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In July 2022, Hartley entered administration. In February 2023, as part of our ongoing work to represent individual shareholder rights, ShareSoc director Mark Bentley joined an informal client committee to help represent the interests of Hartley clients.
Despite significant obstacles, we assisted in obtaining the agreement of the FSCS in early 2024 to cover the costs of the administration process. This was a huge win.
ShareSoc also formed the Hartley Client Support Group, with an online forum for our full members and a Facebook group to facilitate communication with and between Hartley clients who are not full ShareSoc members.
Yet, despite the path being cleared for Hartley clients’ SIPPs to be moved to other, solvent, providers, many clients are still waiting for their transfer to take place, well over two years on.
We continue to assist affected ShareSoc members to expedite their transfers. We are working with our contacts at the FCA to progress individual cases and the regulator’s support has been invaluable. We are pressing for a “lessons learned” session with the FCA, to review how similar cases can be avoided, or at least handled more efficiently, in the future.
Without our members’ subscription fees, we wouldn’t have the resources to represent individual shareholders as we do. If you aren’t already a member, please consider joining here. You may also like to donate to help support our work.
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| Group description: | The aim of this group is to share our investing ideas and experiences across all equity markets, brokers, websites and software to the benefit of us all. We do not discuss sums of money invested but may mention percentages gained and lost. We will rotate the chairperson who is responsible for creating, with member’s help, suitable agendas. We also rotate members to deliver a presentation, lasting between 15 and 45 minutes, on a topic of their choosing. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings are held online via video conferencing. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, from 2-4pm. |
| Group description: | A small group whose primary interests are equity and Investment Trusts. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings are online using Skype. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are held fortnightly on Tuesday mornings. |
| Group description: | We welcome anyone interested in investments regardless of their level of knowledge and experience. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings are held in a function room of a pub in Beaconsfield New Town. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 6pm. |
| Group description: | Discussions cover a broad range of investing subjects which provide the fundamental building blocks of investment without any focus on a particular style. We choose not to discuss technical analysis.
Members of this group have been investing for a number of years and therefore have a reasonable level of experience, but we still seek to learn from each other. We limit membership to no more than 12 people to ensure that everyone is able to make a constructive contribution to the meeting. The cost for each meeting is shared between the members – lunch, drinks etc is normally no more than £35 per head. This is in addition the annual SIGnet membership fee. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | We have face to face meetings every two months at a pub close to Waterloo Station, London. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings run from 11am to 4pm, every two months on a Tuesday and include a lunch. |
| Group description: | Investors of all levels of experience are welcome to join the Farnham (Surrey) group. Convened by David Stredder, who will be known to many as the founder of Mello, organiser of in person investment conferences and virtual Mello Mondays. David is also a director at ShareSoc and has been investing in quoted shares since the 1980s, with a focus on UK small caps. He has an extensive knowledge of UK companies and network of contacts in the investing universe. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings are held at a pub near to the railway station in Farnham, GU9. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are held monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 3pm with a break for lunch. |
| Group description: | Our Group considers both US Small Caps (up to $2bn Market Cap) and Mid Caps (up to $10bn market Cap). Meetings include discussions around buys / sells / watchlists, a short Macro discussion and discussions led by group members on companies or topics of their choice. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings are held online. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of the month from 7pm. |
| Group description: | The group has been successfully operating for over 24 years and currently has members with diverse investment styles. However there is sufficient in common to ensure an interesting mix of ideas and experience which provides a great sounding board for investing as well as the opportunity to enhance our investment skills.
Some members lean towards a buy and hold approach whilst others trade more frequently, some use technical analysis methods, others use fundamentals or a combination. Discussions cover companies predominantly listed on the London Stock Exchange, including small AIM stocks, but investments in other countries are sometimes included. Investment trusts, exchange traded funds, bonds and some other financial instruments are included. Economic issues as they relate to investing are discussed for those who adopt a top down approach. Additionally, experience of different investing software and information sources provides good insights into what members find works well for them. If an investment related subject is of interest to the majority of the group then it is included, such as government budget announcements, pensions and inheritance tax etc. Please note that this group is not for beginners. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Pre Covid we had face to face meetings once a month in a pub for a 3 hour session just a few miles to the west of Cambridge during an evening. Covid forced a change to video conferencing for meetings. These meetings remain monthly but are split into two shorter sessions, they normally take place on the first and second Thursday of each month. From 2023 at least two meetings during the year will be face to face.
