TD WATERHOUSE LAUNCHES FREE SHAREHOLDER VOTING SERVICE

Posted December 14, 2009 

LONDON -- TD Waterhouse, one of the UK’s largest execution-only online brokers, has introduced a new free service to customers that will provide nominee shareholders with easier access to company information and the option to vote online on decisions relating to their UK-listed nominee shareholdings. TD Waterhouse is the first execution-only broker to offer these combined services to customers in the UK.

The TD Waterhouse Shareholder Voting and Information Service is an opt-in service that is available for free to all TD Waterhouse nominee customers and is provided in association with Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc., a global provider of investor communication solutions.

“At TD Waterhouse we appreciate that not being recognized on the share register has long been an issue for UK investors when holding shares electronically with a broker,” says Jason Robinson, Director of Operations at TD Waterhouse. “For this reason we have worked with Broadridge to find a solution that will alleviate this problem for our nominee customers.  

“The TD Waterhouse Shareholder Voting and Information Service is the first of its kind available from a non-advisory broker in the UK. It is a free service that will make it easier for our nominee customers to exercise their rights as shareholders. All they have to do is sign-up and TD Waterhouse will keep them informed on voting rights and shareholder information relating to their UK listed shares.”  

The new service has been welcomed by the UK Shareholders Association (UKSA), which has long been an advocate of holding shares in Personal Crest accounts but recognize that some shareholders prefer to use their brokers’ nominee accounts.

 “The UK Shareholders Association welcomes the new service from TD Waterhouse because we consider it essential that shareholders are given voting and information rights in the companies in which they invest,” says Roger Lawson, Communications Director, of the trade group.