Stock FAQs

how can i buy stock for someone else

by Hermann Skiles Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Stocks can be given to a recipient as a gift whereby the recipient benefits from any gains in the stock's price. Gifting stock from an existing brokerage account involves an electronic transfer of the shares to the recipients' brokerage account.

How do I know if I should buy a stock?

Nov 11, 2021 · How to Buy Stock for Someone Else. Why Do This? There may be times when a friend or family member asks you to buy stock for them because they aren’t able to use their regular platform ... Get the Details. Discuss Your Liability. Make a …

How can I sell without buying a stock?

Nov 16, 2021 · Gift taxes: According to the IRS, the maximum gift amount you can receive per year without incurring any taxes is $15,000 for single-filers, and $30,000 for married couples. The lifetime gift limit...

How to buy and sell stocks on your own?

You can buy stock for someone else with the intent of giving it as a gift, such as buying stocks for Christmas gifts. This can help interest young people in the stock market and start saving for retirement. It can also help you reduce your tax liability. Advertisement

How often should I buy or sell stocks?

Dec 15, 2020 · The IRS allows you to gift up to $15,000 per year, per person — including stock. This $15,000 limit isn't bound by familial or marital ties. So …

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Can I buy shares on behalf of someone else?

You can buy stock for someone else, such as a family member or friend, as a gift. You can do this with a new transfer, or gift existing stock shares, which can provide a tax benefit for you.Nov 11, 2021

Can a friend buy stocks for me?

The Short Answer. While the gears in your head are spinning, let me state the answer in its simplest form: You cannot trade securities for others without becoming licensed as an investment professional. Investment professionals must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission or have a federal license.Apr 12, 2022

How do I buy stock for my niece?

In order to give someone the gift of stock, you need to own that stock. The easiest way to get stock is to buy shares through a brokerage account. You can open a brokerage account with many different companies—many offer online access or an app for your phone.

Can I give someone money to invest for me?

Depending on how much (or how little) money you have, a firm may send you to a junior employee – or decline to take you as a client. A lower-fee alternative could be investment firms like Fidelity and Vanguard. They will help you come up with a simple financial plan and suggest mutual funds.Sep 29, 2021

Can I buy a stock for someone else on Robinhood?

Both you and the person receiving the stock need a brokerage account when you give a stock as a gift. The easiest and cheapest way to do this is through an online stock trading platform, examples of which are Robinhood, Betterment or Ally Invest.Nov 30, 2021

How do I buy stock as a gift for my child?

Buying stock for someone else

It is relatively simple for parents to purchase stocks for their children. To do so, parents need to set up a custodial brokerage account — often called a UTMA (Uniform Transfers to Minors Act) or UGMA (Uniform Gift to Minors Act) account —for their children or another minor in their care.
Dec 6, 2021

Can I open a stock account for my niece?

One of the best ways to invest for your niece is through a custodial brokerage account such as an UGMA (Uniform Gifts to Minors Act) account. Any adult can open an UGMA account for a child in their lives. Throughout the child's life, you can make financial contributions, invest them, and watch the value grow.Apr 5, 2021

Can you gift stock to a child?

Gift Stock Over Cash

Gifting appreciated stock can be a great alternative to simply giving your children cash. The reason is that by giving away stock that has appreciated in value (and held at least 12 months), you do not need to recognize the capital gain in the process.

How old do you have to be to gift stock?

If your gift recipient is a minor (under 18 years old) and you plan to gift them stock ownership, be sure they have the proper accounts set up. For example, the parent (s) can set up a UTMA or UGMA brokerage account, which is a custodial account controlled by the adult until the child is no longer a minor.

What is a gift certificate for stock?

If your gift recipient wants to either transfer the shares to a digital brokerage or sell the stock completely, the physical stock certificate must be mailed to a Direct Registration System (DRS).

What to do instead of worrying about buying the latest and greatest gift from Amazon or Target?

So instead of worrying about buying the latest and greatest gift from Amazon or Target, consider giving the gift that keeps on giving — company ownership through stocks.

What is a stock certificate?

A physical stock certificate is no different than a stock you purchase digitally, and it can make for a great holiday gift for someone to unwrap.

Do you pay capital gains tax on stock sales?

Capital gains taxes: If the recipient of the stocks decides to immediately sell the stock for a profit, they would be responsible for any related capital gain taxes. This also depends on the initial purchase price of the stock and how long the original owner held the shares.′

Is stock a property?

Stocks are considered property, and they are subject to taxes. Here are a few tax implications to consider:

Can you transfer stock from one account to another?

Once the account is set up, the stock can be directly transferred from one account to another. Keep in mind that there is no return policy on this gift — once it’s gifted, it’s now their property.

How to avoid paying commissions to broker?

Avoid paying commissions to the broker by re-registering the stock in the buyer's name through the stock transfer agent.

Can you transfer a stock certificate?

If you hold a physical stock certificate, you can transfer the certificate, similar to endorsing a check over to someone. You can also use a stockbroker to make the transfer electronically.

Do you pay taxes on stock you gift?

