What Clear Trust does

ClearTrust, LLC is an independent, SEC-registered stock transfer agent headquartered in Lutz, Florida, founded in 2009 to deliver shareholder record-keeping, stock transfer, and securities compliance services to public and private companies, with a specific focus on community banks. The firm positions itself as the only transfer agent exclusively dedicated to serving banks, offering full-service transfer agent outsourcing and white-label partnerships that allow banks to deliver shareholder services under their own brand. Service offerings include core stock transfer processing, DWAC/FAST/DRS electronic settlement, DTC eligibility assistance, corporate actions (splits, mergers, name changes), proxy and virtual meeting administration, DRIP and paying agent services, Rule 144 legend removal, escheatment compliance, and end-to-end going-public support including Regulation A+, market maker introductions, and XBRL/EDGAR filing assistance.

The technology layer centers on the ClearConnect online portal, which provides issuers and shareholders with real-time account access, transaction capabilities, and document workflows, and integrates with DTC/DTCC for electronic share movements and with Broadridge for proxy tabulation. Operations are SOC 1 (SSAE 16) audited and have been for 9+ years, and the company holds DTC DWAC/DRS eligibility, OTC Markets Premier Transfer Agent status, and a board seat on the Securities Transfer Association. The platform is differentiated by white-label configurability and seamless market infrastructure integrations rather than by AI or advanced analytics.

ClearTrust operates on a professional services model with quote-based, pay-as-you-go pricing tied to per-transaction, per-certificate, and ongoing account management fees. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct outreach, educational content marketing, industry association engagement, and client referrals, supported by a stated 100% referral rate among clients. The company has expanded its issuer base through two completed acquisitions, Sedona Equity Registrar & Transfer in December 2023 and Worldwide Stock Transfer in March 2024, and now serves 800+ issuers across 13 countries on 6 continents, managing 500B+ shares for 215,000+ investors.

Name

Clear Trust

Legal name

ClearTrust, LLC

Website

https://cleartrustonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ClearTrust, LLC is an independent SEC-registered stock transfer agent headquartered in Lutz, Florida, providing shareholder record-keeping, compliance, and white-label transfer agent services to community banks and public and private issuers across 13 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transfer Agent Services

NAICS

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991)

akta.pro primary industry

Transfer Agency & Shareholder Recordkeeping (FSAAAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Transfer Agency & Shareholder Recordkeeping (FSAAAOAG), Transfer Agency & Shareholder Recordkeeping (Custody-Linked) (FSAFAHAJ), Fund Custody & Transfer Agency Services (FSACAHAG)

Keywords

• Stock transfer services
• Shareholder record keeping
• Securities compliance services
• Corporate actions processing
• Going public services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lutz

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Transfer Agent Services: Core transfer agent services including shareholder record-keeping, stock transfers, and compliance management for public and private companies. Fees are typically based on per-transaction, per-certificate, or ongoing account management.
2. White Label Partnership Services: Customized back-office services for community banks, retail transfer agents, and portals including shareholder record-keeping, dividend payments, and DWAC/FAST/DRS deposits.
3. Corporate Actions Processing: Services for stock splits, reverse splits, mergers, acquisitions, name changes, and other corporate actions. Also includes DWAC/FAST eligibility assistance and DTC eligibility services.
4. Proxy and Meeting Services: Virtual, traditional, and hybrid shareholder meeting administration, proxy tabulation, and shareholder communications including print and mail services.
5. Going Public Services: Consulting and support for companies going public including market maker introductions, DTC eligibility, share issuance, and XBRL/EDGAR filing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ClearTrust is a SEC-registered, full-service stock transfer agent that maintains shareholder records, processes stock issuances, transfers, retirements, and medallion signature guarantees, and administers corporate actions (splits, mergers, name changes) for public and private companies and community banks. It also delivers DTC/DWAC/FAST/DRS eligibility, proxy and shareholder meeting administration, DRIP and dividend paying-agent services, escheatment compliance, Rule 144 legend removal, and going-public support, primarily through its ClearConnect online portal and white-label partnerships. The company is uniquely positioned as the only transfer agent dedicated exclusively to serving community banks, offering a 30–40% cost reduction versus in-house bank operations.

