Blog

Tip #17 - Don’t fall prey to “shoebox syndrome”

by Andrew Bird, Executive Chairman, Sharesight | Sep 3rd 2013

Every week we post a tip that we hope will help you become a successful share market investor.

Tip#17 — Don’t fall prey to “shoebox syndrome”

As all share market investors know, the benefits of being in the market come with responsibilities to the tax office, not to mention the need to provide information to your accountant and frequently other interested parties as well. If you’re not prepared to keep your paperwork in good order throughout the year, or use an online share portfolio management service to do it for you, you most likely will end up in a last-minute scramble to get your affairs in order.

Paperwork haters like me know the shoebox drill – hunting around at the 11th hour (13th hour?) for trade confirmations / contract notes and dividend statements, scouring through bank statements and desperately trying to remember details of share splits, bonus issues and everything else that happened in your portfolio over the last year.

This information is not a recommendation nor a statement of opinion. You should consult an independent financial adviser before making any decisions with respect to your shares in relation to the information that is presented in this article.

FURTHER READING

Bull market investing

What bull markets hide from investors

by Marcus Padley | Oct 8th 2025

Bull markets make every strategy look smart — until they end. Learn what they hide and how to protect your portfolio when the trend reverses.

Sharesight exposure report

See what’s inside your ETFs with Sharesight’s exposure report

by Stephanie Stefanovic | Oct 3rd 2025

Understand your true portfolio exposure, see what’s inside your ETFs and make informed decisions with Sharesight’s exposure report.

Financial advisers top client mistakes

Top 10 mistakes financial advisers make with their clients

by Stephanie Stefanovic | Oct 3rd 2025

In this article, we discuss the 10 most common mistakes that financial advisers make with their clients (and how to avoid them).