How To Buy Shares Without A Broker

A particularly frugal friend approached me recently wanting to know if there was any way to buy shares without the need to pay brokerage fees.

Well the short answer is you can't.  According to the Australian Stock Exchange website:

"All shares listed on ASX can only be bought or sold through a broker. A stockbroker acts as your agent to buy or sell shares on your behalf, for which a fee is charged."

This statement is clear and unambiguous.  However, it got me thinking.  There are actually a few exceptions to this rule.  The exceptions are all share purchase transactions in which the ASX is not directly involved.

Why I Don't Like Dividend Reinvestment Plans

In my last post I discussed dividend reinvestment plans.  I know they are popular with some investors - in fact a quick search on Google yielded a number a websites devoted entirely to dividend reinvestment.  And while I can understand the attraction for some investors, DRPs are not for me.

So in this post I will discuss some of the disadvantages that I see with these plans.

To recap, a DRP allows existing shareholders to increase their holding by forgoing their cash dividend payments in exchange for new shares in the company.  There is no brokerage payable and to top it off, the shares are sometimes issued at a discount to the current market price.

So what's not to like?

What Is A Dividend Reinvestment Plan?

Dividend reinvestment plans (or DRPs) offer investors a way to gradually increase their stake in a company.  Instead of receiving a cash dividend payment, investors receive an equivalent amount in the form of new shares in the company.

You Don't Have To Participate

Dividend reinvestment plans are voluntary.  By default you will not participate in the DRP and will instead receive all of your dividends in cash.

If you would like to participate in a company's DRP, you will need to notify the company.  They will normally send out the forms not long after you buy your initial shares in the company, or in the lead up to a dividend payment.