Help and FAQs

Prove my money is safe

You can confirm that the cask lists and bank statements which WhiskyInvestDirect published regularly match exactly to WhiskyInvestDirect's customer records, and that those records contain your correct balances.

The procedure

Step 1.
 		 If you have forgotten your WhiskyInvestDirect nickname  LOGIN , and press  ACCOUNT > SETTINGS . Your public nickname is on the right of your screen in the preferences panel.
Step 2.
 		 Press the  AUDIT  link on WhiskyInvestDirect's front page.

Now looking at the left side of the screen under the column NICKNAME select the line whose first letter is the same as the first letter of your nickname. For example - if your nickname is WHISKYGENT click on the Ws.

Scroll to your nickname, and confirm your personal balance. You can choose whether to look at whisky or cash from the drop-down at the top of the page.

Trades since the reconciliation date are not included until the next AUDIT. Nor are changes to your nickname.

If all you wanted was a quick check that is all you really need to do.

Notice how this allows you to check your WhiskyInvestDirect holding from any computer without logging in. WhiskyInvestDirect recommends you use this method to check your holding from any computer which is accessible to members of the public.

Step 3.
 		 Checking the WhiskyInvestDirect TOTAL to the statement.

From the TOTAL section you can download a scan of the most recently published cask list or statement provided by - respectively - the storage provider or the bank.

Confirm the total on the statement or cask list matches the total we account for across all WhiskyInvestDirect customers.

Check the line subtotal against the WhiskyInvestDirect line TOTAL at the top of the page.

Money balances are sometimes placed on an overnight deposit. Funds in this 'Lloyds Treasury' account are also included in the audit.
Step 4.
 		 Checking WhiskyInvestDirect's arithmetic.

Using your mouse select the grid of figures, from the word 'TOTAL' (upper left) to the bottom-most right-most number in the scrolled panel.

Copy and paste these selected numbers into your preferred spreadsheet - e.g. Microsoft Excel.

Use your spreadsheet's summing function (Σ) to confirm WhiskyInvestDirect arithmetic by adding up the total of the detail rows. Take care to exclude TOTAL and SUBTOTAL rows from the summing function.

Check that your spreadsheet totals are the same as WhiskyInvestDirect's.


Timing excludes business since the audit was published...

  • WhiskyInvestDirect's records are maintained in real time - so WhiskyInvestDirect knows at any time exactly how much whisky and money belong to you. When you look at your  ACCOUNT > BALANCE  or at your  HISTORY >  STATEMENT  you will see your real time WhiskyInvestDirect data including any trading, deposits or withdrawals you did recently.
  • However, bank statements and cask lists are usually published by us once per week. So this proof is a reconciliation of the balance at that time. Don't expect to see more recent business included in your reconciled balance. Perhaps come back to prove that after the next audit is published, by which time we will have received and published statements for all business in that time, and generated more current figures for all Customer balances.

The bank account breakdown

When Currency is selected, directly beneath the 'TOTAL' line you'll see a breakdown of where the money is held. It can show the following lines:

  • Lloyds Bank current and savings - WhiskyInvestDirect clients' segregated funds held in a Lloyds Bank current (or checking) or savings account.
  • Lloyds Bank treasury - WhiskyInvestDirect clients' segregated funds held on fixed-period deposit with Lloyds Bank.
  • Wells Fargo current and savings - WhiskyInvestDirect clients' segregated funds held on in a Wells Fargo current or savings account.
  • Lloyds unpresented - Withdrawal instructions sent to Lloyds and still in clearing. We process withdrawal instructions within 1 working day, but for certain types of transfer Lloyds may take an additional 4 days for the payment to clear. During those three days the funds have left the clients' WhiskyInvestDirect accounts, but the money is still in the Lloyds Bank account, so we adjust for them.
  • Wells Fargo unpresented - Withdrawal instructions sent to Wells Fargo and still in clearing.