Anyone who is a UK resident for tax purposes and over the age of 18 can set up an account. There are no charges for setting up an account and no minimum balance is required.

Simply choose the type of account you want to open (Share Account, ISA, CTF etc) go to the 'Open Account' page associated with the account type, you then have two options:

1. You can download an application form, complete it and send it to us with the required identification (see what identification is required and why).

2. Complete the registration form, we will then send you an application form in your name for you to sign and return, with the required identification.

Once your account has been opened, we will confirm the account reference numbers and send you an Internet PIN (if requested), this will usually be within a few days.

In order to comply with UK Anti-Money Laundering regulations, like all other investment service providers, we have to take steps to confirm your identity. So, when returning your application, for each person named on the account, please provide two original forms of identification, as described below, each less than six months old and showing your name and permanent residential address.

The statement you provide MUST relate to the Bank / Building Society Account details you include on the BACS part of the account application.

Please provide one item from EACH of Lists A and B

LIST A		LIST B
Bank Statement		Council Tax Bill
OR		Utility Bill, gas, electricity, or home telephone (Sorry, we cannot accept a mobile telephone bill or red final demand bills).
Building Society Statement		Benefits Notification letter from the Benefits Agency confirming the right to benefits (e.g. Child benefit, Working Families Tax Credit) or the State Pension
		HM Revenue & Customs tax notification, e.g. notice of coding, statement of account, tax assessment.

Your original documents will, of course, be returned to you.

Our Customer Service team will be pleased to advise on the suitability of any particular document; call us on 01296 41 41 41.

Simply sign in to your account using the boxes at the top right hand side of the website, entering your Customer Reference Number and Password / PIN.

To buy shares you need to have already set up an account with The Share Centre. If you have an account set up you need to sign in, and then ensure you have money in your account. Once you are signed in select either a share already in your 'Share Watch' or press the 'Buy' button and follow the on-screen instructions. Alternatively, you can speak to one of our dealers by calling us on 01296 41 42 43.

You can trade in any of the shares quoted on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) that are settled by CREST, the automated settlement system used by the LSE. This includes most UK stocks as well as Unit Trusts, Investment Trusts and some AIM quoted companies. Selected US or European stocks are also settled in this way. Please call our Dealing team on 01296 41 42 43 if you would like to check that a stock is valid for trading.

As long as you have sufficient funds in your account, and you know what you want to buy, you can trade immediately. If the markets are open and you choose to buy or sell at the market price, your order will be executed.

You can of course choose the 'Batch' dealing option where your shares will be bought during the next batch dealing session. These sessions start at 9.00am 1.00pm and 4.00pm. Your order needs to be placed 15 minutes before the start of the session.

When you choose this option you should be aware that, because your shares will be bought alongside those of other customers, the price you get may not be the same as when buying them immediately. The market may also quote a different price because of the larger number of shares being bought together. The price you pay could, therefore, be higher than if your shares had been bought on their own.

If you only ever want to buy immediately you can switch off the 'batch' dealing session option, by going into the 'My Profile' section of the website (see the FAQ 'What is in my Profile Section' below).

There is a lot of research available on our website, including our Advice Team's current Buy recommendations along with their view on all shares in the FTSE100. You can put a share in your own ShareWatch (see the FAQ 'What is ShareWatch' below) and if we hold an opinion on that share a Buy, Hold, Sell symbol will appear, you can then view our opinion on that share.

Within our Research pages you can enter the name of the share you want to research and this will return everything you need to know about the companies you are considering.

We are also pleased to offer all our account customers a free (subject to national rate telephone call) telephone advice service, where you can talk to a qualified Advisor to ask their opinion on specific shares you are considering the number is 01296 41 43 45 and is available between 8.30am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).

If you hold shares with us you can sell them by simply signing in to your account page and clicking on the Sell button besides the share you wish to trade in. Again you can choose the 'Batch' option, however there is no benefit in reduced commission as there can be when buying with batch trading.

You will receive a contract note either by post or by email. You can set to receive email contract notes in the 'My Profile' section. The email contract notes are sent out in batches three times a day. You can also check that the deal has been executed, as it will show in 'Past Orders' with your account online.

A limit order sets either a maximum or minimum price for an order at which you are prepared to buy or sell shares. These can either be just for that trading day or up to a maximum of 365 days, free of charge. A Sell limit specifies the minimum price you will accept for your shares. A Buy limit specifies the maximum price you are prepared to pay when buying.

A stop-loss is where you specify a price at which, in a falling market, you give automatic sale instructions. This is the minimum price at which you are willing to hold a stock and is a safeguard to minimise losses.

