ShareSoc

UK ISA – Is it a good idea?

Below we summarise the government’s new UK ISA proposal and ask for members’ input. Your views and responses will inform our response to the consultation. The consultation can be read here (17pages). Key points: The government is looking to introduce the UK ISA. This will involve a new (additional) Individual Savings Account (ISA) allowance of £5,000 per year and will provide a tax-free savings opportunity for individuals to invest in the UK. The ISA is a tax advantaged savings account, where income ...

BETTER FINANCE publishes ShareSoc Investing Basics Videos

BETTER FINANCE is a pan-European organisation that aims to empower consumers in the field of finance. It works towards promoting financial literacy and providing consumers with the necessary information and resources to make informed financial decisions. The organisation also advocates for fair and transparent financial practices, and campaigns for better consumer protection. BETTER FINANCE has a network of national partners and representatives, who work together to achieve its goals. Through its initiatives and programs, BETTER FINANCE aims to create a better ...

Lord Lee asks Parliamentary Question about Capital Gains Tax

Baroness Penn, Treasury, has provided the following answer to the written parliamentary question (HL3755) from Lord Lee, Patron of ShareSoc: Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of (1) the number of additional taxpayers who will have to complete Capital Gains tax returns as a result of the proposed reduction in threshold, (2) the amount of additional tax revenue that is likely to be raised, and (3) the extra cost of administration that will be required as a result of ...

Blancco Update and Campaign Closure

BLANCCO (BLTG) We have closed this campaign as at 12 May 2022. The campaign achieved one objective of a fine of the auditors KPMG. However, the derisory amount (£3,500 plus costs of £2,743) questions whether the scale of the offence was fully recognised/punished by the regulator, the ICAEW. At the December 2020 Blancco AGM, the Chairman, Rob Woodward said that: * The FCA had posed a number of questions to the Company * The Company had answered those questions * The Company was never advised that ...

Learning about investing – thanks to ShareSoc

It is always interesting to look backwards as well as forwards as an investor and no better time than at the turn of the year. First of all, I...

Albion Venture Capital VCT Blog number 2

Albion want to change the performance fee from the current arrangement (1.9% management fee, plus 8% of returns over a hurdle rate of 5% per annum with a high-water mark) to 20% of returns above a hurdle of RPI +2%p.a., from a new starting point of NAV at 1 April 2019. ShareSoc recommends shareholders vote against this proposal and other resolutions at the AGM on 21 August. 1.9% plus 20% is egregious, particularly when: it represents an increase from historically agreed arrangements and  ...

Evening Standard, 10 June 2019 – Woodford Patient Capital Trust

Story about Woodford funds quotes ShareSoc director Cliff Weight saying the FCA needs to protect retail investors. https://www.standard.co.uk/business/woodford-in-stocks-blackout-as-he-fends-off-shortsellers-a4163576.html

Protect your rights, act now!

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to regain the rights and protections that you have lost as a result of the nominee account system. I urge you to act now by raising this issue at AGMs and writing to your MP, as suggested below. Probably the most important ShareSoc campaign is the Shareholder Rights campaign, launched in October 2014 to gain full rights for ALL shareholders. Individual shareholder rights have been eroded, particularly by the nominee account mechanism and the way that platforms and ...

Shareholder Rights

Probably the most important ShareSoc campaign is the Shareholder Rights campaign, launched in October 2014 to get full rights to ALL shareholders. Individual shareholder rights have been eroded, particularly by the nominee account process and the way that platforms, registrars and brokers fail to provide a good service to individual investors. Often, individual investors do not get informed when a general meeting is going to happen, and do not receive circulars, voting forms and annual reports. And many platforms make it difficult ...

Leon Goes For The Hackney Half

No, this isn’t anything to do with a beer drinking contest or a wrestling move - it's a half marathon round Hackney. Leon Boros, a former ShareSoc director and occasional contributor to the monthly newsletter, is running his first half marathon and has kindly decided to run it to raise funds for ShareSoc. Leon, who has just turned 56, has not been running long and the 13 Miles he needs to cover in the Hackney Half Marathon on May 20th represents a ...