The Bank of Bermuda is to hold seminars offering investment advice should its sell-off to HSBC go through.

A bank spokeswoman confirmed yesterday that the bank has plans for an investment seminar series ? and not just for shareholders.

The scheme was confirmed after a question was put to bank CEO Henry Smith during last Thursday?s shareholders? forum. One shareholder said that if the HSBC deal was approved by the shareholders many of them would be left with substantial amounts of money without any guidance as what do with it. Mentioning his fears that many would spend the funds recklessly instead of reinvesting it, he said that he ?hopes the bank can come to their rescue? and offer investment advice.

?You have a lot of stock holders who will be in need of your help,? the shareholder said to Mr. Smith.

In response, Mr. Smith said that the bank had been focusing its efforts on addressing the shareholders concerns over the HSBC deal and that the bank was a ?little behind? in educating them on their investment options should they agree with the proposed take-over by global banking titan HSBC.

But he did mention that in addition to the advice offered by the bank?s Investment Centre, there were also plans in the works for a series of investment seminars where shareholders would learn about their various investment options, including the much talked about buying of HSBC shares

Last night a Bank of Bermuda spokeswoman confirmed that the bank will be hosting a seminar series.

?Members of the Bank of Bermuda investment team will be hosting investment seminars and an open house at the Investment Centre later this month,? she said.

She said that the seminars were not aimed specifically at advising Bank of Bermuda shareholders.

?The seminars and open house will be open to anyone interested in investment information and not limited to shareholders at the Bank of Bermuda.

?The seminars are for general investment advice and are not specific to shareholders or the HSBC acquisition.?

The spokeswoman said that details of the seminars will be announced next week.