A Tracking Stop-Loss gives you an added advantage of being able to lock-in profits as your shares price rises and then sell when it starts to fallback from its peak.

Here's an example:

Let's say you buy a share at a price of 105p and it initially drops-back but then rises to peak at 135p before tailing back again.

If you set a Stop-Loss at 100p your shares would be sold as soon as the price drops to that point. In this example, therefore, you'd hold the shares until day 50 and then sell at 100p, taking a loss of 5p per share.

However, set a Tracking Stop-Loss to shadow the share price by 10p and it's a different story. Now you hold the shares as the price rises and then sell on day 27 at 125p (10p off the peak of 135p). So instead of holding on and selling at a 5p per share loss, you actually lock-in a gain of 20p per share instead.

SafeGuard prevents a limit order from activating if the stock's bid/offer spread is outside an acceptable range. Because it is not unusual to see wider spreads on lower priced stocks compared to those with a higher price, the acceptable range narrows as the stock's price increases.

It operates by calculating the spread as a percentage of the 'bid' price and then checking to ensure it falls within an acceptable range. Starting with a maximum acceptable spread of 15%, the range reduces to 5% at a share price of 100p or more.

SafeGuards can be set at the time of placing your Stop-Loss or Tracking Stop-Loss order, or can be added to an existing, un-executed order.

ShareWatch is used for shares that you want to keep an eye on these shares can be added to your watch list. The price is recorded when you add the share allowing you to view the progress of how this share is performing, as each time you look at your ShareWatch the current price is shown along with the price when you inserted the share and the percentage gain/loss against that initial price.

You can also buy shares that are shown within your ShareWatch by clicking on the buy button next to the share.

Research is also available from within ShareWatch, once you have added a share you can then click on the name of the stock to research it further, and if there is a Buy, Sell, Hold symbol next to the share you can view The Share Centre Advice Team's current view of that stock.

The 'My Profile' section enables you to manage the way you view your account.

You can:

• Change your e-mail address

• Set your account so that you only see real time dealing, or if you prefer to deal in the batch dealing sessions you can set this as well

• Name each of your accounts so they mean something to you, such as 'University Savings'

• Set the option to receive your Contract Notes and six monthly valuations by email

• Choose to switch on and off certain facilities, such as Page Help or Advanced Dealing Options.

This is where we hold your shares in a pooled nominee account in CREST, the UK automated settlement system. At all times your shares are held for your beneficial entitlement. Using nominee accounts allows us to reflect your trades immediately in your account and means that you do no have to wait around for paper to be shuffled.

You can access your account at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year round. Trades can be input into the system at any time but will only be dealt when the London Stock Exchange is actually open. Normal market hours are 8:00 to 16:30 Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays). Trades placed outside these times will be forwarded to be traded when our dealing starts, or the next batch dealing session. Our immediate dealing option does not start trading until 8:15, as share prices can fluctuate quite widely when the market opens.

Company Report and Accounts are available to view on-line as well as order. Click on the Reports and Accounts symbol next to the share name. Simply complete the required information and you will be able to either view the report on-line or place your order.

If the Report and Accounts you want is not available through this service, you can request us to order a copy by either sending us an email or telephoning the Customer Service team on 01296 41 41 41.

We offer three different ways to transfer money into your cash account.

1. Debit Card Payment - Use your debit card to put money into your cash account and, up to the value of £10,000, once electronically authorised it is immediately available for trading. Funds over £10,000 require 3 working days before being cleared for trading. This can be done by calling the Customer Service team on 01296 41 41 41.

2. Bank Transfer - You can ask your bank to transfer money into your share account:

The Share Centre Customer Transfer Account
Sort Code: 12-21-37 Account No: 00100130
Please ask your bank to quote your Customer Reference Number. Some banks may charge for this service.

3. Cheque - You can credit your account by cheque. Send us a cheque by post to:

The Share Centre
PO Box 2000
AYLESBURY
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
HP21 8ZB

Again please quote your Customer Reference Number and make the cheque payable to The Share Centre. Cheques received for £10,000 or less can be dealt on day of receipt. If the cheque is greater than £10,000, please allow 3 business days for clearance.

During office hours (8am - 6pm) you can request up to £10,000 by telephone in cleared funds from the balance in your cash account, to be transferred out to your designated bank account. Your designated bank account can be set up during registration. Transfers usually take three working days and there is no charge for this service. You can request a cheque to be sent to you if you prefer, but there is a charge for this. To transfer money out of your account, or to check your designated bank details, call the Customer Service team on 01296 41 41 41.

