This article explains what a CUSIP number is and how to find one for a specific stock, bond, mutual fund, annuity, or other security. It includes information about what the characters in the CUSIP number mean and why they are important.
Cusip Checklist: A service to look up CUSIP NUMBERS and decode their VALUE!
A Committee on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures (CUSIP) number identifies securities, including stocks of all registered U.S. and Canadian companies, as well as U.S. government and municipal bonds.
CUSIP numbers are nine characters long and consist of numbers and letters. The CUSIP number is used in the CUSIP system, which is owned by the American Bankers Association (ABA) and administered by Standard & Poor's. This system facilitates the clearing and settlement process of securities.
Most stocks are identified by their ticker symbols, which consist of three or four letters, such as INTC for chip manufacturer Intel. Typically, there are about 20,000 unique ticker symbols for these listed companies.
