Our default setting for distributing shareholder communications (e.g., proxy materials and annual reports) from U.S. and Canadian issuers is electronic delivery. Under this method the account holder will receive an email notice when information becomes available for a security they hold from our processing agent, Mediant Communications. This notification will provide the necessary links for accessing the information and voting through the Internet in lieu of receiving these documents via postal service. The technology which you will need to secure the information includes access to the Internet and a web browser supporting secure connections. In addition, you will need to be able to read the documents online and print a copy provided your system supports documents in a PDF format.
Record-date shareholders with settled shares eligible to vote should expect to receive shareholder materials with voting and/or meeting attendance instructions. In most cases materials are distributed via e-delivery, but holders may receive notice via postal mail in certain circumstances.
While e-delivery distribution is the default, it depends on several factors:
- The Issuer: Per regulation and/or at their choice, the Issuer ultimately decides whether shareholder materials will be distributed via e-delivery or via postal mail. In general, many Canadian Issuers tend to instruct postal mail and do not typically send e-delivery to non-Canadian residents.
- Regulation: For certain contested or special meetings, voting materials, prospectuses and/or other regulatory materials may be distributed via postal mail.
- Regulatory agencies: Intermediaries and Brokerage Firms must abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the regulatory agencies in each market, which may mean that the sending proxy & regulatory materials cannot be suppressed.
To ensure future eligible shareholder correspondence arrives in your inbox, please add the following email addresses to your address book. This sets the sending email addresses on your whitelist:
InteractiveBrokers@proxydocs.com
InteractiveBrokers@prospectusdocs.com
Account holders may withdraw their consent to electronic delivery and revert to postal delivery at any time by submitting a request through the Message Center located in Client Portal.
Important Considerations
While postal delivery is available, please be aware that some materials may not reach shareholders in a timely manner and important deadlines may be missed due to postal delays.
Additionally, under the EU SRDII regulation, e-delivery is required for European securities. The postal delivery option applies to US & Canadian Issuer directed shareholder materials only.
Postal Delivery Options
If you choose to receive US & Canadian shareholder materials via post, two options are available:
- Minimal Paper: A 1-2 page notice letter that refers shareholders to materials online. This option is recommended for prospectuses and other large documents, booklets, or packages that take longer to mail. Smaller summary documents and other materials would be mailed via post.
- Maximum Paper: Full package of materials including annual reports, paper voting ballot, proxy statement, and any other documents the issuer instructs to be mailed. Materials are mailed via 3rd class or bulk mail and may take additional time for shipping depending on the size of the envelope/package. In some instances, shareholders may not receive materials in time for the vote cut-off due to postal delays.
Please indicate your preferred postal delivery option when submitting your request through the Message Center.
Please Note
- Changes to delivery settings are not applied to shareholder materials where the record date has already been set. Account holders may, therefore, continue to receive deliveries for certain securities via the existing method for a period of 2 to 4 weeks after requesting a change.
- Issuers reserve the right, and are sometimes required by regulation, to send certain shareholder communications via postal mail regardless of the account holder’s preference for electronic delivery. This will most often be the case for interim or special meetings or for contested voting matters.
- The information above applies solely to shareholder communications associated with U.S. and Canadian Issuers. The delivery of communications for securities issued outside of these two countries is typically electronic, but managed directly by the issuer or its agent (i.e., not Mediant).
Additional Information