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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.
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