WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REGISTERED SHAREHOLDER AND A NOMINEE SHAREHOLDER?

A registered shareholder is when the beneficial (real) owner records his/her name on the share certificate and in the Register of Shares as the owner of the allotted shares.

A nominee shareholder is when the beneficial owner chooses not to have his/her name on the share certificate or in the share register. The nominee appears on the certificate and in the register, in return the nominee signs a Declaration of Trust to the beneficial owner giving up any right to exercise any powers over the shares including voting rights or the right to sell or transfer these shares.

The nominee shareholder is used where the Companies Registry may be open to public scrutiny or if the owner requires a deeper sense of privacy.

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