Eric retired from running his business in 2001 and became an investor in equities to supplement his pension. Having become increasingly angry at the way private shareholders were being treated in the crisis year of 2008, Eric joined the board of the UK Shareholders' Association to help do something about it. He spent several years dealing with policy matters, contributing significantly to much of UKSA's published material and numerous policy initiatives. He has been a member of SIGnet since 2007, chairing meetings for many years and contributing occasionally to its newsletter.