Registering a change in name

Investors may have changed their name due to marriage or some other reason. This would have to be updated in their folios as well. Also, the name in the application form may have inadvertently been filled incorrectly, and the investor might need to get it rectified. The requirements in this regard are given below. These may vary slightly from fund to fund.

GAZETTE

Investors who have changed their name and recorded it in the Gazette should submit the following documents to the mutual fund: A request letter duly signed — the signature of the investor should be attested by the bank manager; a copy of the Gazette notification attested by a notary public; a copy of the PAN card reflecting the new name.

This would mean that the investor has to get the name change effected in the records of Income Tax before submitting the request to the mutual fund.

Some mutual funds ask for an indemnity bond on a stamp paper. The format of the bond would be available with the mutual fund and available to investors on request.

Investors should get the name change effected with the KYC Registration Agency, i.e., CDSL Ventures Ltd (CVL). Change request forms are available at the CVL website, and investors should fill in the form, specifying the change in name, and submit the required documents to CVL. Proof of KYC verification should be submitted along with the request.

Some funds may also request for a proof of change in name in the bank account. Investors should submit an original cancelled cheque leaf in which the unit holder's name is printed, or a copy of the bank statement / passbook duly attested by the bank manager. The name should match with the name in the request form.

MARRIAGE

A written request duly signed (with both old and new signature, and the new signature attested by the existing banker on record) and a notarised copy of the marriage certificate will be needed for change in name after marriage.

In the absence of a marriage certificate, an affidavit on a stamp paper as specified by the fund will suffice. The format of this affidavit can be clarified with the mutual fund.

A copy of the PAN which reflects the name change and the KYC compliance mentioned above will also be required.

INCORRECT NAME

In such cases, investors may send a request letter, duly signed by the investor, along with a copy of the PAN. The PAN number should match with the one already registered in the folio.

The KYC document should be in the correct name, as requested by the investor, with proof of KYC verified status submitted. Some mutual funds may ask for an indemnity bond on plain paper.

Investors who need to include middle name / expand the initial may do so by sending a request letter duly signed, and submit a certificate from the banker, being the banker on record in the folio, confirming the account holder's full name.

A reference will be made to the copy of the PAN to verify the full name. Some funds may ask for an affidavit duly notarised in original on a Rs100 non-judicial stamp paper, stating the old and new names of the person, and also clearly specifying that both the names refer to one person.

(Contributed by CAMS Viveka, an Investor Education Initiative from CAMS. The views expressed herein are general practices in the mutual fund industry, and may vary on a case-to-case basis.)

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