Sharesave invitation FAQs

Sharesave is a tax-advantaged savings-related share plan where you can save a fixed amount every month for three or five years directly from your net pay. At the end of the savings contract you have the opportunity to buy shares in Aberdeen Group plc at a special discounted price, or you can simply have your savings returned to you.

Sharesave is a risk-free savings plan. You will always get back the money you have saved and there is a potential to benefit at the end of the three or five year savings contract if the Aberdeen Group plc share price has increased. Remember shares can go down in value as well as up.

All permanent and direct temporary employees of UK eligible companies can join Sharesave. HMRC rules don't allow you to join if you are an agency employee or a third-party contractor. However, it doesn't matter if you work full-time or part-time as long as you are an employee. You will not be able to accept the invitation if you are not an employee of one of the above companies on the date that the Sharesave Option is granted.

The special discounted price is calculated using the average mid-market share price over the five dealing days before the invitation date. For Sharesave 2025 the average share price is taken from 20 – 27 August 2025. A 20% discount is then applied to determine the special discounted price.

You can save between £10 and £500 a month. You must save the same amount each month for either 3 or 5 years. The maximum amount you can save across all open Sharesave contracts is £500.

Your savings are deducted through payroll each month from your net pay and kept in a Sharesave account which is set up for you when you join the Sharesave plan.

The HMRC limit for Sharesave contributions is £500 per month across all savings contracts. However, you do not need to include savings contracts that will mature on or before the date the new savings contract starts. If you have missed payments under an existing contract, this will impact the amount you can save under any new savings contract as the maturity dates will have been delayed by the number of months you have missed payments for.

No, the savings amount that you commit to cannot be changed. Think carefully about the amount you can afford to contribute before applying.

You can stop saving and close your Sharesave account at any time and get your money back. You then won't be able to buy the shares at the special discounted price. If you close your account through the Aberdeen Share Plans Portal your funds will be returned and you cannot reopen the account.

You can also stop saving for up to twelve months (take a savings holiday), either as separate periods of one or more months or a single twelve-month period. If you do take a savings holiday you'll still have to make 36 monthly savings for the three year Plan, or 60 for the five year Plan. This means that you'll postpone the time when you can buy the shares until you've completed these savings. If you do want to take a savings holiday please contact your local Payroll.

If you miss the first contribution to the Sharesave (in October payroll) then you won't be able to continue to participate in the 2025 scheme and purchase shares at the special discounted price. This is an HMRC requirement.

The maximum number of shares you buy is calculated by dividing your total savings plus any tax free bonus by the special discounted price. Use the Calculator to see how many shares you might be able to buy at the end of the savings period.

Your savings are held in your name with Lloyds Bank plc and are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme ('FSCS'). The FSCS can pay compensation to depositors if a bank is unable to meet its financial obligations. Most depositors are covered by the scheme. An eligible depositor is entitled to claim for loss up to £85,000. The limit relates to the combined amount in all the depositor's accounts with Lloyds Bank plc, including their share of any joint account, and not each separate account. For more information please refer to www.FSCS.org.uk, or call the FCSC on telephone number 020 7741 4100 or 0800 678 1100. Alternatively, log onto www.lloydsbank.com for further information about the compensation scheme.

If a repayment is made during the first year, your savings will be repaid without interest. If repayment is made on or after the first anniversary of the starting date and at least 12 monthly contributions have been paid, tax-free simple interest will be payable at 0.67%.

Providing you complete the contract you will receive a bonus on your savings. The bonus rate is fixed at invitation and returns are guaranteed, however future invitations may be offered on different terms. If you choose to save for three years, a tax-free bonus of 0.5 multiplied by your monthly contribution will be added to your savings. If you choose to save for five years, a tax-free bonus of 1.5 multiplied by your monthly contribution will be added to your savings.

If you go on a leave of absence, once you have started saving we will continue to deduct your savings amount while you have enough net pay. If you don't have enough net pay and want to continue saving, you will need to contact EQ to make the necessary arrangements. You can of course stop saving and receive a refund of your savings, or take a savings holiday (either as separate periods of one or months up to a maximum of twelve months, or a single twelve month period).

If you leave at any time during your saving period due to disability, redundancy, retirement or the sale of your employing Company or business, you will have 6 months in which you can choose to buy Aberdeen shares at the special discounted price. You can also choose to make arrangements with EQ to continue to save for a further six months and then buy shares using your total savings at that time.

If you leave for any other reason before the end of the savings period then you will get all your savings returned to you plus any applicable tax free interest. You will not be able to buy shares at the discounted share price, but you can choose to make arrangements with EQ to carry on saving and receive the tax-free bonus at the end of the plan.

If it's been three years since your Sharesave Option was granted and you resign, you may be able to buy the shares at the special discounted price within six months of your leaving date.

You will have a choice – you can use your savings together with any tax-free bonus to buy Aberdeen shares at the special discounted price or you can take out your savings and bonus as cash. If you buy the shares they are yours to keep or sell as you wish.

You will have six months to decide whether to buy the shares. We will be in touch at the right time to give you more detail about making your choices.

If you choose to take back your savings or don't make a choice within the 6 month period, then you will receive back the amount you saved plus any tax-free bonus.

We can't predict what the share price will be when you get the opportunity to buy the shares. The value of shares can go down as well as up and you should seek independent advice if you are in any doubt as to whether you should buy the shares after the end of the savings period.

Use the Calculator to see how many shares you can buy at the end of the plan and how much they could be worth.

You won't normally have to pay income tax or National Insurance Contributions on the difference between the special discounted price and the market price of the shares when you buy them through the Sharesave Plan. When you sell the shares you might be liable for CGT on the difference between the price you sell the shares for and the special discounted price. You will only need to pay capital gains tax if your total gains for the year are more than the annual exempt amount (which is £3,000 for 2025-26) and no other tax reliefs apply. You are not taxed on any bonus paid at the end of the savings period if you take out the cash.

Call the Aberdeen employee share schemes helpline on +44 (0) 371 384 2534. Lines are open 8.30am to 5.30pm (UK time), Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays in England and Wales). For RelayUK users with a textphone you can either download the RelayUK app or use the Relay UK website, www.relayuk.bt.com.

Or send an email to aberdeenshares@equiniti.com.