Managing your shares - frequently asked questions

How can I buy or sell shares?

As an ordinary shareholder, you can use any bank, building society or stockbroker offering a share dealing facility for UK listed shares in order to buy or sell Aviva shares. The commission charged by different organisations will vary.

For further information on the share dealing facility provided by our Registrar, Computershare, please visit the share dealing page.  If you hold your shares in the Aviva Share Account, you are required to use the Aviva Share Account Share Dealing Facility in accordance with the Aviva Share Account terms and conditions (PDF).

What is Capital Gains Tax?

Capital Gains Tax is the tax paid on any profit or gain made by selling a chargeable asset (e.g. shares) for more than it was bought.  Aviva plc is unable to advise individuals on matters of Capital Gains Tax.  Please consult an independent financial adviser.

What is a registrar?

A registrar is a person or organisation that keeps a record of a company’s shareholders and other related information such as dividend payment dates.

Registrars are increasingly offering online services to meet the demands of companies and shareholders for efficient communication. Aviva's Registrar is Computershare.

How do I change my personal details on my shareholding?

Change of address

You can change your address online by visiting the Computershare Investor Centre and registering for online services.

Alternatively, contact Aviva’s Registrar, Computershare .

Change of name

For your name to be changed on the share register please send Computershare an original of your marriage certificate or your change of name deed (these documents will be returned to you once processed).

If you hold an insurance policy with Aviva, please contact us separately to change your policy name/address.

If you need to write to Computershare, please quote your Computershare Shareholder Reference Number which begins with a C, I or G and can be found on most Computershare correspondence.

How can I confirm the number of shares that I hold?

You can view your Aviva shareholdings online by visiting the Computershare Investor Centre and registering for online shareholder services.  Alternatively, please contact Computershare, to request confirmation of your holdings in Aviva.

How can I transfer ownership of my shares to someone else?

For certificated holdings please contact Computershare to obtain a personalised stock transfer form, which you will need to complete and return with your share certificate.

How do I register the death of a shareholder?

If the shares were held solely in the name of the deceased, Computershare will require a copy of the death certificate and either probate or letters of administration. The name of the legal personal representative will then be added to the register. The shares can be sold by the personal representative, or a stock transfer form can be submitted so that the shares are registered in the name of the deceased’s beneficiary.

If the shareholding was held jointly, on receipt of a copy of the death certificate, Computershare will remove the name of the deceased from the shareholding. The shares will then be registered in the name(s) of the surviving holder(s) and the relevant share certificates will be amended to reflect this. 

If the value of the estate in the deceased’s sole name is below certain limits the death can be registered using the Registrar’s small estates procedure. Details of the current limits and the procedure involved can be obtained from Computershare .

For further information or advice please contact Computershare.

What do I do if I lose my share certificate?

You may obtain a replacement share certificate by calling our Registrar, Computershare

A fee to cover administration costs and an indemnity charge will be made for this service. Please visit http://investorcentre.co.uk/faq for up to date details of the fees charged by Computershare. After receiving a replacement share certificate, you may wish to transfer your shares into the Aviva Share Account.

If your shares are held on your behalf in the Aviva Share Account and you have lost your Statement of Shareholding, a new statement will be issued online on the Computershare Investor Centre once every quarter. You will also receive an annual summary in March/April each year.

If you need a statement more quickly, you can obtain a replacement by calling Computershare. There will be a fee for this service. 

You can also view your current shareholding by visiting the Computershare Investor Centre and registering for online shareholder services.

Share certificates in historical companies

As a result of various mergers, name changes and acquisitions, you may have in your possession various share certificates for our legacy companies.  The position with these is as follows:

• Commercial Union Assurance Company - still valid
• Commercial Union – still valid
• CGU – still valid
• CGNU – still valid
• Friends Life Group Limited -  share certificates were replaced with Aviva share certificates at the time of the acquision of Friends Life Group Limited by Aviva on 10 April 2015.
• Friends Provident – on 2 November 2009 Friends Provident was acquired by Resolution for 79.4 pence per share. On this date, all Friends Provident shares were either cashed out (i.e. shareholders received a cash sum paid by cheque in respect of their holdings) or converted into Resolution shares.
• General Accident – General Accident ordinary shares were replaced by CGU shares on acceptance of the merger offer from Commercial Union. General Accident preference share certificates are still valid.
• Norwich Union – share certificates were automatically replaced with CGNU share certificates at the time of the merger with CGU. 
• Resolution Limited – Resolution changed its name to Friends Life Group Limited on 8 May 2014 - share certificates were replaced with Aviva share certificates at the time of the acquision of Friends Life Group Limited by Aviva on 10 April 2015.

What happened to my F&C Asset Management Plc shares?

In July 2009, Friends Provident demerged the majority stake it had owned in F&C Asset Management plc since 2004 by distributing the F&C shares to its own shareholders. Following the demerger, F&C Asset Management plc shareholders were entitled to receive 1 share in F&C for every 10 shares they held in Friends Provident on 2 July 2009 in addition to the Friends Provident shares already held.

I’m a former Friends Provident shareholder, which share registrar should I contact?