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| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly, usually on the first and second Thursday of each month from 7pm. Any face to face meetings will be during the daytime. |
| Group description: | Our group is interested in sustainable investing and our goal is to identify and evaluate businesses that will thrive through innovation and their transition to a ‘One Planet Economy’. By leveraging the skills of group members, we aim to deeply understand these businesses, particularly focusing on how they develop long-term valuable benefits for their customers. Each year, we plan to evaluate around seven businesses to identify opportunities where our valuation exceeds the market price. A successful outcome is defined as achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR), including dividends, of 10% over a decade. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings are in-person in a pub near to Waterloo station in London. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are bi-monthly on a Monday from 10:45am to 4:30pm. Members are expected to also pay for their own lunch which secures the group free use of a private room in the pub. The cost is expected to be £35-40 per person, per meeting, in addition to your SIGnet membership fee. |
| 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 regular Signet Group looking to help members improve their investment techniques through group discussion of member’s experiences. We welcome investors with any level of experience. Group meetings generally start with:
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| Meeting Type/Venue: | In person at a friendly pub close to Piccadilly Circus. We also have the option for members to join the meetings remotely if they are unable to attend in person. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are held in the evening from 6pm to 9:30pm with a 30 minute break for supper, at monthly intervals. |
| Group description: | Our focus is on UK listed, high dividend yield individual stocks, although high yield investment trusts/REITS which are of interest to members will also be covered. This group is suitable for members with existing fundamental investing experience (at least 2 years), with a keen interest in discussing in some detail the underlying business, financial performance and future prospects of individual income stock ideas. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings are held online. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are held every 6 weeks from 4pm to 6pm on a Monday. |
| 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: | The Enfield Signet Investment group welcomes all types of investors. Currently we are a small group, with a few seasoned investors and others that are looking to learn more about investing more generally.
Meeting content is determined by the group in advance of meetings and the agenda will typically include discussions on stock ideas and other investment themes. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The meetings are in person at a pub in Enfield EN2. We start with a quick informal lunch followed by a discussion on investment themes, updates on prior investment recommendations and other items members have submitted for the agenda. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | We meet at 12:30pm on a week day during the first week of each month. Meetings are 2-3 hours depending on the number of items on the agenda. |
| Group description: | This group is for investors rather than technical traders. Although we mostly invest on the basis of Fundamental Analysis, we believe that Technical Analysis can be used to help decide the timing of entering, adding, reducing and exiting investments.
Meetings include presentations by group members on specific topics, and on recent decisions made with the input of technical analysis. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Online via Zoom |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly on the first Monday of the month.
Meetings start at 7 pm, and end between 8.30 and 9 pm. |
| Group description: | Our group is a broad church that contains investors of varying experience. Our members’ backgrounds are diverse and include corporate banking, engineering, teaching and the leisure industry. We generally pick a discussion topic for every meeting, e.g. housebuilders or the defence industry, and members are invited to research and discuss different aspects or companies within that industry. We also discuss stocks and investment trusts that we have bought, sold or are interested in and the reasons behind our decisions, and try to make sense of the ever changing investment environment. Discussions are robust and challenging but we are a friendly and approachable group who welcome investors of all levels – we just ask that you contribute, at whatever level you can. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Our meetings are held in a private room at a nice pub near to South Ealing tube station (Piccadilly Line), not far from Ealing Broadway (District, Central and Elizabeth Line). |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | We meet every 2 months, usually on a Wednesday morning at 11am. |
| 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: | The West Sussex SIGnet Group is open to all investors irrespective of experience. Those with limited investment experience will be encouraged to participate in online training courses operated by SIGnet. The group will be principally focussed on individual stocks or investment trusts covering the UK and US markets and ranging in size from small caps to mega caps.