If the cash balance you want to transfer to your bank is greater than £10,000 a signed letter/fax of authority is required.

You can close your account at any time by notifying us in writing at:

The Share Centre
PO Box 2000
AYLESBURY
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
HP21 8ZB

If you have shares still held in your account and wish to sell them, please ensure you give your instructions to sell in your letter. We will then on settlement day close your account and send you a cheque.

If you want to retain your shares but still close your account you can have your shares transferred out either to a new broker of your choice or to you in certificate form, whichever you prefer. We charge a fee of £15 per holding for transfers out.

We would love to keep you as a customer so please let us know why you are leaving so we can see if we can solve any problems you have with our service.

You can transfer any UK Crest eligible stock that you already own as a paper certificate or in another broker's electronic nominee account by calling the Customer Services team on 01296 41 41 41.

Please note it is important that you open your account before transferring your stock to us. Certificates should not be forwarded without a completed transfer form. Before you can transfer shares held in electronic format, you will need to advise us of the transferring broker's 'Crest ID number'. This should be obtained from your current broker. This is a free service, we do not charge for transferring stock in, but be aware that your existing broker may charge you.

You can withdraw shares from your nominee account by contacting the Customer Service team on 01296 41 41 41. There are two ways of transferring stock out. One is to transfer stock electronically to another broker's nominee account. The second is to transfer your shares back into certificates, this is also called 're-registering' stock. We charge a fee of £15 per holding for transfers out. Your instructions to re-register are required in writing, either by letter or by the completion of an account transfer form from your new stockbroker.

If a Corporate Action is announced and affects one of your holdings, we will promptly notify you as to the nature of the event and what you need to do should you want to take up the event. Once the Corporate Action has been processed, we will make any necessary changes to the holdings in your account. You will be able to see the effects of a change by viewing your portfolio online.

Any dividends earned on your shares will be paid to your cash account. Alternatively, you can have your dividends paid to your bank account by BACS by cheque or automatically reinvested into the highest value stock in your portfolio or your nominated stock. You can of course just retain the dividends within your account to use as you wish at a later date. Please contact our Customer Service team on 01296 41 41 41 for further information or to change your current option.

To help with your tax responsibilities we will send you a composite tax voucher following the end of the tax year, as at 5th April. Please note that it is your responsibility to make your own submissions to the relevant tax authorities regarding any money or investments in your account(s).

In order for us to amend/update your personal details such as a change of address we will require a signed letter/fax. To notify us of a change of name we will require the original marriage certificate/decree absolute/change of name deed. Contact the Customer Service team for further information on 01296 41 41 41.

Gross Credit Interest is paid at Bank of Scotland Base Rate less 3.5% on your cash balances and credited to your account on a quarterly basis. Please note that it is your responsibility to make your own submissions to the relevant tax authorities regarding any money or investments in your account(s).

You can contact us on 01296 41 41 41, or email us,

If you forget your Customer Number or Password / PIN, please telephone our Customer Service team on 01296 41 41 41. In order to verify your identity you will be asked some personal, account-related questions. For security reasons we cannot confirm your Customer Reference Number or PIN over the telephone, so a reminder will be sent out by post.

There could be a few reasons why you are unable to access or use your account. You may be using the wrong Password / PIN. In any case, please call us on 01296 41 41 41.

Something we come across regularly is the date and time setting of customers' PC's. Because our system works on timed cookies, the date and time set on your machine must be correct. To check, double click on the time that is displayed at the bottom right of your screen. This will show the current settings of your PC. Please ensure that the settings are correct, as if they are one day out, you will not be able to sign in.

To change the settings adjust the date or time and click 'apply'.

You will be prompted to check the details of your order before you 'confirm' your request to trade to help prevent you from making a trading error. In each instance you will receive the opportunity to cancel the order. However should you make an error and confirm that error, we cannot accept any responsibility, nor can your deal be cancelled. However, any orders that you have placed with us, but have not yet been dealt, will appear under 'open orders' and by selecting the 'Delete' button next to the relevant order, you can remove any order(s) from this list. Please contact our Dealing team on 01296 41 42 43 for additional help.

In these circumstances you will be able to place an order by telephone and have this executed by our dealers. Simply call the Dealing team on 01296 41 42 43.

As a technical minimum we would recommend the following: Windows 98 or later and Internet Explorer 5.5 / Netscape Navigator 7.0 or later.

You may be trying to access your account from an environment that does not support secure servers. Please contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP), or if at work, your system's administrator to address the situation.