Ask a Broker Archive

The following is a list of selected archived questions from ShareChat's Ask a Broker service. The questions have been divided into five sections - Beginners, Sharemarket Terms & Regulations, Investment & Tax, Trading, and Miscellaneous. Click on a question to read the complete question and answer further down the page, or simply scroll down the page.

If you would like to ask our resident broker, a question that isn't covered in this archive, please click here.

For help with sharemarket jargon & terminology, please see our glossary.

Beginners

What advice can you give a beginner?
How do I begin investing in the sharemarket?
Where can I get investment information or advice?
How do I research a company I may want to buy shares in?
What are share issues and placements?
How much money do I need to start buying shares?
How do I choose a broker?
Who do I talk to if I have a complaint about my broker?
What is a share portfolio?
What do you know about buying shares online?
What restrictions are there on share trading?
Can you recommend some good online broker sites?
How do I sell shares?
How much does it cost to buy and sell shares?
How are shares allocated in an IPO?
How do I invest in IPOs in other countries?
Can I find out who is buying and selling certain shares?
When do companies pay dividends?
How do I buy shares on the secondary market?
Can you give me advice on starting a shareclub?
How can companies pay dividends when they are losing money?
How much stock can I buy 'at market' price?
Can I put a share order in ahead of time?
What is the difference between a renouncable and non-renouncable rights issue?
Why do NZ companies list offshore?
How do I find what specific companies make up a sector index?
Where can I find information about companies on the secondary board?

Sharemarket Terms & Regulations

What are imputation credits?
When is a company listed as CD (cum-dividend)?
Can I buy shares in my daughters' names?
What is an IPO?
What do bid/offer and buy/sell mean?
What does 'Div cps' stand for?
When do shares go ex-dividend?
What is a 'dividend yield'?
Do I have to sell my shares through the broker I bought them from?
What is 'franking'?
What are stops, puts and calls?
What are Passive and Active Funds?
How do the NZSE 40 and other indices work?
What is FASTER?
What is a Shareholder Number and a FIN?
Do my FIN and shareholder number always stay the same?
Is my FIN supposed to be secret?
What is the difference between last price and closing price?
What is treasury stock?
Can you explain the term "split factor adjustment"?

Investment and Tax

How should I invest $200,000?
What should I do with my Brierley and IndraNet shares?
How do I invest in the NZ sharemarket from overseas?
Are there any NZ brokers that buy/sell on the Australian option market?
Where can I get free, historical information on share prices?
Is the NZ market a good place to try and make money quickly?
What fees do financial advisors charge?
How do I sell shares that are listed on the NYSE?
How do I invest in the US stock market?
What are the tax implications of investing in US shares?
When are you classified a trader for tax purposes?
If a person gets money from a settlement, is it taxable?
What can you tell me about capital gains tax in NZ?

Trading Shares

What can you tell me about share trading software?
What do you know about using software to help with investment decisions?
Can I trade in New Zealand easily if I live in Australia?
What are moving averages?
Where do I find information on beta values?

Miscellaneous

What education is needed to become a stockbroker?
Where can I find historical market data?
I have been offered a great share deal from someone in Bangkok - what should I do?
Where can I find historical market data?
How do I buy shares as a gift?
How does one list a company?