General FAQs

+ How long does it take to sell shares?

Provided that we have received all required documents, we will aim to sell the shares within 1-2 working days.

+ What are the costs associated with selling shares?

When you sell shares brokerage is charged to facilitate the sale.

This involves a minimum charge or a percentage value of the gross sale proceeds. Bellmont's brokerage charge is $150 or 0.95% plus GST which can be explained by the below examples:

*Example 1: The sale of 1,000 shares of Telstra (TLS) at $4.50 Gross sale proceeds: $4,500 Less Bellmont’s fee: $165 (as the total sale is less than $10,000) Net proceeds to be credited to your bank account: $4,335.

*Example 2: The sale of 1,000 shares of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) at $85.00 Gross sale proceeds: $85,000 Less Bellmont’s fee: $888.25 ($85,000 x 1.045%) Net proceeds to be credited to your bank account: $84,111.75.

+ What price will my shares be sold at?

The sale price will be determined by the market price of each particular stock at the time of sale.

+ When do I receive the sale proceeds?

We settle the sale proceeds, less our brokerage fee directly to your nominated bank two business days after the shares are sold.

+ What are issuer sponsored shares?

Issuer sponsored shares are holdings that are not held through a broker, but rather directly with a particular share registry. Issuer sponsored shares can be identified on a holding or dividend statement, which will display a ten digit number starting with an 'I'.

+ What are CHESS or broker sponsored shares?

CHESS, or Broker sponsored shares are held with a stock broker (like commsec) rather than a share registry such as computershare or link market services. Broker or CHESS sponsored shares can be identified on a holding or dividend statement, which will display a ten digit number starting with an 'X'.

+ Can I sell more than one company at a time?

Yes you can. Our sale form enables you to include as many shareholdings as you like.

+ What are the main share registries in Australia?

There are five main share registries in Australia:

1. Computershare Investor Services
2. Link Market Services
3. Boardroom Limited
4. Advanced Share Registry
5. Automic Share Registry

+ How can i tell what share registry my shares belong to?

There are a few ways to determine where your shares are held:

1. Check a dividend or holding statement, on the top right hand side you will see the name of the share registry - for example Computershare Investor Services.
2. Go to asx.com.au and search for your company. Under "Details" you will see what registry the company belongs to.

+ I live overseas, can you still assist?

Depending on your circumstance, we may be able to help you sell your shares, even if you are living overseas. Please call our desk on +61 2 8042 1990 or email our team at estates@bellmontsecurities.com.au

Deceased Estate FAQs

+ What do I need to sell shares in a deceased estate?

In order to sell shares in an Estate, you will need to provide:

• certified copy of probate OR certified copies of the will and death certificate
• certified copies of the executor(s) ID to meet the standard 100 point check (drivers license + medicare card or passport)
• shareholding information (including SRN(s) and the registered postal address)
• a copy of the trust account bank statement

+ Do i need probate to sell shares in a deceased estate?

If the total value of the estates shares is regarded as ‘small’ (less than $25,000) then you are able to sell without Probate. We will just need a certified copy of the will and death certificate. From there, we will pre-fill a Small Estates Indemnity form for the executor(s) to sign.

+ How do i claim unpaid dividends in a deceased estate?

The process to claim unpaid dividends can be quite cumbersome when dealing directly with the share registries. In order to save you the time and effort, please contact our team on 02 8042 1990 or estates@bellmontsecurities.com.au

We can take care of all the paperwork so you can focus on more important things!

+ Do you charge extra for deceased estates?

Unlike other brokers, we do not charge any additional brokerage amounts for Estates. We do though, charge for additional services such as transferring shares to beneficiaries or completing cost base searches.

+ Do shares need to be reflected as the estate before the sale is executed?

Yes, the holdings need to be in the name of "The Estate" before we can sell. Our dedicated service team can assist with notifying the registries if needed - free of charge.

+ Share Sale Examples

Example 1: The sale of 1,000 shares of Telstra (TLS) at $4.50 Gross sale proceeds: $4,500

Less Bellmont’s fee: $150 + GST

Net proceeds to be credited to your trust account: $4,335

Example 2: The sale of 1,000 shares of CBA (CBA) at $85.00 Gross sale proceeds: $85,000

Less Bellmont’s fee: $807.50 + GST ($85,000 x 0.95%)

Net proceeds to be credited to your trust account: $84,111.75

+ Share Transfer Examples

Example 1: Transfer of 1,000 units of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to one beneficiary - $200 + GST invoiced to the estate

Example 2: Transfer of 1,000 units of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) to five beneficiaries - $350.00 + GST invoiced to the estate ($200 + GST for the first 2 benenficiaries and $50 + GST per beneficary after)

+ Dividend Payment Example

Bellmont are instructed by XYZ Law to carry out the sale of 1,000 shares of Telstra (TLS) held in an Estate. While completing a sale authorisation form, a Bellmont account manager checks the shareholding to find that there are unpaid dividends totalling $450. The account manager completes the registry forms to reissue the dividends to XYZ Law’s trust account and then emails the documents (along with our sale form) to the acting solicitor.

Company Specific FAQs

+ how do i sell my IAG shares?

Insurance Australia Group (IAG) is a multinational insurance company, headquartered in Sydney, that operates a portfolio of general insurance businesses. IAG was formed after the demutualisation of NRMA group in early 2000, which saw a return of shares to members of NRMA at the time. For this reason IAG has a very large number of shareholders, which means that we deal with these holdings regularly and are well equiped to make this a simple and straightforward process for you - just follow the usual sale process. If you have any trouble along the way, please do not hesitate to contact our dealing desk directly on 02 8042 1990.

+ how do i sell my BHP shares?

BHP Billiton is a mining and resources company, operating in over 25 countries with in excess of 100,000 employees. BHP Billiton was formed in June 2001 as a result of a merger between Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) and Billiton, becoming one of the major diversified resource companies in the world. Uniquely, BHP is dual listed, trading on both the Australian Securities Exchange and the London Stock Exchange.

Selling your BHP shares with Bellmont is quick and easy - just follow the usual sale process. If you have any trouble along the way, please do not hesitate to contact our dealing desk directly on 02 8042 1990.

+ how do I sell my telstra shares?

Telstra Corporation (TLS) is Australia’s largest telecommunications company which builds and operates telecommunication networks and markets voice, mobile, internet access and other products and services.Originating back in 1975, Telstra was once and Australian Government owned company until it was privatised and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in 1997.