Education

Share Power Book Review

Book Review by ShareSoc Director Cliff Weight Brilliant, insightful, fun and easy to read short book on how ordinary people can change the way that capitalism works. Merryn Somerset Webb’s Share Power is a page turner. I recommend all ShareSoc members buy a copy and read its 145 pages. Should companies care about climate change? Should they be vanquishing the gender pay gap? Should they be advancing human rights in their supply chains? With 11 million people owning shares directly or indirectly, it’s ...

Portfolio Review 2021 – Mark Bentley

This article reflects the opinions of its author and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. Introduction Following on from my review in 2020, I have now conducted a similar exercise for 2021. See last year's article for an explanation of my investment objectives, strategy, "asset types" and investment accounts. 2021 was "a year of two halves" with my holdings roaring ahead in the first half and then a bit of a rollercoaster ride since September. These market gyrations are difficult psychologically but having lived through ...

What’s the best way to teach children about financial literacy?

The following article represents the personal views of Cliff Weight and not necessarily those of ShareSoc. I saw this interesting article in the FT: We need people to know the ABC of finance: facing up to the financial literacy crisis. The article showed data on Responses to financial literacy questions around the world. An example: If you had $100 in a savings account and the annual interest rate was 2%, how much would be in the account after 5 years, more than $102, ...

The FCA awakes?

This is a personal blog by ShareSoc director Cliff Weight and does not necessarily reflect the views of ShareSoc. There is an excellent article in the Mail on Sunday today by Jeff Prestridge who is our key note speaker at the ShareSoc Woodford Webinar on 30 September - What happens next. click here to register  In today's article Jeff highlights that "the City regulator – the Financial Conduct Authority – has finally woken up from its lockdown slumber and decided to go all ...

SPECIAL OFFER TO FULL MEMBERS – FREE COPY OF THE 3RD EDITION OF “THE DIY INVESTOR” BY ANDY BELL

Andy Bell - founder of AJBell Youinvest - has generously offered ShareSoc a large number of copies of the latest edition of his classic book "The DIY Investor" issued in May this year.  We are offering these e-books FREE (worth over £12) to all full members of ShareSoc on a first come first served basis until supplies are exhausted.  If you want to download a copy* then please login to the ShareSoc website and go to the "Member Offers" page here - https://www.sharesoc.org/members-area/member-special-offers/special-offer-details/- to click ...

The Times , 23 August 2021, Ludicrous rules prevent TV educating viewers about stock markets, says Lord Lee

ShareSoc Patron Lord Lee is quoted in the The Times, 23 August 2021, in an article about the ludicrous rules that prevent TV from educating viewers about stock markets. Lord Lee is urging the government to look at financial and broadcasting regulations that effectively restrict mainstream television from producing valuable educational and informative programmes about investment. Lord Lee has tabled a parliamentary question.  “To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will meet (1) representatives of the major television channels, (2) the Financial Conduct Authority, and ...

Mail, 14 March 2021, Extensive ShareSoc press coverage in Mail newspapers

Mark Northway, ShareSoc Chair, is quoted extensively in this article for new investors. The Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail is doing a good job at informing its huge readership about investing in shares and funds. Recent coverage includes https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/share-investing/article-9343095/What-rights-shareholders-companies-own.html https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/share-investing/article-9346497/How-invest-shares.html  https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/investing/article-9358297/YOU-power-make-firms-kinder-Heres-how.html The good news about Mail On Sunday and the Daily Mail is there is no paywall, IT'S FREE, so everyone can read their very informative articles, unlike the FT, Telegraph and Times. Also, the articles include links to the ShareSoc website so this may attract ...

Mail, 14 March 2021, SUPERMAN and #sharesocuk Support Shareholder Rights.

It is good news that The Mail on Sunday MailOnline is supporting shareholders and shareholders rights. I get quoted.... Cliff Weight, director of investor campaign group ShareSoc, says wealth platforms make it so difficult for customers to engage that they are 'disenfranchising individual shareholders'. He says: 'Most platforms don't even pass on information and if you want to vote the method offered is practically prehistoric. As a result they're throwing away millions of shareholder votes.' Weight believes platform Interactive Investor is better than most. Eight per cent ...

Mail, 10 March 2021, Shareholder rights campaign featured on This is Money

ShareSoc's chairman Mark Northway wrote an exclusive article for This is Money on 10/03 highlighting the importance of shareholders exercising their rights. Click here to read the article in full.    

Portfolio Review 2020 – Mark Bentley

Background I have not published a portfolio review for quite a while, as it's so time consuming to do. However, 2020 was an extraordinary year, so felt I really ought to see what went wrong, what went right and whether there were any lessons to learn. Before diving into the details, I need to explain my circumstances and investment strategy. I have been a full-time investor since 2004, living off a fixed pool of capital. Therefore, capital preservation whilst generating sufficient return to ...

Is the FRC doing a good job?

By Cliff Weight, Director, ShareSoc. I think the FRC is doing a much better job. The record fine for Deloitte re Autonomy, (see Compliance Week: FRC fines Deloitte record $19.4M for Autonomy audit failures ) and the fines at Redcentric and Redcentric's auditors, and the prosecutions of former Redcentric directors in Southwark Crown Court are further evidence that things are changing. As is the transitioning from FRC into ARGA. But don't take my word for it. Come to the FRC events we have organised ...

Lessons From a Failed Investment

This is a premium article, available to ShareSoc full members and SIGnet members. Recent troubles at the AA (AA.) and Petropavlovsk (POG) brought to mind another problematic investment that I am more familiar with and which shares some characteristics of those companies. That investment is Gulf Marine Services (GMS). IPOs by Private Equity Vendors Like the AA, GMS was floated by its original private equity owners, with a premium listing on the LSE main market, in March 2014. GMS is a relatively straightforward business: ...