Meetings will typically include a number of presentations on specific stock ideas and on investing styles and themes. Meetings will also review the performance of our “portfolio” of up to ten stocks chosen by the members in a share picking competition competing against other SIGnet groups across the UK. Additionally, members will be encouraged to identify a share from their portfolios and talk about it for 3 minutes (short ideas welcome). |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | We plan to meet physically every month during the day at various venues across West Sussex. During the summer months we may hold a number of evening meetings to encourage attendance from those unable to make meetings during the day. Additionally, we will hold online meetings from time to time. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings will be held on the second Monday of every month. Physical meetings will typically be from 11:30 to 15:30. Evening meetings and online meetings from 19:30 to 21:30. |
| 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: | This group was set up as a forum to discuss companies in detail, each company is introduced by a member and discussion may last one or two hours. Membership is by invitation only and is for experienced investors. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The group meets at a venue in Waterloo, London. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are on Tuesday mornings at two month intervals. |
| Group description: | This group was set up as a forum to discuss companies in detail, each company is introduced by a member and discussion may last one or two hours. Membership is by invitation only. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The group meets at a venue in Waterloo, London. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meeting on Monday mornings at two month intervals. |
| Group description: | Group of investors that meets on a bi-monthly basis to discuss all things happening in the world of investing, share each other’s knowledge and give the benefit of each other’s experience. Group primarily focuses on unit trusts, open ended investment companies and investment trusts. However, all investments are up for discussion and new members are always welcome and encouraged. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Remotely via Zoom on Saturdays on a bi-monthly basis, on dates collectively agreed by all group members. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Bi-monthly. |
| Group description: | This group nominally covers the whole of Scotland – although we are also open to members from wider afield. The focus of the group will be on ‘Technical Trading’ rather than Investing. Importantly, we understand that many people do both longer term investing and shorter term ‘technical trading’. Of that mix of styles this group will focus on ‘technical trading’ – so you might expect us to have conversations such as:
Swing Trading, Stop Losses and Position Sizing, Chart Patterns – Cup and Handle, Breakouts, Springs, Flags etc, Support & Resistance, Indicators, Price Targets, Positive Expectancy, Trade Management, Trading Systems, Trade Ideas and Evaluation, Trade Planning, Leading and Lagging Sectors, Leading and Lagging Participants within Sectors, Trade Journals, and the ‘Tools of the Trade’. The majority of the group have both longer term investments and carry out shorter term trades, too. They would term themselves both ‘investors’ with a longer term outlook and ‘traders’ with a shorter term outlook. The group members have broad experience in the markets – including across all asset classes and vehicles (shares – companies, trusts, ETFs, funds; spread-bets, CFDs, Options, Crypto). However, most of the group are predominantly interested in equities within the context of a portfolio. Although some members are highly experienced traders that is not true of all and experience level should not be seen as an impediment to joining. So, if you don’t know who Richard Wyckoff was, or why Fibonacci is even more relevant today than in the 11th Century – don’t worry! Every day is a ‘school day’ for us all – Mr Market makes sure of that! |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The aim is to have a mix of formats to support the requirements of all group members: – Online meetings once per month. Nominally on the last Tuesday of the month in the afternoon. The group will utilise MS Teams. – Occasional Face to Face meetings during week days to suit those members who are retired. – Meetings of opportunity: taking advantage of local investment seminars and events to meet up within the context of investment & trading. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Our aim is to meet at least once a month virtually with physical meetings when the opportunity arises. We are fortunate in Edinburgh to have many quality venues for meetings, and occasional investor events that allow ad-hoc meet-ups around the shared interest of investing & trading. |
| Group description: | The Worcestershire group was established in January 2024, and is open to all SIGnet members who have an interest in profiting from, and developing their stock market experience (other asset classes qualify too!). Novices and Fund Managers are made equally welcome.
