T +353 1 641 9455 | +353 1 641 9455 from the UK
E [email protected]
Irish CSD migration – brief outline
Irish corporate securities are currently settled in the CREST system operated by Euroclear UK & Ireland, a UK-incorporated company, which operates the CREST Irish System as issuer Central Securities Depository (CSD). Crest has provided post-trade services for Irish and UK securities for over 20 years. Brexit has resulted in the current arrangements between Euroclear UK & Ireland and the Irish corporate securities market becoming untenable and a mandatory national market infrastructure change is now required. In 2018, the Department of Finance mandated Euronext on behalf the Irish Market to select a suitable alternative. In December 2018 Euronext Dublin announced that, based on the analysis it had carried out of four possible CSD options for settlement post-Brexit, it had selected Euroclear Bank to be the market solution for the long-term settlement of Irish securities. The European Commission and ECB provided derogations until March 2021 to allow this CSD migration to occur.
Trading in Irish corporate securities
There will be no change in the way Irish corporate securities are bought or sold once the holding is in electronic form on a client account. It will continue to be necessary for shareholders to dematerialise physical certificates for any Irish corporate securities into their account before they can be traded.
Certificated Trading
Up to 4 March we have been able to sell a limited number of Irish listed shares for clients in certificate form, namely CRH and Kerry Group. This is no longer possible under the new settlement regime. From 4 March onwards all Irish listed shares will have to be dematerialised (put into electronic format) prior to a sale being placed. It usually takes two to three working days for shares to be dematerialised with the exception of the time period noted below which covers the period of time leading to the Irish CSD changeover.
Dematerialisation of Certificated holdings
Between 4 March and 15 March, in the lead-up to the switch of settlement from CREST to Euroclear, it will not be possible to dematerialise any certificate in an Irish corporate security into a client account. Please note this is a market wide position, not a Goodbody one.
Transfer Forms
The CREST transfer form will continue to be valid for the dematerialisation into client accounts of UK corporate securities, however, from 4 March, the CREST transfer form will be replaced for Irish corporate securities by a Euroclear Bank Transfer form. Both forms are available for download from our website. View forms here.
Many Irish corporate certificates currently in circulation have a CREST transfer form printed on the reverse. From 4 March 2021 it will no longer be acceptable to sign the reverse of the certificate for an Irish corporate security to dematerialise the holding into your account. The certificate will need to be accompanied by a signed Euroclear Bank Transfer form.
Who can open a Goodbody Online account?
A person resident in Ireland over 18 years of age can open a Goodbody Online account.
How do I open a Goodbody Online account?
To open a Goodbody Online account, please read the terms of the Goodbody Online Execution Only Agreement and complete the application form online.
Once you submit your application, you will receive:
As soon as your client agreement is received and your identity verified, your account will be set up and activation details will be issued to you by post.
What is the minimum amount required to open a Goodbody Online Account?
Goodbody Online has a minimum initial investment of €5000.
I am an existing client of Goodbody - how do I open a Goodbody Online account?
As an existing client, you may contact us through your portfolio manager or contact Goodbody Online directly on +353 1 641 9455, and select option 3. You may need to supply updated verification documents (as detailed below).
What documents do I need to open a Goodbody Online Account?
You must read the terms of the Goodbody Online Execution Only Agreement, complete the online application form. You must electronically sign your application and electronically verify your identity. To verify your identity, you will need to provide one proof of photo identity and two proofs of address. These must be provided electronically.
What proof of identity and proof of address documents are acceptable?
Proof of Identity
You will need to provide one proof of photo identity and two proofs of address. These must be provided electronically.
1 x Proof of photo identity
Acceptable photo ID are valid:
2 x Proof of address
One proof of address must be for the bank account details provided on your application form.
Acceptable proofs of address are:
How long does it take to open a Goodbody Online account?
As soon as your client agreement is received and your identity verified, your account will be set up and activation details will be issued to you by post. If you do not receive your activation details within five working days after completing your application, please contact us.
Once your account is activated, you must then pre-fund your account via cheque or electronic transfer before starting. Please note the funds must come from your sole bank account if you have a sole Goodbody account, we are unable to accept funds from joint bank accounts unless the Goodbody account is also in joint names.
