ShareSoc
INVESTOR ACADEMY

Other Useful Sites

This page offers a catalogue of generally useful sites for UK investors. These include the sites of organisations that ShareSoc engages with, or co-operates with, to improve the landscape for the UK individual shareholder. Click on the logos to visit the sites.

The Investment Association is the representative body for UK investment managers. Their site includes useful information for investors in funds or investment trusts, for anyone considering doing so and wishing to learn more.

The Personal Investment Management & Financial Advice Association is the trade body for “wealth managers” and stockbrokers. Their site provides useful information about the range of brokers & wealth managers available, offering a search facility to find ones suitable for your needs.

The AIC (Association of Investment Companies) is the trade body for closed-ended investment companies, e.g. investment trusts. Learn more about such companies and find and compare them on its website.

The QCA represents smaller quoted companies. ShareSoc works with the QCA to agree best practice guides for their members and a regulatory environment that works both for ShareSoc members and for their members.

The Pre-Emption Group publishes guidance on the disapplication of pre-emption rights (this was formerly done by the ABI). See advanced topics within this Academy for more on the significance of pre-emption rights to shareholders.

ShareAction is a campaigning organisation that focuses on CSR issues and pressures companies to act ethically. It does this by attending and raising issues at AGMs and encouraging fund managers to act as good corporate stewards, by encouraging beneficiaries of the funds to put pressure on the fund managers to do so. ShareSoc also wishes to encourage better corporate stewardship, though we may not necessarily agree with ShareAction on every policy initiative they undertake, but there is a considerable amount of common ground.

Better Finance is the pan-European grouping of investor representative organisations. ShareSoc is a member organisation of Better Finance. Whilst ShareSoc can represent its members at a UK level, much legislation affecting investors originates at a European level and is better influenced by a pan-European organisation. ShareSoc ensures that our members’ interests are fully taken into account in the representations Better Finance makes.

The World Federation of Investors is a global grouping of investor representative organisations, of which ShareSoc is also a member. With UK individual investors being increasingly exposed to businesses and funds operating globally, it is important that your interests are represented as broadly as possible. Securities laws in foreign jurisdictions can affect your investments and the WFI provides a forum for helping to protect your interests, wherever your investments operate.

The Financial Reporting Council is the UK government appointed body which sets and enforces standards for accounting, reporting and corporate governance for UK businesses. It supervises the professional bodies governing the UK accountancy and audit profession. If a shareholder has evidence that a professional firm has not performed its duties properly, he or she can report the matter to the FRC, having first complained to the firm concerned and their governing professional body (e.g. the ICAEW) and if the responses from those are not considered satisfactory. ShareSoc represents its members’ interests to the FRC in the standard setting process. We participate in “FRC Labs”, which are, in effect, focus groups reviewing and contributing to proposed standards, for example on the reporting of executive remuneration. Information about applicable current and forthcoming standards can be found on the FRC website.

The Financial Conduct Authority is the UK government appointed body which regulates UK financial services firms and markets. It has an important role in detecting, punishing and deterring financial misconduct. It is the body to whom you should complain if you believe a financial services firm or an actor in the financial markets has behaved improperly. ShareSoc strives to ensure that individual investors can invest in a fair and level playing field and makes representations to the FCA on their behalf to ensure that this happens. Information about the rules with which market participants and financial services firms must comply can be found on the FCA website.

The UK Companies Act is an invaluable reference for understanding your rights as a shareholder of a quoted or listed company. It covers matters such as the conduct of general meetings and requirements for requisitioning meetings or resolutions. Users may find it convenient to download the PDF version, which is easier to search than the website.

Companies House maintains records on all UK companies. Investors can obtain information on directors and accounts filed from there. This is particularly useful for researching subsidiaries of quoted companies, or unlisted companies.

If you are unable to resolve a dispute with a financial services provider, including banks, insurers, brokers, platforms and financial advisers, the Financial Ombudsman service may be able to help and stipulate restitution for losses, where appropriate.