Meetings consider topical investment issues, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and are intended to provide a forum for the enjoyable sharing of areas of expertise. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Face to face meetings are held monthly. Various venues in Worcestershire are used. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are held monthly, on weekdays, typically staring at 12 Noon, and finishing at 3pm. |
| 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. |
| Group description: | This group meets to look at issues that are of interest to the group, to look at individual companies with an investors eye and collectively raise the group’s knowledge of investable companies. There is also discussion on buys and sells made by members which calls upon and builds the collective skills and understanding of the group members. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The meetings are held in Piccadilly Circus in a pub private room. The group does not meet on zoom. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | The group meets on the second Wednesday in every month from 6.30pm to 9pm. |
| Group description: | The National Group is open to all members of SIGnet. It is intended primarily for new SIGnet members, who may not yet have found another suitable group to join. We aim to welcome new members and discuss their investment interests and current investment topics. Investors with all levels of experience are welcome to join. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Online |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | The National Group meets monthly, on a weekday evening. Meetings are generally from 7-8:30pm. |
| Group description: | This group was formed in September 2023 and meets in-person during the evening in a London pub. The group is open to all investors – a good proportion of the initial membership are experienced investors. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | In-person meetings. Pub. Dinner and drinks. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly on the third Tuesday of the month from 6-9pm. |
| Group description: | Group focused on active investing, primarily in small / medium cap UK equities. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Regular Zoom meetings interspersed with occasional face to face meetings and social activities in the North West. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly on Saturdays at 10am. |
| Group description: | Our group covers a wide spectrum of mainly stock market investing and trading from equities – which include shares, ETF’s Investment and Unit Trusts. We normally rotate the meeting chairperson (responsible for creating, with member’s help, suitable agendas) and a meeting presenter (members take it in turns to provide a 15 to 45 minute presentation on a subject of their choice). Various investing topics of interest are regularly discussed such as software, brokers, investing categories and markets and any related topics of interest. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings will be returning to in-person in a private room at a West London golf club, close to an underground station. In the meantime monthly video calls and an in-between meeting email group will continue. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | In-person meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month in the afternoons, following a golf club one course lunch. |
| Group description: | The Options group has been meeting monthly for some 20+ years and new members who are either trading or interested in trading options are always welcome. Our members trade options predominately on both UK and USA shares, indices, currencies and commodities. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings take place via video call. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are monthly, on the 4th Wednesday of each month, normally from 12:30 to 2:30 and sometimes run over. |
| Group description: | This group is nominally the Edinburgh group. However, the group actually draws membership from: Edinburgh, The Lothians, The Borders, Fife and Stirlingshire.
The majority of the group are what you could called ‘investors’ with a longer term outlook rather than ‘traders’, but several have broad experience in the markets. Most of the group are predominantly interested in equities within the context of a portfolio. Some members have interests across asset classes and are interested in portfolio construction and portfolio management. Although some members are highly experienced investors that is not true of all and experience level should not be seen as an impediment to joining. The group is open to new members. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The aim is to have a mix of formats to support the requirements of all group members:
– Online meetings once per month in the evenings to suit those members who are working |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Our aim is to meet at least once a month virtually with physical meetings as frequently or more often when the opportunity arises. We are fortunate in Edinburgh to have many quality venues for meetings, and occasional investor events that allow ad-hoc meet-ups around the shared interest of investing. |
| Group description: | This group is open to all levels of investor and is particularly popular because it meets after working hours in central London. The meeting usually has a presentation or group discussion on aspects of investing and also runs a Buys & Sells session which gives everyone the chance to see what the other group members are buying or selling and why. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The venue is near Victoria Station in a pub where the group also enjoy a meal from a typical pub menu. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | This group meets in the evening in London. It is a face to face group that meets every third Tuesday in the month from 6.30pm to 9pm. |
| Group description: | This group is for those interested in investing in the USA. It is open to all investors with a special interest in this area and all levels of experience are welcome. A typical meeting will have a discussion on a particular market issue or a presentation by a member or external speaker on a subject of interest to the group. All members are expected to play a part in presenting and to take an active role in making the group of value to all its members. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | As a specialist group with a wide geographic spread of members, our meetings are held on zoom. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are monthly and are held on the third Tuesday in the month from 11-12.30PM. |
| Group description: | A group that welcomes investors with all levels of experience. We aim to provide a friendly north-eastern welcome to anyone that wishes to join, share their knowledge of investing and benefit from others’ knowledge and experience.
