Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS)
ACATS is the U.S. brokerage system for transferring eligible customer account assets between participating firms without selling every investment.
DTCC, DTC, ACATS, DRS, DWAC, and stock-transfer-agent terms used in U.S. securities ownership infrastructure.
DTCC, DTC, and transfer-agent systems are U.S. securities infrastructure terms for book-entry ownership, depository records, broker-to-broker account movement, direct registration, and issuer transfer-agent processes. This branch helps readers separate street-name holdings from registered ownership and transfer workflows.
Use these pages when a record names DTCC, DTC (Depository Trust Company), ACATS, DRS, DWAC or a stock transfer agent.
| Term | Use it for |
|---|---|
| DTCC | The parent company and group of post-trade infrastructure businesses, including DTC, NSCC, and FICC. |
| DTC (Depository Trust Company) | Central-depository, participant-position, book-entry settlement, and asset-servicing questions. |
| Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS) | Full and partial brokerage-account transfers, asset eligibility, timing, residuals, and transfer risks. |
| Direct Registration System (DRS) | Eligible electronic positions registered directly in the investor’s name on issuer records. |
| DWAC (Deposit/Withdrawal at Custodian) | DTC participant deposits and withdrawals through an eligible FAST transfer agent. |
| Stock Transfer Agent | Issuer recordkeeping, registered ownership, and transfer-agent services. |
Start with the ownership or transfer record. If the question is about a broker account transfer, use ACATS; if it is about registered shares, use DRS or transfer-agent terms; if it is about depository book-entry holdings, use DTCC or DTC terms.
Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.
ACATS is the U.S. brokerage system for transferring eligible customer account assets between participating firms without selling every investment.
The Depository Trust Company is DTCC's U.S. central securities depository, supporting custody, book-entry settlement, and asset servicing for eligible securities.
DRS lets an investor hold eligible securities electronically in the investor's name on issuer records maintained by a transfer agent.
DTCC is the parent of regulated U.S. post-trade infrastructure companies including DTC, NSCC, and FICC; each subsidiary performs a distinct market function.
DWAC is a DTC service through which participants and FAST transfer agents electronically deposit or withdraw eligible securities from DTC accounts.
A stock transfer agent maintains an issuer's registered-holder records and processes eligible share transfers and corporate actions.