OneShare Blog: Claiming Ownership

15-year-old Ryan Morgan is pursuing a dream. Ryan wants to become a computer animator for Pixar, the Emeryville, CA based computer animation studio famous for box office rock stars like Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Ryan first got the bug when he saw Toy Story at just three-years-old. His mother Marilyn reports he’s been saying he’ll work for Pixar ever since.

In 2004, Ryan’s connection to Pixar grew a little bit more formalized. Marilyn saw an offer at MouseSavers.com, a site devoted to discounts on all things Disney, that she just couldn’t pass up. That Christmas, Ryan became an official Pixar shareholder with a framed stock certificate from OneShare.com.

As a shareholder, Ryan was invited to attend the stockholder meeting in which shareholders voted on the proposed Disney acquisition, and where Ryan’s one share of stock entitled him to one vote. At first wary of the acquisition, Ryan says the stockholder meeting quelled most of his concerns. “Ed Catmull explained what would happen with the creative talents and Pixar and that John Lasseter would take over at Disney’s Animation Department,” he said. “If there’s any change, it’s positive.” The highlight of the experience was an opportunity to personally talk with Ed Catmull about his career aspirations after the event. Read the rest of this entry »

Today we received word from Wells Fargo Shareholder Services (Visa’s transfer agent), that Visa has stopped issuing stock certificates.

We’re going to miss them. Visa’s familiar to all of us: the company runs the world’s largest retail electronic payments network, and is one of the best-known global financial services brands. They’re also a big sponsor of the Olympics, and for those of you into real football, a crucial FIFA World Cup partner.

It only takes one glance to recognize those Golden Arches as you’re driving through town. Your kids know the symbol, and so do you: it means mouth-watering, lip-smacking McDonald’s hamburgers, milkshakes, and fries! You know you can’t resist the temptation. And neither can our customers here at OneShare.com. McDonald’s is now our August stock of the month!

McDonald’s has been catering to our taste buds for over 50 years and helping us create long-lasting memories with our families. Check out the McFlurry of activity that McDonald’s has experienced over the years:

• Star Trek: The Motion Picture was the first movie to be promoted by Happy Meal in December 1979
• There are more than 31,000 McDonald’s restaurants around the world in 118 countries
• 47 million customers are served at McDonald’s each day
• 9 million pounds of delicious French fries are sold per day
• McDonald’s was ranked number one in Fortune Magazine’s 2008 list of most admired food service companies
• 2009 marks the 30th Anniversary of the Happy Meal

Why not start the school year off with the gift of stock in a child’s favorite fast-food restaurant, McDonald’s? This will be one tradition that leaves a great taste in their mouth and an appetite for more. Soon, they could have their own bite of the Big Mac.

I’m lovin’ it. Are you?

OneShare’s testing the waters – with radio! Our newest media spot airs this Saturday and Sunday on MoneyTalk with Bob Brinker (1-4pm, PST). We’re working with San Francisco’s KGO (that’s AM 810 for those of you in the Bay Area). Arbitron Radio Ratings and Media Research has rated KGO the “number one station Northern California” every year since 1978. Our reader is Lynn Jimenez, an experienced businesswoman and beloved radio personality. Tune in! For our readers outside the area, you can listen to a live feed here.

It’s one more way to broadcast the message: stock certificates are going away. We don’t know how, we don’t know when, but we mark the progress wave by wave.

In the fall of last year, we launched OneShare Investments: a boutique brokerage aimed at advising parents on how to meet the rising costs of college education. Now we’re looking for a few financial-savvy parents to join our growing team of 529 investment specialists. Flexible hours and work-from-home options make this position a great fit for busy Bay Area parents (that’s the San Francisco Bay Area, for those not in the know). Plus, you get the opportunity to use your financial know-how to help fellow parents secure the savings they need to give their kids the opportunities they deserve. Sound like a good fit for you or for someone you know? Check out our job posting to learn more!

At the OneShare home base, we’re spicing things up a bit. No more unassuming entrance halls for us. This little beauty was installed last week:

Read the rest of this entry »

No, we’re not talking Fido. We’re talking long evenings on the porch, spitting watermelon seeds, and fishing for minnows. Sunday’s not only Father’s Day, it’s the first day of summer! We want to know: what brands say summer for you?

We’re thinking family road-trips. Pay homage to yours with ownership inVolkswagon or Ford. Maybe the pit-stops made a bigger impact? Capture the moment with McDonald’s or Exxon Mobile.

We’re thinking summer blockbusters. How about owning stock in Dreamworks? Or Disney, before its too late? You’ll always remember you got your certificate the same year Disney-Pixar’s Up made its rise to fame.

We’re talking ice cold refreshments on a sweltering summer day. Coca-Cola’s always a classic. Or capture a more spirited side with a share in Samuel Adam’s or Coors.

We’re thinking Callaway Golf, Heinz, and La-Z-Boy. Let’s face it. A lot of special moments happen in summer. Capture the nostalgia before stock certificates are only a memory. And summer brings plenty of occasions to celebrate with friends: Father’s Day, graduations, summer birthdays, and more anniversaries than any other season. This summer, give the gift of stock. 

And if Fido’s feeling unloved, maybe Sirius Satellite will give him something to bark about (registered in your name, of course).

In the recent Zagat Fast-Food Survey, Starbucks took top honors in the coffee department. And what do you know? Starbucks is our June stock of the month! For as little as $44, you can own a piece of the world’s most pervasive coffee franchise. And you can take the $10 you just saved and enjoy some lattes on us.

From its beginnings at the Pike Place Market in Seattle in 1971, Starbucks has catapulted into an international coffee sensation. During their peak growth period in the 90’s, Starbucks averaged a new franchise every weekday! Holy frappuccinos, that’s a lot of coffee. Here are some other interesting tidbits to drop-in next time you’re sippin’ a few with friends:

• The name comes both from “Starbo”, in honor of an old mining camp that was outside Seattle, and “Starbuck”, in honor of the Moby-Dick character of the same name
• Last year, Starbucks was ranked #15 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s list of Top 25 Green Power Partners
• Starbucks is the largest purchaser, roaster, and distributor of Fair Trade Certified™ coffee in North America
• To date, they have committed $10.5 million in affordable credit to approximately 74,000 small-scale farmers and suppliers
• They volunteered 383,000 hours in 2008 through their volunteer program Make Your Mark

Want to make your mark on the company? With their “My Starbucks Idea”, you’re encouraged to do just that. The Starbucks team of Idea Partners review suggestions submitted by users and choose popular or especially innovative ideas to put into action. In their own words, “It’s not just what you’re buying. It’s what you’re buying into.”

Why are so many people buying GM stock in certificate form, despite the company’s impending bankruptcy? You already know the answer, but Lance fills in the rest of us during a segment on Fox News this morning.

It’s official. Computershare, one of the major transfer agents entrusted with printing and distributing stock certificates,  is planning to add processing fees. Prices on all of their stock certificates are set to increase next quarter, which may be as early as June 1. Wondering what brands will be affected? Here’s the complete list:

It’s a lot of companies, but it’s just the beginning. Other transfer agents are likely to make similar announcements within the coming months.

We don’t have an official word on how much the fee might be, but based on Continental’s earlier announcement, it will likely mean at least $25 more for certificates from each of these companies.

If you’ve had your eye on a certain stock certificate, as that perfect gift or for your own collection, now’s the time to act. It’s especially urgent if the company’s part of the list above, but now that the floodgates are open, the next list may be issued without warning.