Anti Money Laundering

Identity verification (also referred to as anti-money laundering or AML) is important and helps us ensure that the person carrying out financial transactions is the person they claim to be. It also helps us protect you as there is an increasing trend in scams where criminals might look for ways to access your money.

When you’re opening an investment with Columbia Threadneedle Investments, withdrawing money, or giving any instructions, we may need to take steps to verify you.

We understand you may be trying to access the funds held in your account, so we aim to make this as quick and easy as possible, while at the same time keeping your investments safe. We’ve brought together some guidance and support to help make verifying your identity simple.

What you need to know

You may have arrived at this page following a letter from us or have been directed here following a telephone call/email enquiry. Here are a few things you need to know:

We typically need two documents, one to verify your identity (name) and one to verify your address
You cannot use a family member to certify your documents, someone who lives at the same address or who’s in a relationship with you
The certifier can be retired, as long as they are still an active member of a recognised professional body
Each document needs to be photocopied and certified individually on the front
If there’s more than one page/side to the document, each one should be certified – this is particularly important where, for instance, the address is on the reverse
The certifier should also complete the documentation slip enclosed with our letter – this is really important, as it gives us a way of either verifying their details or to get in touch with them should we require additional information
If you’ve not received a letter/documentation slip, the certifier should provide as much information as possible, including their job title, business name and address, name or professional body and badge/reference/registration number (where applicable), along with their contact telephone number and email address
The certification must include the certifier’s name, signature, the date and the following statement:

“I certify that this is a true copy of the original”

Documents – what you can send us

We will always need to see two separate documents¹ – one single document can’t be used to verify both identity and address.

Identity	Address	Identity OR address
Passport (current, valid)	Bank statement ²	Full or provisional photocard driving licence (current, valid)
Military ID/Veterans ID card	Credit card statement ²	Government-issued photo ID, including your name, date of birth and/or full address
EU/EEA/National ID card	Mortgage statement ²	Most recent HMRC Tax Code Notice
Shotgun licence or Firearms Certificate	Current council tax demand letter, bill or statement ³	Recent evidence of entitlement to a state or local-authority funded benefit (including housing benefit and council tax benefit), tax credit, pension, educational or other grant ³
Biometric Residence Permit

¹ exception for care home residents – please see Frequently asked questions

² must be dated/issued within the last three months

³ must cover the current year/charging/benefit period

Certifiers – who can certify your documents

The following list isn’t exhaustive, but generally speaking, we look for a certifier we can independently verify on a public register where one exists. They should provide as much information as possible, including:

Full name
Job title
Business/employer name and address
Name of professional body (where applicable)
Badge/reference/registration number (where applicable)
Contact telephone number and email address


Medical
Doctor
Dentist
Nurse (RGN or RMN)
Optician
Chiropodist
Pharmacist
Legal
Judge or Magistrate
Barrister
Solicitor
Notary Public
Legal executive/legal secretary
Commissioner for oaths
Justice of the Peace
Public Official
Member of Parliament
Local or County Councillor
Official of an embassy, consulate or high commission of the country of issue
Military/Service
Officer of the armed forces
Police or Customs Officer
Professional/Financial Services
Accountant
Actuary
Engineer (with professional qualifications)
Member, Associate or Fellow of a professional body
Bank or Building Society Official
Financial Services Intermediary (for example, a Stockbroker or Insurance Broker)
Insurance agent
Director or officer (working within the Legal or Compliance office) of a regulated financial firm
Post Office official

Medical

Legal

Public Official

Military/Service

Professional/Financial Services

Accountant
Actuary
Engineer (with professional qualifications)
Member, Associate or Fellow of a professional body
Bank or Building Society Official
Financial Services Intermediary (for example, a Stockbroker or Insurance Broker)
Insurance agent
Director or officer (working within the Legal or Compliance office) of a regulated financial firm
Post Office official

Overseas Residents

We recognise that our overseas investors may face challenges with the list of accepted documents. There are options (including their overseas equivalents) for overseas residents on the main document list, but the following additional guidance may be helpful:

Address	Identity OR address
Local Government tax/Property tax bill or statement	Any Government-issued photographic ID document containing your full name, address and/or date of birth

Overseas certification In addition to the overseas equivalent of our approved certifiers list, the following guidance may be helpful:

Notary Public – typically used in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia
City Hall local government official – typically used in Western Europe
Police Station – typically used in Scandinavia and South Africa
Justice of the Peace – typically used in Australia and New Zealand

Young adults (including Matured CTF and former Junior ISA holders)

We recognise that if you’ve just turned 18, you may not have some of the documents listed. Here’s some guidance on what we’ll accept in addition to what’s on the main list:

Identity	Address	Identity OR address
PASS card (including TOTUM, MY ID CARD, YOUNG SCOT, CITIZENCARD), as long as it contains your photograph, full name, and either address or date of birth	HMRC notification letter in relation to your Child Trust Fund	Documentation relating to any Government benefit entitlement (e.g. educational grant)
		Confirmation of successful student loan application
		Most recent HMRC Tax Code Notice
		National Insurance Letter confirming your National Insurance Number

Frequently asked questions

Why do you need me to prove who I am?