Can I open a joint account?
Yes, simply complete the joint applicant section on the Goodbody Online application form. Identification and proof of address must be supplied for both parties when opening a joint account. Please note that only one account holder may log on to their Goodbody Online account at any time.
How can I activate my Goodbody Online account?
Once we have received your completed application form and documentation, you will be sent a client code, followed by a username in a separate letter with instructions as to how to activate your account. You will need both your client code (GSXXXXXX) and your username to activate the Online account.
What do I do if I lose my client code and/or username?
If you lose your client code or your username, please call us on +353 1 641 9455 and select option 2.
Can I change my username?
It is not possible to amend your username as this is your unique identifier code and must remain as issued.
How do I pre-fund my account?
You can fund your account via cheque or electronic transfer. Please ensure that you include your Goodbody Online account code when you submit a cheque to us or when you transfer funds to our bank account. Please note the funds must come from your sole bank account if you have a sole Goodbody account, we are unable to accept funds from joint bank accounts unless the Goodbody account is also in joint names.
For details, please contact us on +353 1 641 9455 and select option 2 or, alternatively, email us at [email protected]
How long will it take for funds to appear on my online account?
Depending on which financial institution you use to transfer your funds, it can take up to 72 hours for the funds to appear on your online account.
How can I withdraw funds after I place a sale?
In order to withdraw funds please contact us on +353 1 641 9455 and select option 2 or, alternatively, email us at [email protected].
How soon can I place an order to place a buy order?
You may place a buy order as soon as your account has been credited with your opening cash balance.
How will I receive my account reporting documentation?
You will receive your account reporting documentation electronically through your Online account. We will not send this documentation to you by post.
Your account reporting documentation, including contract notes, statements and corporate action notifications will be securely uploaded to ‘My Notifications’ on your Online account. Any documentation uploaded will be available for you to access online for a minimum period of two years.
For your convenience, you will receive an alert by email or by text message notifying you of important documentation that we have uploaded securely to your Online account. We therefore encourage you to keep this contact information up to date. Any changes to your email address or mobile telephone number can be made in ‘Settings’ on your Online account.
Where can I access the terms of the Goodbody Online Execution Only Agreement?
To access the terms of the Goodbody Online Execution Only Agreement, click 'Open an Online Account' on the Goodbody website. When you log on for the first time, the terms of the Agreement will also be presented to you and you must press 'I accept' to proceed. Whenever these terms are updated, they will be presented to you on screen when you next logon after an update.
To open a Goodbody Online account, you must read the terms of the Agreement, complete, electronically sign the application form, confirming that you have read, understood, accept and consent to the terms of the Agreement.
Is it possible to spend more than my available funds?
Yes, it is possible for a purchase order to be executed for an amount greater than your available funds in circumstances where share price movement causes the actual traded price to exceed the indicative price. If this occurs you will be contacted by a Goodbody Online representative, after the trade has been executed, in relation to the additional funds which are required to complete the purchase transaction. It is only on receipt of the additional funds due that the shares will be fully allocated to your account.
Do funds held in my Goodbody Online account accrue deposit interest?
Any funds or income which are held in your Goodbody Online account do not attract deposit interest. All Goodbody Online accounts are non-interest bearing.
What is an indicative price/consideration?
Indicative prices are provided for information purposes only and they are not real time prices. They indicate the price at which previous trades have been executed.
Can the actual traded price exceed the indicative price?
Yes, this is possible. Indicative prices are delayed, hence the actual traded price can exceed the indicative price.
How soon can I place an order to sell my shares?
You may place an order to sell your shares as soon as the shares exist in saleable form on your Goodbody Online account - i.e. they are in electronic form.
How do I transfer existing share certificates into my Goodbody Online Account?
Should you wish to undertake online transactions for shares currently held in certificated form, please note that your share certificate must firstly be dematerialised i.e. transferred into electronic form. You can download the relevant transfer forms for your Irish, UK and US shares below. These forms should be signed and returned to us along with your certificates. We will then forward them onto the relevant Registrar for dematerialisation. The process of dematerialisation is required so that you can trade your shares online. Shares are held with various Registrars, Irish and UK listed shares can take between two and five working days to dematerialise and be applied to your Goodbody account. US shares can take anything from four to six weeks.
