Anybody else getting any Standard Life shares? I kept my pension in Standard Life when I moved here because of all this demutualisation business. The time has now come. Thought it would be more since I've been with them 10 years. Works out to around 500 GBP but better than nothing. Any views on whether I should hold onto them or take the money and run?

Oh, and it's only taken since Nov'04 but I finally got my 2004-2005 tax return sorted...they owe me over 1000GBP back, though it hasn't showed up yet.

Cathie

Have you checked that you can still claim the shares when you are non-resident? When the Alliance and Leicester did something similar...you were prohibited from getting any shares unless you were resident in the UK.

Hi Cathy & dingbat
I read an article in the times, that recommended hanging on to them if you had a portfolio of shares, as you would get bonas shares later. If you don't have other shares, it said you may as well get rid of them when they float, as Standard Life will do it for you (admin costs £10) where as if you sell them later you have to get a broker etc...
I'm selling mine, as otherwise you get into tax issues etc... and I need the cash for my shipping costs!!
I think I remember reading that Standard have set something up for res of Canada, as I think they have a Canadian branch, or something.
Can't remember much, I was just trying to understand all the financial mumbo jumbo in the stuff they sent!
Sally

I am selling the lot as we need the cash for valium.
Seriously though, the investment sector has been up and down like crazy recently and I would only keep them for the long term to benefit from bonus shares and cheap additional shares (as outlined on the package you should have been sent), Otherwise sell and forget about them and how they buggered up my endowment gnash gnash gnash.............................

I've got a whole brochure from Standard Life geared to Canadian residents. For those selling and still in the UK, I just want to let you know that you only pay Capital Gains tax on half of the Capital Gains in Canada but if you sell in the UK you will pay Capital Gains tax on the full gain.......think about it.

Cathie

Thats assuming the gain is more than £8,800 (your CGT allowance in England)

I thought non-residents were getting a cash payout rather than shares - can anyone confirm? I'm sure I remember reading something about this in one of their recent brochures.

How do you know that? The value of the shares will not be announced until just prior to flotation (but well after you have to decide whether to keep them or sell).

came home to find my standard life pack , it only contains info and application to buy shares , nothing about how many shares i have recieved if any ??

This info was on a separate sheet of paper other than the leaflet and form.

Oh yes, I forgot about that. The only time I ever had a capital gain was in selling a 2nd flat so I still had to pay Capital Gains....so forgot.

For the person that said non-residents have to take cash, Canada is actually one of the few non-resident countries that is allowed to keep the shares.

For the person that said they didn't get info about number of shares, maybe you don't qualify for shares but qualify to buy at a reduced price.

Cathie

all i have is application form , prospectus ,guide to buying share and an envelope

That's what the stuff I got from them said, Foreign Investors get cash option only, presuming your policies are through a foreign address and not still a uk one.