Identity verification is an important process to ensure that the person who is carrying out financial transactions – e.g. opening a bank or investment account or applying for loans – is the person they claim to be. When you’re opening an investment with Columbia Threadneedle Investments, withdrawing money, or giving any instructions, we may need to take steps to verify you. Our overriding aim is to protect our customers’ money – and there are laws that mean we’re obliged to do this.

What does certified mean?

The certifier must write the following statement on the front of each document:

“I certify that this is a true copy of the original”.

If the document is photographic identification, the certifier should also state that it’s a good likeness of you. They should print and sign their name, add the date and complete the documentation slip enclosed with our letter. If you’ve not received a letter/documentation slip, the certifier should provide as much information as possible, including their job title, business name and address, name or professional body and badge/reference/registration number (where applicable), along with their contact telephone number and email address.

Can I send you original documents?

We don’t recommend you send valuable original documents such as passports, but if you’re comfortable doing so, we’re happy to accept original documents, and we’ll return those within a few days. Some customers find it easier to send an original document, particularly in the case of things like a tax coding notice or bank statement/utility bill.

What happens once I’ve sent my documents to you?

What if I don’t send you the documents?

If we’ve not received your documents within four weeks of our first contact, the account will remain open and any funds we’ve already received will remain invested. However, no-one can add further money to, or withdraw funds from the account until we receive acceptable documentation. Regular direct debit payments will also stop and online access will be restricted.

I bank online, how can I verify my address (or bank account, if I’m making a withdrawal) using a statement?

Why are your certifiers not the same as on the GOV.UK website?

Why can’t a family member certify?

It’s important your documents are independently verified. This confirms that the certifier has seen the documents you’ve presented and confirmed they were the original documents – and where applicable, that any photographic documentation bears a good likeness to you. We’re not asking them to confirm that they know you (in the way that a certifier would if they were signing your passport photo, for instance.

Can I send scanned copies by email?

Can I log into my account through the Investor Portal and upload my documents?

My teenager was able to verify their identity using their mobile phone when their CTF matured – why can’t I?

I have an elderly parent/relative who’s in a residential care home and no longer has things like a passport, driving licence or utility bills – what can I provide for them?

We’re mindful of our obligations as far as potentially vulnerable customers are concerned. For permanent care home residents, we’ll accept an original letter on headed paper from the care home, signed by someone in a senior position (e.g. Manager, Director of Care) confirming the full name and date of birth of the resident and the period of residence. This will be acceptable for both identity and address verification (i.e. you only need to provide that single document).

I’ve only just turned 18 and trying to access my CTF – I don’t have any of the documents you’ve asked for.

Will you cover any costs incurred with getting my documents certified?

What does valid mean (passport)?

I’ve not had to do this with my other provider(s) – why you?

Why wasn’t your electronic check on my identity successful?

We use a company called Experian and will look for them to verify both your identity and your address, each against two different sources. We might not get a positive result (or only a partial result) if you’re known by/use a different name than the one we’re searching under, have only recently moved to an address, or sometimes where the layout of your address doesn’t match what’s held on the Royal Mail’s postcode system (e.g. in the case of a flat or house name). People who don’t have much of an electronic footprint (perhaps if they don’t use credit cards, haven’t had loans/finance or choose to opt out of the open electoral register) may only return a partial result. Please note that we can’t currently do an electronic check on overseas addresses.

You’ve sent me a list of documents/certifiers but I’m finding it difficult to provide what you’re asking for – what alternatives
do I have?

I live overseas - what documents can I provide and who would you suggest I get to certify them?

We hope that our main lists would give a sufficient range of acceptable documents/certifiers (and please bear in mind we’ll typically accept their overseas equivalent – e.g. Council Tax is specific to the UK, but most countries will have a version of local or property taxes. Similarly in the UK we’ll get a Tax Code Notice from HMRC but in Australia the equivalent would be an NOA from the Australian Tax Office).
For more details on acceptable documents and certifiers, please see the section on overseas customers.

I work away from home part of the year/I’m at college/I’m temporarily working overseas - what address should I use?

I use a different name for professional reasons or am known by a different name from what’s on my official
documents – what name should I use?

Any documents you use to verify your identity should show your full legal name (and for that reason, we strongly recommend that any application you make is in your full legal name). We appreciate that some customers may prefer to open an account in their known or professional name but if you’re submitting documents in a different name, these should be accompanied by a written explanation.

Please be aware that if you open an account in a different name from the one your bank account is held in, and you intend to make payments or withdrawals from/to that bank account, this may cause difficulties and potential delays, as we may have to ask for additional documentation from you.

I’ve already provided verification documents when I was a customer of a previous company which is now part of your organisation or before you became part of Columbia Threadneedle Investments – why do I need to do this again?

How do I send the documents to you?

Why do you need me to prove who I am?

