During the privatisations of utilities during the Eighties she realised the huge increase in

During the privatisations of utilities during the Eighties she realised the huge increase in small shareholders meant the number of small unwanted holdings would grow.Seeing the collections for unwanted foreign currency at airports, she thought the same could be done for shares In 1996 Sharegift was launched In the first year £16,000 was donated. By last year this had risen to an annual £190,000, making a total of £600,000 so far. But there are hundreds of millions of pounds in small shareholdings and more companies are incorporating details of Sharegift in their annual reports and other communications. Accountants and stock- brokers are also recommending Sharegift to their clients.The charity accepts all UK listed shares and some foreign holdings. The most frequently donated are those of blue-chip companies, followed by gilts, unit trusts and warrants. The charity sells the collected shares through the stockbroker Killik & Co which makes no charge.

Donors suggest the good causes and nearly 300 organisations have benefited, including Shelter, Save the Children and the Royal National Institute for the Blind.Donating shares to charity gives rise neither to a gain nor a loss for capital gains tax purposes, and there is no stamp duty. Tax relief on the value of donations is also available.The share certificates should be sent with a form from Sharegift’s website or direct. Sharegift will send donors transfer forms, and help if certificates have been lost or if the owner of the shares has died.Sharegift, 24 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 0DHTel: 020 7337 0501Website: www.sharegift . If you are still smarting from this summer’s stockmarket losses, at least you can take comfort in one thing. Moneynet If you are still smarting from this summer’s stockmarket losses, at least you can take comfort in one thing. Hot competition between stockbrokers has spawned good cut-rate dealing charges. The number of online stockbrokers has mushroomed in the past two years, and there are now more than 30 fighting for business.

Brokers are falling over themselves to attract new clients, in the belief that the number of wealthy people will grow.
“The key thing is the identification of a new market, the mass affluent,” says Brian Mairs, of The Association of Private Client Investment Managers and Stockbrokers. “It is best [for brokers] to attract people when they have smaller amounts of money.”In the World Wealth Report 2000 from Merrill Lynch and Gemini Consulting, researchers said they expected the wealth of these high net worth individuals to increase by 12 per cent a year, to nearly $45,000bn (£31,000bn) in 2004.Initial offers from brokers reflect the red-hot competition. Hargreaves Lansdown charges new clients just £4.95 per trade for the first 30 days, but E*trade goes all the way and offers 30 days’ commission-free trading. Newcomer IMIWeb, which is owned by Italian Banking Group Sanpaolo IMI, says it will give new clients up to £60 cash back if they transfer existing shareholdings to its service.But comparing the ongoing cost of online services is hard, with some offering special deals, lower rates for frequent trading and tiered prices There are many hidden restrictions to watch out for. Some brokers charge a flat fee, and others levy quarterly management fees as well as charges for individual stock trades.IMIWeb has adopted a flat charging structure.