Custody

Explained:

custodian

custody

subcustodian


 
   

A custodian is a bank or other institution that holds securities on behalf of investors. The tasks performed by a custodian include:

safekeeping of securities

delivering or accepting traded securities

collecting principal, interest, or dividend payments on held securities

Collectively, these services are called custody.

Custodians are typically used by institutional investors who do not wish to leave securities on deposit with their broker-dealers or investment managers. By separating duties, use of custodians reduces the risk of fraud. The custodian independently ensures that the investor has unencumbered ownership of the securities other agents represent to have purchased on their behalf.

If an investor holds foreign securities, their custodian will contract with custodians in foreign countries to provide local custody services. These foreign custodians are called subcustodians.

Related Internal Links

collateral Assets held to secure an obligation.

hypothecation The posting of collateral.

investment management The process of investing a portfolio on an ongoing basis.

repurchase agreement An agreement to sell and subsequently repurchase a security.

securities lending The lending of securities, usually for a fee.

short sale Sale of a borrowed security.

Sponsored Links

Ads by Contingency Analysis

 

Related Books

Simmons (2002) is an excellent book that discussed custody in detail.

Securities Operations

Michael Simmons

quality

 

technical  

2002

 

Sponsored Links

Ads by Contingency Analysis

 

Disclaimer

website: http://www.contingencyanalysis.com
glossary direct link: http://www.riskglossary.com
copyright © Contingency Analysis, 1996 - current