If you hold Irish shares you will need to sign a Euroclear Bank Transfer Form. If you hold UK shares, you will need to sign a Crest Transfer Form. If you hold US shares, you will need to sign an Irrevocable Stock Power Form and a Foreign Cert Validation Form. These forms can be printed from the Forms page. Click here to go to Forms.
If you are unsure which is the correct form please contact us on +353 1 641 9455 and select option 2 or, alternatively, email us at [email protected]
PLEASE NOTE: Share certificates should be sent to Goodbody by registered post. Processing share certificates for addition to client accounts takes time. If you wish to call to the office to personally deliver your share certificates, please phone and make an appointment as we may be unable to deal with ad hoc personal deliveries due to business volumes.
When transferring shares into your Goodbody Online account please provide us with the book cost of each holding so that we may provide you with an accurate valuation. The book cost is calculated by averaging the price by quantity at time of purchase.
Please note that share certificates should be sent to us by registered post but should not be sent in with the new account application form. We are not permitted to hold client assets until the account is opened and we will therefore have to return them to you.
How do I transfer existing nominee holdings with another broker into my Goodbody Online account?
To transfer a nominee holding from another broker, you will need to instruct your broker in writing to transfer your nominee holding to Goodbody Online. You will also need to send a copy of this instruction to Goodbody Online.
To transfer shares from an existing Goodbody account to a Goodbody Online account, please instruct your Goodbody portfolio manager to action this process.
Which shares can be traded through Goodbody Online?
Goodbody Online Execution-Only service is restricted to certain securities listed on the Irish, UK, US and certain European exchanges. We reserve the right to limit our online service by dealing only in certain stocks or categories of stocks and to change the stocks or categories of stocks in which we are prepared to deal, without notice to you.
Are there restrictions on the ownership of certain shares?
Certain companies restrict ownership of their shares on the basis of nationality. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are entitled to own and hold any securities that you acquire. An example of this restriction is that non EU nationals are unable to hold shares in Ryanair p.l.c.
If a Company identifies that the amount of shares held by non-nationals has breached its limit, Goodbody Stockbrokers UC will receive a compulsory order from the Company to dispose of the shares. Goodbody Stockbrokers UC has no choice in this matter and the shares will need to be disposed of. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the client to ensure that you are entitled to hold the securities you acquire. Goodbody Stockbrokers UC will not be responsible for any losses or costs associated with any such disposal.
When can I trade?
Standard market opening hours are as follows:
Ireland: 08:00 to 16:30
UK 08:00 to 16:30
US 14:30 to 21:00
What are the standard opening hours for the Goodbody Online Support team?
The Goodbody Online team provide telephone support, Monday to Friday 08:00 - 17:00, excluding Bank Holidays.
Can I set a limit price?
Irish Online Limit Orders:
You may set a limit price on Irish orders both during market hours (08:00 - 16:30) and outside of market hours. The limit order is valid for seven calendar days. The order will be rejected after 16.30 if the limit is not attained after seven calendar days.
US Online Limit Orders placed prior to 17.30 hours:
You may set a limit price on US orders both during market hours (14:30 - 21:00) and outside of market hours. The limit is good for 7 calendar days. If the limit is not attained after seven calendar days, the order will be rejected the next business day by 08.00 hours.
UK Online Limit Orders:
During UK market hours (08:00 - 16:30) a firm quote is offered. You can thus accept or reject with full knowledge of the actual market price. Outside of market hours, you may set a limit price on UK orders. The limit order will last for seven calendar days. The order will be rejected after 16:30 if the limit is not attained after seven calendar days. Please note that for some UK shares, it is not possible to hold limit orders for longer than one day. In these cases, the order will be rejected after 16:30 on the first day. You should check the Transaction History on your dashboard, for the status of all your orders.
What happens to US limit orders that are still active after 17.30 hours?