Identity verification is an important process to ensure that the person who is carrying out financial transactions – e.g. opening a bank or investment account or applying for loans – is the person they claim to be. When you’re opening an investment with Columbia Threadneedle Investments, withdrawing money, or giving any instructions, we may need to take steps to verify you. Our overriding aim is to protect our customers’ money – and there are laws that mean we’re obliged to do this.
I bank online, how can I verify my address (or bank account, if I’m making a withdrawal) using a statement?

Most banks will send confirmation of your account details through the post to you if you ask them – you can then send this on to us. Alternatively, please contact us and we can run your bank details through an electronic check which we may be able to accept as bank and/or address verification.
Why are your certifiers not the same as on the GOV.UK website?

Our general approach is that certifier should be independently verifiable rather than being someone who needs to be personally known to you.
Why can’t a family member certify?

It’s important your documents are independently verified. This confirms that the certifier has seen the documents you’ve presented and confirmed they were the original documents – and where applicable, that any photographic documentation bears a good likeness to you. We’re not asking them to confirm that they know you (in the way that a certifier would if they were signing your passport photo, for instance.
Can I send scanned copies by email?

Scanned documents should be certified in the same way as documents sent through the post. They must therefore be a certified pdf document. We won’t accept uncertified scans or photographs/jpegs of documents.
Can I log into my account through the Investor Portal and upload my documents?

We don’t have this option available at the moment. We’ll let you know about any new developments when they happen.
My teenager was able to verify their identity using their mobile phone when their CTF matured – why can’t I?

We don’t have this option available at the moment. We’ll let you know about any new developments when they happen.
I have an elderly parent/relative who’s in a residential care home and no longer has things like a passport, driving licence or utility bills – what can I provide for them?

We’re very much mindful of our obligations as far as potentially vulnerable customers are concerned. For permanent care home residents, we’ll accept an original letter on headed paper from the care home, signed by someone in a senior position (e.g. Manager, Director of Care) confirming the full name and date of birth of the resident and the period of residence. This will be acceptable for both identity and address verification (i.e. you only need to provide that single document).

I’ve only just turned 18 and trying to access my CTF – I don’t have any of the documents you’ve asked for.

Please go to the section on this page for ‘Young Adults’ or visit the CTF hub.
Will you cover the any costs incurred with getting my documents certified?

We don’t cover any costs associated with obtaining documents or having them certified.
What does valid mean (passport)?

Your passport can be for any nationality, as long as it’s still in date (i.e., not expired/past the end date).
I’ve not had to do this with my other provider(s) – why you?

The law around anti-money laundering verification doesn’t prescribe how financial firms should verify their customers, only that they should – so you might find that different firms you have a relationship with, have different requirements.
Why wasn’t your electronic check on my identity successful?

We use a company called Experian and will look for them to verify both your identity and your address, each against two different sources. We might not get a positive result (or only a partial result) if you’re known by/use a different name than the one we’re searching under, have only recently moved to an address, or sometimes where the layout of your address doesn’t match what’s held on the Royal Mail’s postcode system (e.g. in the case of a flat or house name). People who don’t have much of an electronic footprint (perhaps if they don’t use credit cards, haven’t had loans/finance or choose to opt out of the open electoral register) may only return a partial result. Please note that we can’t currently do an electronic check on overseas addresses.
You’ve sent me a list of documents/certifiers but I’m finding it difficult to provide what you’re asking for – what alternatives do I have?

We believe the range of documents and certifiers is wide enough that most customers should be able to supply at least one item and have it certified – if this is not the case for you, please get in touch to explain your circumstances and we’ll see what we can do to help.
I live overseas – who would you suggest I get to certify my documents?

We hope that our main lists would give a sufficient range of acceptable documents/certifiers (and please bear in mind we’ll typically accept their overseas equivalent – e.g. Council Tax is specific to the UK, but most countries will have a version of local or property taxes. Similarly in the UK we’ll get a Tax Code Notice from HMRC but in Australia the equivalent would be an NOA from the Australian Tax Office). For more detail, please see the section on overseas customers.
I work away from home part of the year/I’m at college/I’m temporarily working overseas – what address should I use?

The address should be the address you ordinarily live at – i.e., your physical residence, where you would under normal circumstances go home to at the end of the night (and most probably where you’re registered to vote). We can always send mail to you at another address, but it’s important that we verify you using your residential address.
I use a different name for professional reasons or am known by a different name from what’s on my official documents – what name should I use?

Any documents you use to verify your identity should show your full legal name (and for that reason, we strongly recommend that any application you make is in your full legal name). We appreciate that some customers may prefer to open an account in their known or professional name but if you’re submitting documents in a different name, these should be accompanied by a written explanation.

Please be aware that if you open an account in a different name from the one your bank account is held in, and you intend to make payments or withdrawals from/to that bank account, this may cause difficulties and potential delays, as we may have to ask for additional documentation from you.
I’ve already provided verification documents when I was a customer of a previous company which is now part of your organisation or before you became part of Columbia Threadneedle Investments – why do I need to do this again?

We may need to take steps to verify your identity, even if we’ve done this in the past. However, please get in touch with us as we may b

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Verifying your Identity

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Savings Plans

Our funds

Already a customer

About Columbia Threadneedle​

Help and support

Verifying your Identity

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

About Columbia Threadneedle