Product overview

ClearTrust is an award-winning, full-service stock transfer agent serving public and private companies and community banks. The company operates primarily through its ClearConnect Portal platform, providing comprehensive shareholder record-keeping and compliance services. The product portfolio centers on core transfer agent functions including stock transfers, DWAC/DRS processing, and DTC eligibility, supplemented by value-added modules such as Rule 144/legend removal services, proxy administration, DRIP services, going public support, and escheatment compliance. ClearTrust also offers white label partnership services for banks and portals, and has expanded through acquisitions of Sedona Equity Registrar & Transfer (2023) and Worldwide Stock Transfer (2024). The company is dedicated to serving community banks specifically and supports companies across 13 countries on 6 continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ClearConnect Portal Online portal providing real-time shareholder account access, stock transfer requests, document submissions, and account management for issuers and shareholders.
• Stock Transfer Services Core transfer agent services including stock issuances, retirements, transfers, medallion signature guarantees, and shareholder record maintenance for public and private companies.
• DWAC Processing Deposit Withdrawal At Custodian electronic share deposit and withdrawal services through DTC, enabling paperless stock movements between transfer agent and brokerage accounts.
• DRS (Direct Registration System) Book-entry share holding option allowing shareholders to hold securities directly on the transfer agent's books, eliminating the need for physical certificates.
• FAST Eligibility Services Fast Automatic Securities Transfer program enabling electronic share transfers through DTC's network with faster settlement times for public companies.
• DTC Eligibility Services Assistance for public companies to become DTC eligible, including paperwork preparation and coordination with market makers for timely application processing.
• White Label Partnership White-label back-office shareholder record-keeping, dividend payments, and DWAC/FAST/DRS deposit handling under the client's brand for community banks, retail transfer agents, and portals.
• Shareholder Meeting & Proxy Services Comprehensive shareholder meeting management including virtual, traditional, and hybrid meeting options, proxy tabulation, printing/mailing, and vote collection.
• Corporate Actions Processing Management of corporate actions including stock splits, reverse splits, name changes, mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, and other strategic events.
• DRIP Administration Dividend Reinvestment Plan administration enabling shareholders to automatically reinvest dividends into additional shares, with plan escrow account management.
• Paying Agent Services Cash dividend payment processing and distribution services for issuers, including ACH details management and distribution coordination.
• Going Public Services Comprehensive IPO and reverse merger support including market maker introductions, DTC eligibility, share issuance, XBRL/EDGAR filing assistance, and access to securities professional network.
• Rule 144 Legend Removal Services Services to facilitate removal of restrictive legends from stock certificates, including legal opinion review and compliance with SEC Rule 144 resale safe harbor requirements.
• Section 4(a)1 Legend Removal Legend removal services for non-affiliates whose shares have 'come to rest' under securities law.
• Registered Shares Legend Removal Legend removal for shares covered by SEC registration statements (S-1, S-3, S-8), allowing free trading upon registration effectiveness.
• Regulation A+ Services Assistance with Regulation A+ offerings, including guidance on Tier 1 (up to $20M) and Tier 2 (up to $50M) exemptions from SEC registration.
• Compliance Consulting Consulting services for other transfer agents on starting an agency, policies and procedures, industry best practices, and employee training.
• Escheatment Compliance Unclaimed property compliance services including due diligence, dormancy tracking, state reporting, and owner location efforts.
• Lost Certificate Services Lost, stolen, and damaged securities replacement including stop transfers, surety bond procurement, and affidavit processing.
• Shareholder Communications SEC 14A/14C information statement distribution services including printing, broker search, direct mail to shareholders, and electronic delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-40% cost reduction compared to in-house bank operations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MarketSphere Unclaimed Property SpecialistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketSphere is a third-party unclaimed property service provider that ClearTrust has partnered with to ensure clients have access to experienced unclaimed property services. ClearTrust uses MarketSphere to find shareholders marked as 'lost' in their system due to outdated address information. This partnership helps prevent escheatment and maintains accurate shareholder records.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• TSX Trust Company: Canadian transfer agent and trust company serving TSX- and TSXV-listed issuers with transfer agency and corporate trust services. Comparable business model but operates primarily in Canada rather than ClearTrust's U.S. base.

Direct peers

• Equiniti: Major U.S. and U.K. transfer agent (formerly Wells Fargo Shareowner Services and Equiniti Trust Company) offering shareholder recordkeeping, proxy, DRIP, and corporate actions services. Closely comparable business model and customer base to ClearTrust's issuer services.
• American Stock Transfer & Trust Company: Mid-sized U.S. transfer agent offering transfer agency, corporate actions, proxy, and shareholder services. Closely comparable in size and service breadth to ClearTrust and competes for similar mid-market and small-cap issuers.
• Action Stock Transfer Corporation: Independent transfer agent offering stock transfer, DTC eligibility, and corporate actions services to small-cap issuers. Comparable niche focus and customer profile to ClearTrust.
• Pacific Stock Transfer Company: Independent U.S. transfer agent serving small- and mid-cap public companies with stock transfer, corporate actions, and shareholder recordkeeping services. Comparable service portfolio and target customer base.
• Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company: Independent transfer agent serving public companies with stock transfer, DTC/DWAC/DRS processing, proxy administration, and corporate actions — a direct functional competitor to ClearTrust in the U.S. market.
• Colonial Stock Transfer Company: Independent transfer agent specializing in small-cap and micro-cap public companies, providing transfer agency, DTC eligibility, and going-public services. Comparable niche positioning and customer profile to ClearTrust.

Broad incumbents

• Computershare: The largest global transfer agent and share registrar, serving issuers worldwide with a full suite of transfer agency, proxy, and employee equity services. Directly comparable as a transfer-agent competitor, but operates at vastly greater scale and breadth than ClearTrust.

Others

• Broadridge Financial Solutions: Adjacent infrastructure provider — ClearTrust integrates with Broadridge for proxy tabulation, voting, and beneficial-owner communications. Broadridge is a partner and adjacent ecosystem player rather than a direct competitor in core transfer agency.

Emerging players

• Issuer Direct Corporation (now part of Broadridge): Acquired by Broadridge, Issuer Direct offered transfer agency, shareholder communications, and proxy services to small-cap issuers — directly overlapping ClearTrust's issuer segment before integration into Broadridge's broader platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClearTrustStock
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleartrust-llc

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clear Trust