Thanks @CanadianAussie - have just joined up for a year. Have been an ASA member is prior years but I didn't renew a while back because I wasn't sure if I was getting enough value for my money from them, but @ $0 for a year, I can't use that excuse any more. I chose the "Green" (everything delivered by email) individual membership for one year, which was the cheapest option at $145/year, and that $145 got deducted at the last step when I entered that promotional code (Shares22) leaving me with $0 to pay. Perfect. Thanks for the "Heads Up" on that Trev!

Nice find @CanadianAussie. Here is what they appear to be offering:

@Bear77 and others -- what was your experience with ASA? What did you find useful? Out of interest, is anyone currently a paying member?

Hi @Rocket6 - I was last a member of ASA over 10 years' ago. I know they provide a lot of basic information to shareholders about sharemarket investing, and they do a fair bit of advocacy work, so engaging with company boards and management about things like remuneration structures, incentives and looking after shareholders. Basically ASA can be a voice for the quite large number of small retail shareholders who feel like their opinions and interests are not always considered properly by company management teams and boards when they make decisions. Obviously all shareholders are owners of the company, and the people running the company should always keep the owners' interests front-of-mind, but the reality is that incentive structures tend to drive outcomes, and even when shareholder interests are considered, it is usually the larger shareholders such as institutional shareholders who tend to get the ear of management, mostly because those guys may well have the ability to roll the board and/or vote down AGM resolutions. I believe that one of the ASA's objectives is to be the lead body that represents the interests of the small shareholders.

They are probably MOST useful for self-funded retirees and older Australian investors - which tends to be their core demographic - but their free webinars and the stuff they publish can be useful for all investors.

I'll let you know (via this thread) what my experience is over the next year (during my free membership period).

Regarding @Rocket6 question on ASA membership, I am a current member and have been for 4-5 years and found it good value even paying for it. I get most of my value by making use of the local member meetings, the magazine and webinars can have some interesting things – depends on what your interested in.

As @Bear77 said it principally caters for self-funded retirees and is about the only group that gives a voice to small shareholders for companies that they have active monitors for. Besides head office admin it is a volunteer organisation so it’s ability to make a difference is limited to those who get actively involved. It defiantly can influence some boards, where there are strong monitors, and they hold proxies that put them in the top 20 shareholders. For very long-term shareholders who are sitting on a massive capital gain and don’t want to sell because of this it’s an important function – my view is that I would probably just sell the shares rather than seek to actively change the company if it had board issues.

Despite not being a self-funded retiree or interested in most of the companies that have active monitors I still find value in the local member meetings and occasional webinar, but I am by far the youngest there and it depends on the quality of the people attending that make a big difference (like any forum or group).

Get if for free for a year is defiantly worth the investment to check it out.

@CanadianAussie Thank you. I had looked at ASA in the past but I was not sure if the membership was for me. It certainly is a good opportunity to try this out.