If it's a short-term gain, you'll pay a tax rate equal to your income tax rate. If you gift the stock to a family member or friend, you not only don't pay the tax, but your giftee won't pay any taxes either (if she doesn't sell the stock) or will pay a lower tax rate (if she has a lower personal income tax rate than you).

How to gift stock?

If you want to gift a stock you don’t already own, you’ll have to purchase it in your account, then transfer it to the recipient.

What happens if you sell stock?

If you were to sell it, you would pay taxes on the gain. Assuming it’s long-term, you might pay 15%," he says. But instead of selling the stock, you could give it as a gift, transferring the gains to the recipient. "The person who received the stock now has that appreciated stock.

How to get kids started in stocks?

One of the simplest ways to get your kids started in stocks is to set up a custodial brokerage account. You’ll be able to transfer existing shares of stock, mutual funds or other securities from your account to the custodial account, or buy specific securities directly within the custodial account.

What happens if you give $1,000 in stock?

But if you gave $1,000 in stock instead, there’s no tax consequence for you because you’re not realizing any of the gains, and the charity won’t pay taxes when it sells the stock since it's a tax-exempt entity . What’s more, you may be able to claim a fair market value charitable deduction on that donation.

How much can you gift a year?

The IRS allows you to gift up to $15,000 per year, per person — including stock. This $15,000 limit isn't bound by familial or marital ties. So technically, you could give $15,000 in stock to all of your children, grandchildren, in-laws, friends and neighbors each year. (Learn more about gift taxes.)

What to do if you don't have an account on Christmas card?

If they don’t have an account, you could help open and fund one for them as part of the gift.

Is gifting stocks a tax advantage?

And if you’re giving stocks you already own, there could be a tax advantage for you. According to Karl Schwartz, a certified public accountant and principal at Team Hewins in Boca Raton, Florida, from a tax perspective, gifting is a smart way to transfer an appreciated stock.

How to gift stock?

One way to gift stock is through an online brokerage. In most cases, you won’t have a physical paper certificate for the stock (like they used to do way back in the day), but most brokers will still allow you to transfer some or all of your ownership in a particular stock to someone else.

What is a stock gift?

Stocks are the gifts that keep on giving. Whether you can’t think of any other gift ideas or you’d like to invest in the future of a friend or relative, buying stocks as a gift is a practical, generous way to show someone you care.

Why do people use Computershare?

Computershare has a long history in the stock industry, and many users choose this site over others because of its option to purchase stocks directly from hundreds of companies.

Why do people donate appreciated stocks?

Many people choose to donate appreciated stocks to charities to eliminate the tax on capital gains that would incur over time. The charity can reap the stock’s financial benefits, and the giver can deduct the value of the gift from their yearly taxes.

How long do you have to hold a stock to get capital gains?

Holding a stock for twelve months or less classifies it in the short-term capital gains category. These stocks are taxed as normal income, so when your recipient cashes out a short-term stock, they will add the stock amount to their regular income and pay taxes on this total amount.

How long does it take to send a stock certificate?

This site streamlines the stock-buying process: you can send your stock gift certificate in under a minute , and you don’t need to go through any title transfers to get the share into the hands of your recipient.

What is stock ownership?

On a very basic level, a stock is a fractional portion of ownership of a corporation. When you invest in a company, you become the owner of a small segment of the company and receive a proportional amount of the company’s profits in turn.

What happens when you give stock to someone?

When you give the gift of stock, the recipient inherits the cost basis and holding period of the stock you gave . If you bought the shares long ago and they’ve appreciated by a large amount, the recipient might owe a significant amount of tax on the returns when they sell the shares. This is known as the capital gains tax .

Why give stock to someone?

Giving the gift of stock is a great way to teach someone about investing while also helping them kick start their portfolio. With consistent gifts of stock, you may help a loved one save for future goals, like buying a car or paying for college.

What to keep in mind when gifting stock?

The first thing to keep in mind when gifting stock is the gift tax .

What do you need to receive stock from a minor?

To receive the stock, the recipient will need to have a brokerage account of their own. For a minor, that usually means a custodial account of some sort. If they don’t already have one, you can open one for them or work with their parents or guardians to open one for them.

Is it a good idea to gift stock?

Over the long-term, gifting a stock can prove to be a valuable gift if the stock appreciates. And even if it doesn’t, the person who receives the stock doesn’t have to bear the loss since you paid for it. It’s also a good way to introduce and encourage children or teens to think about investing. Also, giving fractional shares or shares of an ETF may be a way to gift stock without breaking the bank.

Can you gift stock instead of selling?

Giving shares as a gift instead of selling them and giving cash means you as the gift-giver can defer paying capital gains taxes. The recipient of the gift pays tax on the returns when they sell the shares. However, depending on the price appreciation of the stock, if they are in a lower tax bracket compared to yours, they may end up paying lower taxes.

Can you use a gift card to buy stock?

There are also brokerages, such as Stockpile, that offer services that let you purchase a gift card that can then be used to purchase stock. The recipient can then open an account on their own and redeem the gift card to purchase shares. Such gift cards can be sent via text or email, or can even be printed at home. There is also an option to send physical gift cards by mail. 2 While Stockpile does not charge any brokerage fees, there may be other transaction costs involved.