Group description:	SIGnet Taunton is a new group with around 10 keen members at present, with a range of investment styles and experience. We welcome new members.
Meeting Type/Venue:	In person meetings at a golf club near to the centre of Taunton.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	We meet on the first Monday of every month at a golf club near to the centre of Taunton, 11am until 3pm with a lunch break.

Group description:	An online group for those who are new to investing, or have only been investing for a few years. Including topics such as: – What is a share or a bond, why and how to buy them. – Comparing funds, unit trusts, Investment trusts and exchange traded funds. – Portfolio management and diversification. – ISAs, pensions, SIPPS and how to save tax. – How terms such as PE ratio and dividend yield are used to value a share. – How to use technical analysis or charting.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Online using Zoom.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Meetings are usually held on the last Monday of the month at 7:00pm.

Group description:	An online group for those who already have some experience in investing. Covering topics such as finding companies to invest in, financial statements and ratios, valuation / margin of safety, analysis of companies and investment trusts and exchange traded funds.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Online using Zoom.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Meetings are usually held on the last Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm.

Group description:	The Equity Income Group welcomes investors of all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced. The focus of meetings is on dividend paying Investment Trusts, though there is also discussion around individual shares.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Meetings are held online.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Meetings are held every 6 weeks on a weekday between 7 and 8:30pm.

Group description:	The Group welcomes investors of all levels of experience, from beginners to advanced. The focus of meetings is on all types of income generating financial instruments, from stocks through Trusts and Funds and ETFs to retail bonds. Meetings involve presentations from members, who are also expected to lead discussions from time to time, as well as discussions on what has been bought and sold since the last meeting.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Meetings are in-person in a venue in Central London.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Meetings are usually held on the last Thursday of every other month, starting with an informal lunch around 1pm followed by discussions until around 5pm.

Group description:	A welcoming group open to all types of investors. Typical meeting content is to have a deep dive presentation on a topic selected by the participants and a session on buy/ sell/ key lessons learnt last month.
Meeting Type/Venue:	In person at a friendly pub close to Piccadilly Circus
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	Monthly during the evening on the first Wednesday of the month.

Group description:	All levels of experience welcome. A typical meeting agenda includes: – Macro Environment – Trades: Members review existing positions and identify securities with promising TA entry patterns or setups and with suitable risk/reward. Any security, long, short, futures, options may be considered. The convener takes actual positions in trades and maintains his own detailed ledger, accurately measuring performance of individual securities and cumulative activity. Members are notified by e-mail prior to the entries or exits that are decided upon. Following each meeting an updated copy of the ledger is circulated together with the next meeting agenda. Members may wish to maintain similar ledgers of their own but there is no obligation to do so. – Technical Analysis: Techniques and systems used in trades. Members can request discussion of particular aspects of TA.
Meeting Type/Venue:	Online via Zoom
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	The first Tuesday of every month from 7 to 9pm

Group description:	Open to all investors / people with an interest in investing. Typical meeting will involve members talking about recent purchases, successes, failures and possible future purchases. Also with occasional visiting speakers or members making presentations on a topic of interest.
Meeting Type/Venue:	We aim to meet on the last Tuesday of each month in a private room at a pub in Playhatch. Start time 7pm with members encouraged to meet up around 6pm for a bite to eat / drink before hand, if their diaries allow.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	7pm on the last Tuesday of the month. Meetings likely to last about two hours but with informal ‘overspill’ before / after.

Group description:	Our group members have wide ranging investment experience and work backgrounds. Discussion topics include reviewing our recent stock or collective investment buying and selling activity, plus what we are considering buying or selling and the reasons for our decisions. We also have a wider discussion on where we think opportunities might arise in the next few months and what we think needs to be avoided. Members occasionally lead discussions on specific topics such as recent events attended, articles or books of interest and sources of investment ideas and information.
Meeting Type/Venue:	During the pandemic our meetings were held on Zoom, but we have now resumed meeting in person at a location a few miles to the west of Colchester. Most meetings will now be in person, but it is possible that occasional meetings will be held on Zoom in special circumstances.
Meeting Frequency/Timing:	We meet midweek every two months. Zoom meetings run for about two hours from 10.30am and in person meetings from 11am until about 3pm, including a break for lunch.