because it seems to have access to the most number of international stock markets. It would be nice to have all of that in one account.

 

How do you like Fidelity?