All unclaimed Friends Provident shareholder funds are held directly by Computershare or Equiniti (the former registrar of Friends Provident). Please contact Computershare to request confirmation of your holding. Computershare will either assist you or direct you to Equiniti depending on where your funds are held. Either Computershare or Equiniti will be able to arrange the re-issue of any outstanding funds which may be due to you although there may be a charge for replacement cheques.

The Aviva Share Account is Aviva’s corporate nominee service in which shareholders can hold their shares. Currently around 230,000 shareholders hold their shares in this manner and benefit from increased privacy and the peace of mind of not having to look after a share certificate.

The Aviva Share Account acts as the holder of your Aviva shares and by joining the account your personal details will be entered on to a sub-register that is not available for public inspection.

View the terms and conditions of the Aviva Share Account

By holding your shares in the Aviva Share Account:

• You remove the risk of losing a share certificate, and the cost and inconvenience of obtaining a replacement (the cost of obtaining a replacement share certificate depends on the size of your holding, for more information please visit http://www.investorcentre.co.uk/faq).
• Your name will not be entered on to any public register, reducing the risk of ID fraud.
• You will still receive the same dividends and have the same choices available.
• You can request to receive copies of documents sent to shareholders.
• You will still be able to vote and attend shareholder general meetings.
• Settlement on the sale of shares held electronically is quicker and cheaper than the Computershare certificated share dealing service.
• It is free to transfer your shares into, and hold your shares in, the Aviva Share Account.

If you would like to open an account by transferring shares into the Aviva Share Account you will need to call our Registrar, Computershare to obtain a personalised application form.

There is no charge to have your shares put into the Aviva Share Account and you are able to withdraw them at any time and request a share certificate (please note however, that there is a charge of £17.50 for withdrawing your shares from the Aviva Share Account).

Please note that if you have any preferences on your shareholding such as having your dividends bank mandated, or having an election to receive hard copy shareholder documentation, these preferences will not transfer over to your Aviva Share Account. You will therefore need to resubmit new instructions to the registrar once your shares have been transferred.

As an Aviva Share Account member you will be able to use the Aviva Share Account Share Dealing Facility provided by our Registrar, Computershare. For further information regarding this share dealing service please go to share dealing. If you wish to use any other share dealing service you will need to withdraw your shares from the Aviva Share Account and obtain a share certificate first. Computershare will charge a fee of £17.50 for withdrawing your shares from the Aviva Share Account.

If you have any queries regarding buying or selling shares in Aviva you should seek professional financial advice.

If you decide you would prefer to hold your shares in certificated form, or would like to sell your shares through a share dealing service other than the Aviva Share Account Share Dealing Facility, and would therefore like to withdraw your shares from the Aviva Share Account please contact our Registrar, Computershare for a transfer form.

There is a fee of £17.50 for transferring your shares from the Aviva Share Account.

Whilst holding your shares in the Aviva Share Account you can participate in the Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP). The plan provides the option for eligible shareholders to reinvest their cash dividend in additional ordinary shares in the Company. You can either join online or by completing a form that you can obtain from the Company's Registrar, Computershare. There is no entry fee and you can leave the Plan at any time at no charge. If you join you will pay commission, currently at 0.75% (subject to a minimum of £2.50), and stamp duty reserve tax, currently at 0.5%, on the market value of the Aviva ordinary shares purchased for you.

Completed Application forms should be sent to: Computershare Investor Services PLC, the Pavilions, Bridgwater Road, Bristol BS13 8AE

Please note, this service is not appropriate for shareholders living in certain jurisdictions, for example North America. Please see clause 2.1 of the terms and conditions for more information.

As a member of the Aviva Share Account you can register or log into the Computershare Investor Centre, the shareholder services website, to view your current holding and its indicative value.

Dividends

You will have the same rights as ordinary shareholders to receive any dividends paid by us. You can also arrange to have your dividends bank mandated or alternatively, you can participate in the Dividend Reinvestment Plan. You will need to contact our Registrar, Computershare to arrange how you would like to receive your dividends.

Annual General Meetings

You will retain the right to attend and vote at our Annual General Meetings. We will contact you ahead of any future AGMs and let you know the date and time of the meeting. If you have elected to receive hard copy shareholder documentation you will be sent a hard copy notice of meeting to the address on your shareholding. If you have elected to receive electronic communications you will be sent an email directing you to the Aviva website where you will be able to view or download the notice.

Shareholder documentation

You can elect to receive shareholder communications, such as the annual report and accounts and notice of meeting, in either hard copy or electronically.  In order to do this you will need to change your mailing preference on your Computershare account, or you can write to Computershare informing them of what documentation you would like to receive in hard copy format. You can access your account and change your mailing preference online by visiting the Computershare Investor Centre.

Stamp Duty Reserve Tax is a UK tax that may be payable depending on the type of transfer. As a general rule, if money is not changing hands then the transaction is not liable for Stamp Duty. As there is no cost in transferring your shares into the Aviva Share Account you will not be liable to pay Stamp Duty Reserve Tax. If you are in any doubt about transferring your shares into the Aviva Share Account, please contact an Authorised Financial Advisor.