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Youinvest Charges Postscript

Post Date: August 26, 2016

I previously commented, both on this blog and in the ShareSoc Informer Newsletter, on the revised charges that Youinvest announced on the 9th August. The impact on SIPP investors with largish portfolios of direct investments (shares or investment trusts) seemed to be minimal. But the increase in custody charges on funds caused more than one ShareSoc member to complain. The introduction of a custody charge on holding shares, investment trusts, ETFs, gilts and bonds in SIPPs, ISAs and Direct Dealing accounts may ...

Please Vote Against Berkeley Remuneration

Post Date: August 23, 2016

ShareSoc has advised investors to vote against the Remuneration Report at Berkeley Group. Is a total pay figure of £21 million in 2015/16 for Executive Chairman Tony Pidgley justifiable on any grounds at all? It has surely arisen as the result of an over generous LTIP scheme which shareholders voted for without realising the possible consequences. LTIP schemes have been one source of the ever growing pay of public company directors and if we are to reign in pay levels we ...

Companies House Records May Be Lost

Post Date: August 20, 2016

The last ShareSoc Informer Newsletter contained an article on the ease with which one can look up the past history of company directors in the new free service provided...

BHP Billiton Meeting and Other ShareSoc Events

Post Date: August 18, 2016

ShareSoc has organised a meeting for investors with BHP Billiton Plc on the 29th September at 11.15 am at their London offices. The meeting will consist of a presentation followed by Q&A and then a buffet lunch meeting with BHP Billiton members of staff. BHP Billiton announced their latest annual results on 16th August and the FT had this to say: “Writedowns and impairments have dragged BHP Billiton to its biggest annual loss, capping off a troubled year for the Anglo Australian miner ...

Book Review – Invest In The Best

Post Date: August 10, 2016

The book Invest In the Best, written by Keith Ashworth-Lord, has recently been published. I am familiar with Keith's work (he currently runs the Sanford DeLand UK Buffettology Fund which has been performing very well), because he presented at a ShareSoc Masterclass event. I also remember reading the Analyst publication many years ago to which he was a major contributor and which very much influenced my own investment style. The subtitle of this book is "Applying the principles of Warren Buffett for ...