From Physical Shares to Demat Account: A Simple Guide for Investors
Many people in India still have old physical share certificates kept at home. These paper shares were common earlier, but today all shares are held digitally in a Demat account. Keeping physical shares is risky because they can be lost, damaged, or forgotten.
If dividends are not claimed for many years, shares are moved to IEPF. After that, you must go through unclaimed shares recovery or IEPF shares recovery to get them back.
Why Physical Shares Create Problems
Physical shares can easily get lost, damaged, or forgotten. In many cases, people don’t even remember which companies they invested in. Over time, if dividends are not claimed, these shares get transferred to IEPF (Investor Education and Protection Fund).
Once shares go to IEPF, you must go through a legal process called IEPF shares recovery or unclaimed shares recovery to get them back.
Another common issue is the Lost shares certificate problem. Many investors do not have the original documents anymore, which makes shares recovery even more difficult without professional help.
How to Convert Physical Shares to Demat
The basic process of physical shares to demat is:
- Open a Demat account.
- Fill a Dematerialisation Request Form (DRF).
- Submit physical certificates.
- Company verifies details.
- Shares get credited to Demat.
This works only if everything is perfect. But in reality, many people face issues like:
- Name mismatch
- Old address
- Signature mismatch
- Shares already moved to IEPF
In such cases, normal demat is not possible, and shares recovery becomes necessary.
Transmission of Shares
If the shareholder has passed away, legal heirs must follow transmission of shares using death certificate and heir documents before demat or recovery.
How GLC Wealth Advisor Helps
GLC Wealth Advisor helps people who are stuck with:
- Old physical shares
- Lost shares certificate
- IEPF shares recovery
- Transmission of shares
- Complete unclaimed shares recovery
They handle everything from paperwork to final credit in your Demat account.
Instead of running behind companies, registrars, and government offices, people prefer professional support for faster and safer share recovery.
Final Note
If you have old shares, don’t delay. Convert them to Demat and claim unclaimed shares in time. With expert help from GLC Wealth Advisor, even complex shares recovery becomes simple.