FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS by Privately held Community Banks

My Private Shares is a secure, web-based platform dedicated exclusively to your bank. When your bank subscribes, you receive a private, bank-branded holding on our site where you can invite shareholders, prospective investors, and trusted partners to join. Instead of managing a static shareholder list, My Private Shares replaces that traditional approach with a dynamic, interactive private posting bulletin board.  

Your platform allows shareholders to connect with each other for private, shareholder-to-shareholder transactions under your bank’s guidelines, and it provides powerful tools for delivering timely, targeted communications. For banks that want a more complete service, we offer optional transfer agent services that can be used in full or à la carte. We also fully support banks that prefer to continue using their existing transfer agent arrangements, whether internal or with a third party.  

It’s a modern, flexible solution designed to give community banks control, transparency, and orderly liquidity options, while saving your team time, reducing your need to engage in sensitive transaction discussions, and creating a better overall experience for shareholders.

Banks that prioritize maintaining private ownership and preserving independence use My Private Shares to simplify shareholder management and strengthen relationships with their investors. The platform enables you to: 

• Facilitate Private Liquidity by allowing shareholders to create buy/sell posts without creating a public market. 

• Streamline Investor Communications in one secure, centralized portal to deliver timely updates and maintain archival records of important shareholder documents. 

• Maintain Compliance and Transparency around ownership and governance. 

• Create Efficiencies through streamlined processes and reduce administrative burden. 

• Enhance Shareholder Engagement through a professional, organized, and intuitive experience. 

With My Private Shares, privately held banks reduce risk, save time, and build stronger shareholder

engagement, all while supporting strategic control and long-term independence by keeping

ownership private.

Your bank does. As the client subscriber, you appoint site managers, such as your CEO, CFO, corporate secretary, or other shareholder relations staff, who manage all activity on your platform. You decide who to invite, what communications to share with investors, and how to use the tools. MPS provides the technology, security, and support; your bank remains in full control. 

Yes. We work with banks that are currently OTC-listed, those transitioning off public markets, or already privately held.  We also support Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), S Corps, and even closely held banks.  The platform is adaptable to different ownership structures and regulatory situations. 

Yes. Using My Private Shares to announce a capital raise or stock buyback is a cost-effective and efficient way to communicate with shareholders. Adding MPS into your investor relations strategy can improve the likelihood of closing additional capital because investors gain insight into both the bank’s strategic intentions and available liquidity options. We recommend that all such announcements be reviewed and approved by your legal counsel before release to ensure compliance with applicable laws and internal policies. 

Any company or private investment entity that issues a non-registered security can use My Private Shares. This includes private equity and venture-backed businesses, private funds and partnerships, and other privately held companies across industries such as financial services, healthcare, technology, and real estate. The platform is particularly helpful for organizations with larger shareholder bases, providing streamlined communication, a structured way to match buy and sell interest, and an ability to manage all facets of transaction management.

That’s fine; My Private Shares is about readiness, not volume. Shareholder inquiries can happen in waves and often at the most inconvenient times. By replacing a static shareholder list with an active platform, you keep your records transaction-ready, address estate planning needs, and simplify ownership changes when they arise.  

Our experience shows that when shareholders have secure access to a listing platform, listing and transaction activity often increases, not because it’s pushed, but because shareholders finally have a trusted, compliant place to connect. Many banks also use our communication tools to keep shareholders informed, reinforcing transparency and control.   All of this saves you time, reduces your involvement in sensitive shareholder discussions, and delivers a smoother, more satisfying experience for both your bank and your shareholders, while streamlining investor relations and helping you prepare for future needs.  

Your bank doesn’t set the price for unregistered securities. Shareholders create listings with the price they would like to obtain, and pricing discovery happens naturally through the platform by viewing other postings and any reference materials you provide, such as book value or third-party valuations. You can also record completed transactions that occur off-platform in your MPS transaction report. The platform offers an optional transaction history table on the summary page, where you can load historical transactions from any source to serve as a guide for shares sold, dates, and prices. We also help support compliance by assisting your bank in drafting transfer instructions that reflect the specific legal and contractual requirements of your institution, including Right of First Refusal (ROFRs) or other shareholder agreement provisions. 