US limit orders placed prior to 17:30 hours (if not filled by 17:30 hours) remain active up to 21:00 hours. The status of these orders will be updated on your account - completed or cancelled - the next business day by 08:00 hours. This will be viewable on your Recent Transaction History on your dashboard. If the limit is not attained after seven calendar days, the order will be rejected the next business day by 08:00 hours.
If your order is a purchase and has been executed, the purchase consideration will be debited from your Goodbody Online trading account when the status is updated.
If your order is a sale and has been executed, the sales proceeds will only become available for reinvestment when the status is updated.
What happens to US 'At Best' and limit orders placed after 17.30 hours?
US at best and limit orders received after 17.30 hours will only be placed for execution in the market the next business day.
How do I know what price my order was executed at?
The Recent Transaction History on your dashboard will show the status of your order. If your order has been executed it will show the price at which it was executed.
For UK orders placed during the market opening hours, you will be given a firm price quote for 15 seconds, which you may accept or reject. Once you accept the price quoted your order will be executed immediately.
A contract note will be produced and available to be viewed in your secure notification inbox on your dashboard.
Why can I not place an order up to 100% of my available funds?
It is only possible to place an order up to a maximum of your available funds to allow for the deduction of the Goodbody Online commission rates, third party charges (where applicable) and some volatility in the share price.
Can I cancel an order?
You can cancel pending orders only in Recent Transaction History on your Dashboard by pressing the cancel button next to that pending order. It should be noted that you can only cancel pending orders that our traders have not captured i.e. taken ownership of. Where the pending order has been already captured by our traders, then you need to telephone the Goodbody Online Team on 01 641 9455 and select option 1, and they will cancel the order assuming it has not already been dealt.
Can I re-invest the proceeds of a sale immediately?
For Irish and UK sales, your account will be updated with proceeds every five minutes during market opening hours. Once your account has been updated, these funds can be used to buy other shares.
For US at best orders placed prior to 17:30 hours, your account will be updated every five minutes.
US limit orders placed prior to 17:30 hours (if not previously filled by 17:30 hours) remain active up to 21.00 hours. The status of these orders will be updated on your dashboard - completed or cancelled - the next business day by 08:00 hours. This will be viewable on your Recent Transaction History. If your order is a sale and has been executed, the sales proceeds will only become available for reinvestment when the status is updated.
What happens if I cannot trade online due to technical problems?
You should contact us immediately if you observe that your order has not been executed or cancelled within a reasonable time frame.
Please note that delays may occur in the receipt and/or execution of your order. This may arise due to the illiquid nature of certain shares, prevailing market conditions such as high volatility and high trading volumes, delays in order transmissions arising from computer outages/technical malfunctions or other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of Goodbody Stockbrokers.
What happens if I make a mistake?
If you make a mistake when dealing, for example buying too many shares, it cannot usually be undone. However you should try to cancel the order in your Recent Transaction History on your dashboard if the order is still pending. If the order cannot be cancelled online, you should contact the Goodbody Online team by telephone as soon as possible to see if there is anything that we can do to help. The system contains safeguards that prevent you from selling holdings that you do not own.
What are the transaction charges for a Goodbody Online account?
Costs, Charges and Commission Rates:
Stamp Duty
Stamp duty is chargeable on the purchase of Irish and UK securities.
The rates are:
The sale of securities does not incur stamp duty.
Encashment Tax
Applied to non Irish and non UK income at the standard rate of Irish Income Tax. Exemption available to certain types of investors, subject to the submission of a declaration or exemption documentation as appropriate.
Panel of Takeovers and Mergers Levy
ITP Levy:
€1.25 for transactions in Securities of Irish incorporated companies where the consideration exceeds €12,500 or equivalent in any other currency.
PTM Levy:
£1.00 for transactions in Securities of companies incorporated in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man where the consideration exceeds £10,000 or equivalent in any other currency.
US and European Charges
A charge of €25 is included on all US and European purchases and sales. This charge is to cover the cost of holding and transaction fees passed onto Goodbody Stockbrokers by our Custodian Agents in the US and Europe.
An overseas regulatory charge may apply to certain transactions and the amount of the charge will vary depending on the market. Further details are available on request.
