ShareSoc Blog

The ShareSoc blog provides news and informal commentary from directors, members and other contributors. Entries reflect the personal views of the authors, which do not necessarily reflect ShareSoc’s formal position. Contributors may hold shares in the companies mentioned. Nothing in this blog should be viewed as financial advice. You may submit comments on blog posts, but ShareSoc reserves the right to remove or edit inappropriate or defamatory submissions.

There is more news given in the News page of our web site and more analysis of news is provided in our monthly newsletter for members – see the Newsletters page.

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Request for a SIPP Provider

Post Date: May 1, 2024

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. ShareSoc Member Sunil Chadda Seeks a New SIPP Provider for P2P Loan Assets Hartley Pensions SIPP & Exotic Assets I wonder if anyone can help or perhaps finds themselves in the same rather unique position as myself? I have a Hartley Pensions SIPP that is currently going through the administration process. The administrators are about to let us transfer our investments and cash out to another SIPP provider. My investments ...

FCA Consultation on Enforcement Practice & Transparency

Post Date: May 1, 2024

ShareSoc and UKSA respond to FCA Consultation “CP24/2: Our Enforcement Guide and publicising enforcement investigations - a new approach”. We are delighted that after many years of lobbying by ShareSoc and others, the FCA is bringing forward proposals to improve their enforcement process by increasing transparency and naming firms under investigation A primary operational objective of the FCA is to protect consumers of financial services, including our members, from bad conduct. Investor confidence in the current regulatory regime is very low. Individuals who report ...

From ShareSoc member to Non-Executive Director (NED)

Post Date: April 26, 2024

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. First Impressions with Advice and Tips on Becoming a Non-Executive Director. As I sat on the train en route to my first board meeting, I took the opportunity to reflect on my experience on becoming a Non-Executive Director (NED) at ShareSoc. I would like to share my recent insights with you, which hopefully may be helpful for those considering advancing their careers with a Non-Executive Director role. In today's ...

Wealth Management Advice versus DIY investing

Post Date: April 10, 2024

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. £300 or £3,400 of fees (i.e. costs) you pay each year? £300 or £3,400 of costs/advice fees is the choice that an investor with a £170,000 portfolio would face if he/she invested in a Vanguard passive fund with interactive investor or sought individual financial advice from one of the UK’s leading firms of advisers. £170,000 is the average portfolio of a St James’s Place client so is a useful ...

Investment trusts: time for boards to earn their corn

Post Date: April 10, 2024

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Why boards can't leave everything to the market. Or to the manager. Every morning I take the dog on a long walk, and usually listen to a podcast or two. One of my regulars is the Money Makers podcast, which is presented by investment trusts aficionado Jonathan Davis. Every week he has a couple of commentators on the sector, usually a manager and a generalist, often a broker or ...

Press Release 128: Four new directors join ShareSoc’s Board

Post Date: March 28, 2024

ShareSoc, the UK membership organisation for individual investors, is delighted to announce the appointment of Bob Pettigrew, Ram Sachdev, Vijay Tohani and Elliott Hughes as Non-Executive Directors. Bob Pettigrew has over 25 years of investing experience in new business opportunities in leading-edge technologies, successfully managing their development from concept to commercialisation. He is an active angel investor and member of Cambridge Angels, a group of investors with extensive experience of founding, growing, mentoring, and financing early-stage ventures across a wide range of ...

SIGnet Investors Network Launches New Taunton Group

Post Date: March 13, 2024

SIGnet is excited to announce the launch of a new in-person group based in Taunton. Investors of all levels of experience are welcome to join. The Convener of the group will be Tom Entwistle. Tom has been an active investor in the stock market and residential and commercial property for over 50 years, and the Convener of the SIGnet Manchester Group for the past 5 years. After 10 years in industry, Tom spent his main career as a lecturer and manager in further ...

Consumer Protection

Post Date: March 8, 2024

I was very interested in ShareSoc’s proposals for the Labour Party concerning the review of financial services. My particular focus was the section headed “Consumer Protection”. I have been a tax adviser since 1985 and a financial planner since 1991. I have always considered the client’s understanding of the pros and cons of an investment strategy to be a pre-requisite for any investment advice. However, the constant impact of regulation on the advice process has led to poorer understanding by the client ...

SIGnet Investors Network Launches New Online Technical Analysis Group

Post Date: March 7, 2024

SIGnet is excited to announce the launch of a new online Investors group focused on Technical Analysis. All levels of investing experience are welcome to join. The Convenor for the Group will be Christopher Pratt. Christopher is an experienced investor and technical analyst who has been a member of SIGnet from the first meeting in 1998. He convened a Technical Analysis (TA) group from 2000 to 2010, and a London Evening Group from 2012 to 2020. Until a few years ago he ...

Shareholders Stymied by Slow Government Reforms

Post Date: February 22, 2024

Ludicrous scaling back of orders for shares in JP Morgan Global Growth and Income Trust JP Morgan Global Growth and Income (JGGI) is a rare example, these days, of an investment trust that consistently trades at a premium to NAV, due to its popularity. Due to the heavy demand for the company’s shares and its ability to deploy capital easily into some of the world’s largest and most successful businesses, the company announced a placing and retail offer for its shares. The company ...

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