Smart things to know: How to authenticate a signature

Here are five things to know how to authenticate a signature.

1. A request for the redemption of a mutual fund, bond or saving scheme can be rejected due to the mismatch of signatures.

2. Signatures can change over time, and in some cases, the individual might forget how they signed years earlier.

3. A banker is authorised to attest the signature of an account holder. Investors can obtain the attestation and submit it with a copy of their PAN card.

4. It is mandatory for signatures that have changed due to marriage, or because the individual attained adulthood, to be attested by bankers.

5. Bank officials will seek proof of identity and supporting documents, and will then attest the signature by affixing the official seal to validate it.

(The content is courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL). Contributions by Girija Gadre, Arti Bhargava and Labdhi Mehta.)