Other third party charges may apply which are not payable via Goodbody Stockbrokers or imposed directly by us, for example, Dividend Withholding Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax.
Overseas Broker Charge
Varies depending on the market and broker. Typical fee: 0.20%.
Nominee Charges
No Charge.
Other Charges
Foreign Exchange
If we conduct a transaction for you in a foreign currency it will be necessary either (a) for you to settle with us in that currency or (b) for us to carry out a currency exchange deal. Where we receive funds from you or collect income on your behalf we will lodge them in the currency of receipt unless you do not have an account denominated in that currency and it would be unduly burdensome for us to open such an account. In such instances we may convert the money and hold it in an alternate currency for you. Any currency exchange deals that we conduct on behalf of our clients will be transacted at a market rate available to us and will include a spread up to a maximum of 1.25% to cover the risk for Goodbody Stockbrokers.
All charges will be debited automatically from your Goodbody Online account. We reserve the right to sell or realise any investments which we are holding (or entitled to receive) on your behalf to meet any liabilities which you have incurred and failed to discharge.
What is a Registrar?
Registrar is a company, usually a bank or an accountancy firm, which maintains a register of all holders of stock in a particular company. They administer dividends and capital events for the company and will notify the registered holder of any changes in the latter. All deals or transfers must be recorded by them.
What is a Nominee account?
A Nominee Account is a facility whereby a client’s shareholdings are not registered in his / her own name but in the Nominee Account of a stockbroker, with a designation corresponding to the client’s tax status. Goodbody stockbrokers operate a pooled nominee service. The beneficial ownership of the shares remains with the client, while the stockbroker handles administrative issues on behalf of the client. This means that no share certificates are issued.
How can I deal online with Share Certificates?
Should you wish to undertake online transactions for certificated trades, please note that your share certificate must firstly be dematerialised i.e. transferred into electronic form. These forms can be printed from the Forms page. Click here to go to Forms. If you are unsure which is the correct form please contact us on +353 1 641 9455 and select option 2 or, alternatively, email us at [email protected]. These should be printed off, signed and returned to us along with your certificates. Shares are held with various Registrars, as an indication it can take anything from two to six weeks- to dematerialise the shares and apply them in electronic form to your Goodbody Online account.
If you hold a US share certificate, you will require a Stock Power Form, which can also be downloaded from the Forms page on www.goodbody.ie.
How do I transfer existing nominee holdings with another broker into my Goodbody Online account?
To transfer a nominee holding from another broker, you will need to instruct your broker in writing to transfer your nominee holding to Goodbody Online. You will also need to send a copy of this instruction to Goodbody Online.
How is the value of my holdings calculated?
Irish and US shares are valued in your portfolio holdings using the closing market share prices of the previous business day (in that market). UK shares which have a full listing on the UK main market are valued based on prices which are approximately fifteen minutes delayed. The base value and total amounts of your portfolio are in Euro. Your shares are priced in their base currency. Share prices are converted to the base value using the relevant exchange rates.
When transferring shares into your Goodbody Online account please provide us with the book cost of each holding so that we may provide you with an accurate valuation. The book cost is calculated by averaging the price by quantity at time of purchase.
What is a corporate action?
Any change to the capital structure of a company, change of nominal, bonus issue, rights issue, scrip dividend, takeover, merger, transformation etc.
What are dividends?
Dividends are payments to shareholders from the operating profits of the company.
What are scrip dividends?
A scrip dividend gives shareholders the opportunity to use the cash dividends on their shares to buy more shares in the same company. With a Scrip dividend, new shares are issued by the company, which can be acquired by investors instead of a cash dividend payment. Our policy in relation to any scrip dividend being offered will be to elect for the cash alternative unless you specifically instruct us to take the share alternative.
Prior to announcing each dividend, companies set a date on which shares will be sold without entitlement to the dividend. Before that date they are said to be ’Ex Dividend’. If you sell the shares before the Ex Dividend date you will not be entitled to receive the dividend. If you sell shares after the Ex Dividend date, i.e. selling a share Cum Dividend, you will be entitled to receive the dividend.
What is meant by ex dividend?