The group discusses a range of investment related topics. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Currently, we’re meeting in-person at a venue in Durham. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings occur monthly, on weekday evenings from 7pm-9pm. We may vary this, according to demand from group members. |
| Group description: | We hold monthly in-person meetings with possible exceptions in August and December. Discussions are generally on the topic of investment strategy and potential companies of interest. Each member is expected to make an investment-related presentation approximately once a year. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | We meet in a private room at a pub around 7 miles SW of Oxford. We usually each order a dish from the pub menu that is served during the meeting. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are in-person, monthly on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 7pm. Typical meetings last 2 to 2.5 hours. |
| Group description: | The group is open to more experienced and established investors who are active traders in shares, bonds and other investment vehicles. All present members are “mature” individuals but this would not preclude younger experienced investors.
At present there is an interest within the group in AIM shares with a view to inheritance tax planning but this is not in preclusion to other interests, REITs, Investment Trusts, Property etc. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meetings take place in person at private houses mainly in the north Leeds area. On occasion, especially in the summer, meetings may be held in members’ houses elsewhere in the general area.
At each meeting the members outline their recent activity and its relevance to their overall investment goals. Current fiscal events and economic conditions are discussed. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | The group meets each month on a working day determined at the end of the preceding meeting.
The meetings commence at 10:30 am and continue until around 1:00 to 1:30 pm. |
| Group description: | A small group covering Dorset and South Hampshire.
We enjoy wide ranging discussions sharing views and knowledge on all investing types. We discuss relevant world events, sectors of interest, unit and investment trusts and individual equities. The group has been running for many years and members are all active investors. New members welcome. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Monthly meeting alternating between Zoom and Face to Face. The latter is in a local pub near the New Forest. All the meetings of recent years have taken place in the evening. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly during the evening, 7pm-9pm. |
| Group description: | Meeting once a month, our group covers a variety of investment styles. We also have an active WhatsApp group and we welcome new members. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Physical meetings at a venue in Preston, Hitchin, SG4. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly on a Saturday at 10am (usually the last Saturday of the month). |
| Group description: | Experienced investors who have been members many years and newer members wanting to learn about investing. Members discuss portfolio content and reasons why they have certain assets and investments. Buys and sells discussed along with interesting shares being considered along with current issues in the market of local or international influence. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Physical face to face meetings held in a central pub in Easton in Gordano. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Usually monthly to 6 weekly, mid week 12 noon to 2pm with lunch. |
| Group description: | We are a relatively small group, but have a wide range of interests so always start every meeting with a discussion about world issues and the “investing environment” generally. We always discuss individual members market activity and any interesting opportunities on their watchlists. There is currently a lot of expertise in the small cap value area of the market within the group. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Our preference is for a physical meeting and a hotel in Meriden (Coventry) is the usual location, but we do have on-line meetings when weather and/or health issues make that the most suitable option. We rotate the chair and this is agreed at the previous meeting. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Our preference is to meet every 4 weeks on a Thursday evening, but the exact details are agreed at the previous meeting. |
| Group description: | Most members are experienced investors. The main focus is on equity investments (single stocks or investment trusts). Other asset classes are discussed. Meetings involve presentations from members who are expected to lead discussions from time to time. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Meeting quarterly, physically in Central London. Other months (8 months per year) on Zoom. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meetings are generally held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month. The Quarterly physical meetings are from 11am-4pm (with approximately 1 hour break for lunch), the Zoom meetings (during the other 8 months) tend to last up to 2 hours (11am – 12:45pm). |
