[PGR88]

Under the current DTC model, most investors no longer directly own their securities. Instead, they hold what the law refers to as a "security entitlement." This arrangement is contractual in nature. It grants certain rights and protections, but it does not confer direct registered ownership.

My mother used to collect stock certificates from the companies in which she invested her savings (AT&T, IBM, etc) - I remember them clearly. Very official looking, many like works of art. She held these shares/stocks for decades.

Would having actual certificates of ownership, held in one's own hands, avoid dealing with his Depository Trust Company?

[TexasGator]

“Would having actual certificates of ownership, held in one’s own hands, avoid dealing with his Depository Trust Company?”

Most companies don’t issue certificates.