Prior to announcing each dividend, companies set a date on which shares will be sold without entitlement to the dividend. Before that date they are said to be ’Ex Dividend’. If you sell the shares before the Ex Dividend date you will not be entitled to receive the dividend. If you sell shares after the Ex Dividend date, i.e. selling a share Cum Dividend, you will be entitled to receive the dividend.
What is a rights issue?
A rights issue for a stock is when the shareholder has the right to subscribe for new stock in proportion to their existing holding. The take-up of rights issues by the shareholders is optional.
What is a stock split?
A stock split is when your shareholding splits, e.g. a 2 for 1 stock split would double your holding and would half the share price.
Mandatory Corporate Actions
Where a Corporate Action is declared as a mandatory event, the Shareholder has no election or choice to make in the outcome of the event. In these cases, client accounts will be amended to reflect the Corporate Action at the effective date. A separate notification will not be issued to advise of the change to a client account. Updated cash and/or stock positions will be visible by the client reviewing the account online.
Why would a stock be suspended from trading?
A stock may be suspended for a variety of reasons such as a pending takeover, an acquisition or merger or if the company is under investigation by its regulating body.
Tax
Goodbody Online is an Execution Only service, we will not advise you on personal tax matters such as Capital Gains Tax.
What is Stamp duty and how much must I pay?
Stamp duty is a tax charged by a Government on the purchase of shares. It is chargeable on the purchase of Irish and UK shares. The current rates charged are:
There is no Stamp Duty payable on the purchase of shares from most other countries. The sale of shares does not attract Stamp Duty.
What if I change my address?
If you change your address you must inform Goodbody Online in writing.
What if I change my name?
If you change your name, you must inform Goodbody Online in writing. This should be accompanied with supporting documents such as a certified copy of a marriage certificate, deed poll certificate or decree absolute in the case of a divorce.
Crest Transfer
This form is used to sell and/or dematerialise UK stock only.
Euroclear Bank Transfer
This form is used to dematerialise Irish stock only.
Irish Stock Transfer
This form is used for the transfer of ownership of certificated Irish stock.
UK Stock Transfer
This form is used for the transfer of ownership of certificated UK stock.
Irrevocable Stock Power
This stock power form is used to give authorisation from the holder of US or Canadian certificated shares to a broker to either sell or dematerialise his stock. A stock power, when signed, will supercede any information already entered onto the back of the certificate by the client. Therefore, if any mistakes are made when signing or filling out the back of the certificate, these can be overridden by the use of a stock power.
In order for a stock power form to be valid, the signature must be legible and match exactly the name on the front of the certificate. Thus a client must sign in his/her full name if this is how it appears on the certificate. For example, if an initial 'J' appears on the Certificate the signature should also include the 'J'.
Foreign Certificate Valuation
Tax Related Forms
W9 | Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification
Those who are US residents, citizens, born in the US, greencard holders or passport holders will need to fill out this form before opening a sharedealing account with Goodbody Stockbrokers UC. Supplied in Adobe PDF format.
W-8BEN | Certificate of Foreign Status Of Beneficial Owner For United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals)
This form is for persons resident in a country who are not passport holders of that country, excluding US persons. It allows you to avail of lower tax rates on US dividends only.
W-8BEN-E | Certificate of Status Of Beneficial Owner For United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities)
This form is for entities to establish their status for the purpose of withholding tax and reporting. It also allows the account holder to avail of lower tax rates on US dividends.
Entity Self-Certification
Should you wish to make a complaint in connection with a service provided to you by Goodbody, this can be done via email, letter or phone call to your Relationship Manager/point of contact within the Firm in the first instance. For the duration of the complaint investigation your Relationship Manager or an appointed staff member will be the point of contact unless you are otherwise advised. If your complaint cannot be resolved by your Relationship Manager, you can refer the matter to the Head of the relevant business area who will ensure your complaint is dealt with.
If consumers remain unsatisfied following the receipt of the final response letter issued by the firm, you are entitled to refer complaints to the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO). Details of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman are available at www.fspo.ie including how to submit a complaint. The Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman can be contacted by telephone on +353 1 567 7000, by email at [email protected] or by writing to the Office of the Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman, 3rd Floor, Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, D02 VH29.