| Group description: | A long-established group, however, we welcome new applications. Our meetings start at 10:15am with coffee and scones when members comment on their investment activities since the previous month. Generally, each member reports on a specific Company/IT/Fund e.t.c. This brings us to about 12:30pm when the meeting ends, and we have lunch. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | In-person at a Golf Club in Belfast. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | The group usually meets on the second Wednesday of the month, all year round, except in July and August when we have no meetings. Meetings commence at 10:15am and last 2-3 hours (including lunch). |
| Group description: | We welcome anyone interested in investments regardless of their level of knowledge and experience. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | Physical meeting in the Boardroom of a venue in RG9 (pre-meetings in the bar). |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Monthly – 3rd Wednesday of each month at 18:00 (except January, where the meeting will be held at lunch time). |
| Group description: | We are a friendly social group welcoming investors with all levels of experience. Our membership varies between those with little or no knowledge of investing to those who live off their investing or their portfolios. We do not invest as a group so there is no money on the table, and we never discuss individual worth; we simply discuss and share investing ideas, we analyse the state of the market, individual stocks, funds, trusts, bonds etc., and we invite contributions from all group members. Guest speakers and company presentations are a regular feature, as is the SIGnet competition and also our own long-term Manchester Portfolio. We invite members to volunteer presentations from time to time on particular topics of their interest / expertise. At each meeting members are asked to share their latest or potential buying and selling activity. Our face-to-face meetings are punctuated by a lunch break, and for those with the time there is socialising and drinks afterwards. Most of all we learn from each other. |
| Meeting Type/Venue: | The group meets through a combination of Zoom and face-to-face meetings at a central Manchester boardroom style venue. |
| Meeting Frequency/Timing: | Meets bi-monthly, 10am-3pm on Monday mornings, usually mid-month. |
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As a Hartley SIPP client, I would like to say a big thank you to Sharesoc and especially Mark Bentley in trying to get my SIPP transferred after 2 years of prevarication by the administrators UHY Hacker Young. If ever an Insolvency Practitioner needed to loose their licence to operate, it must be them !
As a Signet member – this is the first I’ve heard of the Sharesoc/ Hartley discussions. I’ve had numerous problems with the inactivity/ mistakes/ errors of Hartleys / UHY Hacker. I have a substantial sum invested in my Hartley SIPP and it seems stuck !
I’d be happy to join Sharesoc for assistance.
Hi David
It’s been difficult to publicise the work we did on the Hartley case, due to NDA restrictions whilst we were members of the client committee. We’ll shortly be launching a formal support group for Hartley clients (we already have an informal one). If you upgrade to premium ShareSoc/SIGnet membership, you’ll have access to an active private online forum we created for Hartley clients.
I’ll do my best to help you with your case.
Regards
Mark
Great work Mark and ShareSoc. Thank you
Mark ! I have this afternoon crossed the Hellespont and Joined Sharesoc from Signet !! As mentioned before I have all sorts of concerns/ complaints/ frustrations with Hartleys and their handling of my SIPP. ( Which was transferred to them from Greyfriars a few years ago !) – Obviously ‘I know how to pick em !!
Thank you for the offer of assistance.
Once I’ve got ll my Sharesoc credentials – I’llbe in touch.
Thank you
David Lewsey
Hi David
Thank you for upgrading to premium membership. It really helps us in maintaining an organisation to support you and the community of individual investors in the UK.
The transfer of your SIPP from Greyfriars to Hartley is one of the key issues that we want to discuss with the FCA in a “lessons learned” meeting. This is not the first time that SIPPs have been transferred from a failed SIPP operator or brokerage to another unsuitable operator/brokerage. There was a similar issue following the failure of SVS Securities, when client accounts were transferred to ITI Capital, who turned out to be unable to cope. In that case also ShareSoc had to intervene, in collaboration with the FCA, to get dissatisfied clients transferred to better equipped firms. ISTM that the problem has been that the FCA has looked for (relatively) quick and easy solutions when a firm fails and haven’t been fussy enough in selecting a suitable firm to take on client accounts from the failed firm.
Part of this is that some of the accounts with the failed firm are “problem accounts” (e.g. in Hartley’s case, those containing “toxic assets”). That means that high quality firms are unwilling to take on the accounts from the failed firm, en masse as they’d then be left with the problem and expense of dealing with the problem accounts. What needs to happen IMO is for the FCA to first undertake an exercise to identify the “problem accounts” and separate them from those without issues. The problem accounts then need to be passed to a specialist organisation (similar to the concept of a “bad bank” when banks fail), whilst I’m sure reputable firms would then be more than happy to take on the accounts without problems.
