"Ray Jenkins" <rayj.balt[at]verizonDELETHIS.net> writes:

- quote -

See: http://www.fairmark.com/capgain/ident.htm

In summary, if you just sell, you are deemed by law to have
sold the oldest shares first (first-in-first-out, or FIFO).
You cannot, repeat, cannot match up blocks after the fact.

However, you can prior to the sale instruct your broker
which block of stock you are selling. The broker should
print that info on the confirmation slip so it is
documented. If they don't put it in writing, the specific
identification is invalid.

Some brokers are clueless and will make this a royal pain.
Some brokers will do it, but only on a phoned-in sale, not
an online one. Some brokers (Fidelity in particular) will
let you designate specific shares in an online trade and
will properly print said designation on the confirmation
slip.

--
Rich Carreiro rlcarr[at]animato.arlington.ma.us

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"Ray Jenkins" <rayj.balt[at]verizonDELETHIS.net> wrote:

- quote -

If you don't tell your broker to sell specific shares,
you're presumed to have sold them in the same order that you
purchased them.

If you want to specify which shares to sell, you must tell
your broker and he must provide written confirmation.

--
Barry Margolin, barmar[at]alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA

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"Ray Jenkins" <rayj.balt[at]verizonDELETHIS.net> writes:

- quote -

You can specifically identify the lot(s) you're selling at
the time of sale. See Publication 550 for the specifics. If
you don't identify, you sold the oldest shares you owned.

Phil Marti
Topeka, KS

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Ray Jenkins wrote:

- quote -

First in, first out, unless you either (1) have individual
stock certificates to sell, or (2) identify, on the sale
order to the broker, which lot(s) of stock you wish to
sell, and get a written acknowledgement from the broker.

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I have bought the same stock in 100 share quantities at
different times and differents prices.

When I start to sell, how do I correlate what I bought to
what I am selling?

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