Forum Discussion

Ginger79405's avatar
Ginger79405
Explorer
Feb 05, 2014

Online Brokerage Accounts

I am a full-timer with a UPS store physical address for DMV etc. This has worked fine for 2.5 years but my online brokerage company just told me I have to have a residential address and are closing my account. Does anybody know of an online broker that doesn't require a residential address or has run into this problem themselves?
  • Path1, I searched the subject but didn't find anything, would love to read the broker's in and outs, will try again. Yes, for them it was residential address vs mailing address.
  • Ginger79405 wrote:
    Interesting Path1, though my company did say they were more conservative so I was hoping a few online brokers were still possible. I asked if I could use a relative's address and they said no, not unless I had "proof" it was my actual residential address (electric bill, lease, vehicle registration etc). Been with them 8 years and have been full-timing 2.5, it did take them a while to figure it out.

    Mine said about the same thing. I did make it a point to tell them that we now have split our $$ between 3 on line brokers. Hoping they would get the hint. But our original thought of 3 brokers was during the melt down one money market "broke the buck" or under $1.00. There was some talk about brokers going under during that time. But articles at the time said it was very unlikely; as 1 goes under brokers usually sell out to other brokers to gain customer base, even if they do have SIPC and extra insurance on top of that. Just trying to cover us as much as possible.
    I never asked broker if I could use somebody else's address. I just told them "my new address is ......."
  • Interesting Path1, though my company did say they were more conservative so I was hoping a few online brokers were still possible. I asked if I could use a relative's address and they said no, not unless I had "proof" it was my actual residential address (electric bill, lease, vehicle registration etc). Been with them 8 years and have been full-timing 2.5, it did take them a while to figure it out.
  • Best I've heard they all are supposed to. I think they are worried of what will happen if they get audited. We just put in change of address to in-laws place. Couple months later changed address back to PO box. But have "actual" address on record, so good to go. Everything is on-line. Only worry is if we die making sure kids know pass word to access on-line account, because no mail will show up.
    Is dying the ultimate "short"?
  • I use a mail forwarding service in FL and Fidelity accepts that without any problem.
  • just use your existing street address as your home address, and instead of the PMB use APT

    I have used Sharebuilder for years without an issue even using a PMB #