How to Buy Wells Fargo Preferred Stock (6 Steps)

Compare the different types of preferred stock available. Wells Fargo Capital has six offerings. They include Non-Cumulative Convertibles (CUSIP: 949746804), Non-Cumulative Perpetual (two offerings; CUSIP: 949746PM7 and 949746879), Wells Fargo Preferred Funding Corp (CUSIP: 92977V206), Fixed Rate Cumulative Perpetual (No CUSIP) and Dividend Equalization Preferred (CUSIP: 949746887).
Compare callable dates. A call date refers to the date the company can 'call back' or pay you back for the securities. Convertibles have a call option embedded as a feature and the fixed rate cumulative securities are also callable at any time. All others have call dates ranging from March 15, 2018, to Dec. 31, 2022.
Compare coupons. The coupon is the amount you will receive in interest for buying the bond. Coupons are both fixed or floating, and range from 5 percent to 9 percent or more depending on the associated index.
Compare coupon payment dates. Payment dates can range from twice a year to four times a year. Choose an offering that best fits your income needs.
Compare final maturities. All of Wells Fargo's preferred stock are perpetual, which means they have no final maturity date.
Make a purchase through your broker, online broker or contact Wells Fargo Capital directly. You will need the CUSIP number provided in Step 1. This number contains all the information the broker or Wells Fargo representative needs. You will also need to stipulate the number of shares you wish to purchase. Divide the amount you would like to invest by the current price of the stock (see Resources).

How to Bid on the Stock Market

Choose a ticker symbol that interests you and that you would like to buy if the price is right. The stock market does not limit you to just corporate stocks. You can also bid on the purchase of gold, foreign stock market indexes or individual sectors through the use of exchange-traded funds and also government bonds.
Enter the ticker symbol for your desired investment instrument into your stock broker's trading platform, if it is an electronic system or call your broker to place an order.
Place a 'limit' order for your desired ticker at your bid price. When you make a bid, you are advertising to the market the price you are willing to pay for the instrument. A limit order locks in a maximum price you will pay and is the stock market's equivalent to raising a bid sign at a live auction. As part of your limit order, you must include the total number of shares you wish to purchase.
Wait for your order to be executed. If the stock market trades your desired instrument at a price that meets the criteria of your bid, your limit order will 'fill' and you will now own the shares. However, the key distinction of a limit order is that execution is not guaranteed. Thus, if other bidders are willing to pay more than your bid, the market will likely not trade down to your price, and your order will sit without execution.
Cancel the limit order at any time you choose if you either change your mind, want to enter a new bid, or accept that the market is unlikely to trade at your bid price so you get a fill.

How to Buy Stock Options (5 Steps)

Understand the different type of options that are available. The two main types of options are puts and calls. Puts give the buyer an option to sell the underlying stock at a certain price during a given period. Calls allow the buyer of the option the ability to buy the underlying stock at a certain price in a given period.
Track and research the performance of the underlying stock. If, after the research, you expect the stock to rise in price, you should consider purchasing a call stock option. However if you expect the stock price to fall, the put stock option is the correct purchase. There are many permutations of these basic options principles, but these are the trading options for beginners. In the option business, they call this directional trading.
When you see, call or put a price of $2.00, the cost of this option is not $2.00 but $200.00. This is because stock options sell in lots of 100 share options. This is a common mistake for beginning options investors.
Decide which stock option you want to purchase and if you want a put or call option on the underlying stock. Again, a put is option to sell and a call is option to buy the underlying stock. You will need to contact a broker or visit an online option-trading site to place the order. See Resources below for information.
Buy the stock options for the given market price. Be sure to check the strike date of the option. The strike date is when the option expires. If you do not exercise by this date, it expires and you lose your investment. It is usually a good idea buy to stock options with the latest strike date. However, sometimes the stock option will be cheaper the closer it is to the strike date. Despite being cheaper, these short strike dates carry more risk.

How to Transfer Stock Certificates (3 Steps)

Contact your financial representative. In order to transfer a stock certificate, you must get the help of the firm holding your shares. If you intend to transfer your stock to another brokerage account, the easiest way is usually to use the Automated Customer Account Transfer Process, or ACATS. Through ACATS, transfers are usually completed in 6 to 10 business days. The main advantage of ACATS is convenience. Instead of having to call the company's transfer agent, or obtain physical stock certificates, all you have to do is provide your firm with written instructions outlining your intentions. Generally speaking, this information will include the destination account number, name of firm, name of account holder, and exact number of shares you wish to transfer. Some firms request a more formal Transfer Information Form (TIF), which requests the same information. As long as you are the valid owner of the stock, the process should begin immediately.
Sign the certificates and transfer them yourself. If you hold your own stock certificates, or for any reason do not want to go through the ACATS process, you can make the transfer yourself. Follow the instructions on the back of your stock certificate to make the transfer legal. Generally speaking, you will enter the name of the party you wish to make the transfer to, and you will sign the certificate at the bottom. You may also have to enter the name of the authorized transfer agent of the company in order to effect the change.
Monitor the transfer. Make sure that the proper amount of the correct security ends up in the right account. Although the stock transfer process is pretty straightforward, even with explicit instructions, mistakes do occur. Sometimes the name on the receiving account is not an exact match with those in the instructions and the transfer is denied, while other times certificates are simply lost. Although lost certificates are unlikely with the ACATS system, manual transfers can be at risk. A lost or misplaced certificate is generally just an administrative headache rather than a true cause for alarm, but it could delay your transfer and should be monitored.