Best
Mark
Dear Mark
Thank you for your work on this issue.
The article above says “many clients are still waiting for their transfer to take place”. I am one such, with a ‘standard’ set of investments, no toxic etc.
I have been unable to find any clients who have been transferred out, I wonder if ‘many’ should be ‘all’ in the above phrase.
Are you able to give an approximate idea how many of the 5000+ affected clients have actually been successful transferred?
Thank you.
BR
Alan
Dear Alan
Sorry to hear that you are amongst the “many”. I have not had confirmation that any clients have yet transferred out successfully but can’t say definitively that none have, hence I can’t say “all” with any certainty.
I will soon need to chase again on a number of specific outstanding cases that I’ve been assisting with.
Best
Mark
I am assuming that my SIPP has ‘impaired’ or ‘toxic’ assets…. one of which would be Dolphin bonds ( later German Property bonds) which many of us refugees from Greyfriars held.
But I’ve never received confirmation of this from UHY.
I understand that some SIPPs have been transferred to Morgan Lloyd ??
Mark thankyou for all this effort…
Hi David
AIUI only those SIPPs without “toxic” assets are eligible for bulk transfer to Morgan Lloyd. Whilst it is understandable that more time is required to make arrangements for those SIPPs that are not eligible, I think this is now taking far too long.
I have been in communication with the FCA about certain specific cases for affected ShareSoc members (involving both SIPPs that their owners believe don’t contain toxic assets and some that do). I will be chasing the FCA in the new year about those cases and continuing to urge them to pressure UHY to ensure that Hartley has sufficient adequately trained and qualified resources to get all cases resolved.
It’s a scandal that 2.5 years on from Hartley entering Administration, we’re still waiting for clients to regain full control over their SIPPs.
If you haven’t been advised which tranche your SIPP falls into, I recommend that you contact Hartley to clarify the status of your SIPP. In their update of 19th December UHY say:
If the Hartley team don’t answer your query satisfactorily, please let me know and I can bring this to the FCA’s attention.
Happy New Year!
Mark
Ma
Copy of my request to Hartley a fortnight ago – surprise – NO ANSWER !!
Good morning and Happy New Year !
I assume that the transfer of my SIPP to Morgan Lloyd may have been held up because it contains ‘ toxic’ or ‘impaired’ investments.
Could you please notify me as to which investments are considered ‘toxic’ or impaired and which category does my SIPP fall into…
Of course, a realistic estimate as to when my SIPP might be transferred would also be welcome.
Regards
Thanks David
I’ll get in touch with the FCA about Hartley’s lack of responsiveness, as soon as I can.
Best
Mark
I have finally had a reply from the FCA. They say:
This is too vague for my liking. We will discuss Hartley’s (lack of) progress in ShareSoc’s policy committee shortly and consider what further action we might take.
Hi Mark,
I understand from UHY bulletin before Christmas UHY Hartley have been coming up to speed with ‘new’ pension management software.
Do you have a view if this new tool will include the Origo Pension Transfer Software which allows swift transfer between pension management companies?
I understand this is UK pension industry ‘standard’ practice.
Disappointingly FTadviser is saying just 5% of Hartley clients have been transferred (ftadviser 7/1/25). Hopefully the administrators new software will ramp this up.
A new LOW for Hartleys ! They have taken £1500 from my linked bank account without any explanation. Furthermore payment seems to have been made to two individuals ? a P Kubik and B Johnson… This might be an annual fee – but surely they should have told me ? I have emailed them but dont expext a reply !!
Thanks for letting us know, David. I will be in contact with the FCA shortly re Hartley and will add this to the list of issues. Your case generally is on my list of issues to follow up on.
Kubik & Johnson are the official Joint Administrators of Hartley, appointed under the Insolvency Act.
I have now asked for an explanation of this deduction, for you. Will advise what response I receive.