What is a stock transfer certificate?

When you purchase a stock, you receive what's called a stock certificate, which is a legal document proving your ownership of the shares. If you decide to transfer your shares to someone else, you'll have to perform a stock transfer using a stock transfer form.

How much can you give to someone without filing a gift tax return?

In the years, 2013 through 2017, the amount was steady at $14,000. However, for 2018, the annual gift tax exclusion limit has been raised to $15,000. If the value of your stock transfer is above the annual limit, you'll have to file a gift-tax return using IRS Form 709. Ordinarily, the gift tax can be as high as 40 percent, but most taxpayers don't pay a gift tax because of the unified credit, which applies to both the gift and estate taxes.

Do you have to pay gift tax on a stock transfer?

This means you can apply the excess of the value of the stock transfer against the unified credit and not have to pay a gift tax although you'll still have to file a gift-tax return.

Do you pay capital gains tax on gift shares?

Although you avoid the gift tax, the recipient will have to pay a capital gains tax if she makes a profit off the shares. In general, the IRS uses your cost basis to establish cost basis for the recipient if she sells the shares for a gain.

What is gifting stock?

Gifting stock from an existing brokerage account involves an electronic transfer of the shares to the recipients' brokerage account. Investors can also buy a single share of a stock from their broker or from companies that specialize in selling single shares.

Does a single share purchase charge a fee?

With any single share purchase, please be aware that the company might also charge a fee as well as costs for framing and shipping.

Can you gift stock to a friend?

Stocks can be given to a recipient as a gift where by the recipient benefits from any gains in the stock's price. Giving the gift of a stock can also provide benefits for the giver, particularly if the stock has appreciated in value since the giver can avoid paying taxes on those earnings or gains. Although there are multiple ways of gifting stock, the process depends on how it's currently being held.

Do you pay taxes on capital gains if you sell gifted shares?

Please bear in mind that gifted shares with a capital gain will be transferred with the gain to the recipient. As a result, if the recipient sells those shares, they will have to pay taxes on the capital gains, which would include the difference between the original cost basis or the purchase price and the selling price. Please consult a tax professional since capital gains taxes can be different for short-term holdings versus long-term holdings.

Can you give stock to a recipient?

Stocks can be given to a recipient as a gift whereby the recipient benefits from any gains in the stock's price. Giving the gift of a stock can also provide benefits for the giver, particularly if the stock has appreciated in value since the giver can avoid paying taxes on those earnings or gains. Although there are multiple ways ...

Do gifted shares have to be taxed?

Please bear in mind that gifted shares with a capital gain will be transferred with the gain to the recipient. As a result, if the recipient sells those shares, they will have to pay taxes on the capital gains, which would include the difference between the original cost basis or the purchase price and the selling price.

Do brokerage accounts require a written authorization?

Most brokerage accounts require a written and signed authorization from the sender with explicit instructions as to how the transfer should be done. Typically, a broker will have an online form that can be completed, which can include the following information:

How to buy stocks without a broker?

Another way to buy stocks without a broker is through a dividend reinvestment plan, which allows investors to automatically reinvest dividends back into the stock, rather than taking the dividends as income. Like direct stock plans, though, you’ll have to seek out the companies that offer these programs.

Who said "Buy into a company because you want to own it, not because you want the stock to go

Warren Buffett famously said, “Buy into a company because you want to own it, not because you want the stock to go up.”. He’s done pretty well for himself by following that rule. Once you’ve identified these companies, it’s time to do a little research.

What is fractional stock?

New stock investors might also want to consider fractional shares, a relatively new offering from online brokers that allows you to buy a portion of a stock rather than the full share. What that means is you can get into pricey stocks — companies like Google and Amazon that are known for their four-figure share prices — with a much smaller investment. SoFi Active Investing, Robinhood and Charles Schwab are among the brokers that offer fractional shares. (SoFi Active Investing and Robinhood are NerdWallet advertising partners.)

How to open an online brokerage account?

Opening an online brokerage account is as easy as setting up a bank account: You complete an account application, provide proof of identification and choose whether you want to fund the account by mailing a check or transferring funds electronically.

What is a stop level in stock?

Once a stock reaches a certain price, the “stop price” or “stop level,” a market order is executed and the entire order is filled at the prevailing price.

What does it mean to put a market order?

With a market order, you’re indicating that you’ll buy or sell the stock at the best available current market price. Because a market order puts no price parameters on the trade, your order will be executed immediately and fully filled, unless you’re trying to buy a million shares and attempt a takeover coup.

When is the right time to buy stocks?

The truth is, you’ll never know if it’s exactly the right time to buy stocks. However, if you’re investing for the long term (say, more than five years), then the time to buy stocks may be as soon as you have the money available. Even if the market falls soon after investing, you’ll have plenty of time to make up those losses. And the only way to guarantee you’ll be a part of any stock market recovery and expansion from the beginning is to be invested before the recovery starts.

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