We are proud to have just won the 2013 Southern Highlands Business award for Excellence in an Online Business. This award is close to our hearts, as the origins of YourShare lie within this region.
In 2006, Bowral accountant, Juliet Brady received a statement from her super fund. On it she noticed a brokers name she didn’t recognize with a commission fee against it.
Juliet and her husband Paul were accountants, so they had no need for financial advisors and brokers. Somewhat concerned by these fees, Juliet decided to call the super fund to find out what it was about.
Juliet asked if these fees could be refunded. The person on the phone at the super fund said ‘yes, sure, if you go and get your Australian Financial Services Licence’. Annoyed by this, Juliet said ‘OK I will.’ And she did.
A few months later, Juliet called the super fund and explained that she now had her Australian Financial Services Licence and as a result, could they please refund the fees they had been paying? The super fund agreed, and gave them a refund.
Juliet and her husband Paul started looking into the financial system further, and they realised that trailing fees and commissions were rife throughout the industry, and very few people realised they were paying them.
They were shocked and frustrated by this, and decided that there had to be a better way. They started helping their friends and family in claiming back their fees. It soon began to grow, and from these humble origins, YourShare was born.
Seven years later, the business has grown to over 14,000 members and we have given back over $6 million. Not bad from such humble origins.