No. Transactions and money transfers are handled off-platform, and MPS does not charge commissions. Your bank only pays a subscription fee for the platform. If you opt to use our transfer agent services, any transaction costs can be bundled into your customized subscription plan. 

Depending on the selected level of service, you would have access to detailed reporting and analytics. This includes:  

• Activity on the platform, such as shareholder postings and interactions  

• Document retrieval by shareholders  

• Messaging activity and inquiries  

These insights help banks track engagement, identify trends, and better manage shareholder relations, all while maintaining a secure and controlled environment.  

When your onboarding is complete, you do need to invite all shareholders of record — but participation is optional. Most banks see registrations grow steadily over time. Some shareholders join immediately, others later, and a few may never register. In our experience, once investors see the convenience of tracking holdings, connecting with other shareholders, and receiving timely updates, the majority choose to participate.  You can also invite new investors at any time.

Shareholders begin by receiving an announcement letter from the bank with instructions on using the platform. After that, site managers invite investors via email to register. Once logged in, shareholders can adjust their notification preferences for platform activity, including:  

• When postings are made by other investors  

• When documents are uploaded by the bank 

• When message inquiries are made on any post  

Default settings are daily for postings, weekly for documents, and immediate for message inquiries, but investors can adjust these frequencies or turn notifications off entirely. This ensures shareholders stay informed without being overwhelmed.

We make it simple. Each account requires a registered login.  Shareholders can link multiple accounts, whether individual, joint, trust, or retirement, into one secure login for ease of use and seeing everything in a single primary account. This enhances the user experience and makes it easy to view and manage all holdings in one place. We offer a short “how-to” video for shareholders to follow in our Knowledge Base for registered investors.  

Shareholders can easily browse and filter listings for the privately held banks they are invited to view. They only see posts from entities they are authorized to access, maintaining privacy and compliance. The search and filter tools are intuitive, making it quick and simple to find relevant listings. 

Banks can provide access to a transaction history table to review historical transactions, including shares sold, dates, and prices. This can also include supporting documentation in a folder. All use of the transaction history is at the bank’s discretion and can incorporate transactions uploaded from other sources to provide context for pricing and liquidity. 

Posting and sending messages on My Private Shares is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly. The platform also allows for anonymous postings when desired, giving investors the flexibility to participate privately while maintaining secure and compliant communication.  The platform keeps features simple, so even non-technical users can create posts, reply to inquiries, or review communications without confusion. The goal is to make participation effortless while maintaining secure and compliant communication. 

Yes. Investors can post messages, reply to inquiries, or use anonymous posting options.  All communications are secure, and your bank retains oversight through site managers, who can monitor activity and provide guidance if needed. 

Shareholders can update personal contact information and notification preferences directly within their account. Any changes are tracked to maintain accuracy and transparency. It’s important to note that the platform is not used to maintain official books and records; your bank or transfer agent retains control over the official shareholder register and any changes should be reported to them as soon as possible.  

Only the people your bank invites. This can include shareholders, prospective investors, and trusted professionals like attorneys or accountants. Your bank always knows exactly who has access and can revoke access at any time. 

Only if you want us to. We’re transfer-agent agnostic, meaning we can work with your existing provider, your internal processes, or serve as your transfer agent ourselves. 

Our core services are supported by a dedicated, experienced team through a 20-year SEC-registered transfer agent. These services include maintaining your shareholder register on a SOC-2 compliant platform and processing transfers. Additional services are available à la carte and can include:  

• Converting physical certificates to book entry  

• Managing proxy mailings and voting  

• Managing dividend payments  

• Preparing reports for regulators or your board  

You can choose a complete package or just the components you need. The goal is flexibility, so you get the level of service that works best for your bank.  

Yes. We use bank-level encryption, multi-factor authentication, and secure hosting. All data stays in your bank’s private environment, and you control all access. 

Most banks go live on the platform in less than 30 days. Implementation includes sending subscription documents for review and execution, appointing and training site managers, and working together to build key documentation such as announcement letters, shareholder instructions, and transfer instructions. You then invite your investors and other users to the platform. Our team handles the process step by step to ensure onboarding is smooth, efficient, and low stress. 

Shareholders can contact your bank directly or use the platform’s help resources. We provide banks with easy-to-share guides, videos, and FAQs to ensure shareholders get quick, clear answers.