Nominee accounts
When buying shares in an investment company you may hold the shares in your own name, in which case you may be issued with a share certificate, or they may be held for you by the broker or manager on a "nominee basis".
Nominee accounts can be a far easier way to hold shares as they avoid some of the paperwork and costs associated with more traditional ways of buying shares. The majority of wrapper schemes are held on this basis.
You may, however, lose some of the advantages of holding shares in your own name, such as being sent the report and accounts directly and you may not always have voting rights at the AGM or on other issues that affect shareholders (you may wish to clarify these details with the provider/management group).
