ShareSoc demands fair treatment for Beaufort clients

Press Release 104 – ShareSoc demands fair treatment for Beaufort clients

The liquidation of Beaufort Securities on the FCA’s instruction is targeting the ring-fenced property of thousands of UK private investors, many of whom are now facing losses of up to 40% of the value of their holdings. The liquidator’s proposals bring into question the whole system of regulatory and legal protection of investors in the UK.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) declared Beaufort Securities Limited (BSL) and sister company Beaufort Asset Clearing Services Limited (BACSL) insolvent on the 2nd March 2018 and PwC were appointed as administrators of BSL and special administrators of BACSL.

On 15th March, PwC confirmed that the ringfenced property of the Group’s clients was held appropriately in accordance with FCA requirements, being approximately £50million in segregated client money accounts and around £850million in client-owned securities. On the 12th April, PwC noted that client money and client assets were, as at the date of administration, substantially complete save for a very small number of isolated deficiencies. However, the initial estimate of £850 million client assets was reduced to £500m as a result of illiquid / nil value positions. The special administrator stated that the majority of client asset returns will commence September 2018 at the earliest and that around 700 clients with assets valued over £150,000 may experience a loss up-to a maximum of 40% on their ring-fenced assets!

PwC is proposing to charge an incredible £100 million for the wind-down over a period of 4 years. They have provided no justification of either the amount or timeframe for the simple task of transferring an electronic registry of client assets/money to one or more replacement brokers.

Over 14,000 clients invested through Beaufort Securities, an FCA regulated entity, on the assurance that their assets were firewalled per FCA rules precisely to protect them in the event of the broker’s insolvency. The suggestion that PWC as Special Administrator can seize client property and treat the owners as creditors of the failed entity makes a mockery of regulatory protections for investors in the UK.

The FCA seems to have allowed Beaufort Securities to continue trading while the FBI carried out an undercover investigation, apparently putting the interests of the FBI ahead of those of UK investors. This calls into serious doubt the FCA’s priorities and the regulator’s role in protecting domestic savers.

ShareSoc is determined to defend the interest of Beaufort clients, and the interests of UK shareholders in general, whose shares are held in nominee accounts and are therefore similarly exposed to the insolvency of their brokers.

ShareSoc has launched a campaign with the primary purposes of mounting a legal challenge to the current administration proposals, specifically:

Refuting the Special Administrator’s right to seize ringfenced client property
Ensuring proper separation of the liabilities of BSL from those of BACSL
Questioning the Special Administrator’s cost and time estimates in relation to the wind-down of BACSL
Seeking a transfer of the business of BACSL to an alternative custodian
Reviewing the actions and motivations of the FCA in this matter
Lobbying for legislative change to ensure that assets in custody are properly protected

Renowned FT writer and private investor, John Lee says:
“I am very happy to endorse the thrust of ShareSoc’s campaign. We were all shocked to discover the seeming vulnerability of clients’ funds when we thought that they were ring-fenced and protected. This loophole surely has to be closed”.

Details of the campaign can be found here:
https://www.sharesoc.org/campaigns/beaufort-client-campaign/

Note: ShareSoc has campaigned for many years for legislative change that would result in shares being directly registered in the names of their beneficial owners, rather than via brokers’ nominee accounts. Such a system would have prevented the current attack on the private property of the Beaufort group’s clients. See our shareholder rights campaign for further information: https://www.sharesoc.org/campaigns/shareholder-rights-campaign/

Information About ShareSoc, the UK Individual Shareholders Society
ShareSoc is the UK’s largest retail shareholder organisation acting in all areas of the UK stock market more than 4000 members. ShareSoc is dedicated to the support of individual investors (private shareholders as opposed to institutional investors). We aim to make and keep investors better informed to improve their investment skills and protect the value of their investments. We won’t shirk from tackling companies, the Government or other institutions if we think individual shareholders are not being treated fairly. See www.sharesoc.org.

Post Date: May 6, 2018

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:	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:	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:	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.

ShareSoc demands fair treatment for Beaufort clients

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