What is a custodian bank?

Learn what a custodian bank is.


A custodian bank is a financial institution that is responsible for the safekeeping of assets, including stocks and shares. They are often known simply as ‘custodians.’

Keeping someone’s stocks safe may sound straightforward but it comes with a whole host of responsibilities.

Custodians will usually be responsible for handling all the bureaucracy that comes with buying and selling stocks. That includes any tax issues, dividend payments or foreign exchange transactions that need to be carried out.

It’s worth noting that a custodian is largely concerned with the mechanics of investing. So if you store cash with a custodian, it’s not like holding a regular bank account that would let you go to an ATM and withdraw money.

In fact, custodial services are distinct from regular banking services. Though there are banks that offer a range of services, their custodial operations will be separate from any consumer or commercial banking services, such as lending or operating bank branches.

More terms

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The interest earned on a gilt since the last dividend date. When buying a gilt, the buyer pays the accrued interest at the time of a transaction to the seller in addition to the clean price of the gilt
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Costs and Charges

The money you pay when investing.
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Venture Capital Trust (VCT)

A listed company run by a fund manager, investing mainly in private companies.e.
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Stock Exchange

A physical/digital place where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities.
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Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

A means of calculating the potential future return on an investment.
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Running yield

The annual interest payment (dividend) divided by the current market price of a bond.
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Leverage

A method of trading using borrowed money that usually involves a very high level of risk.
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Equity

The amount of money a company would be left with by subtracting its liabilities from the value of its assets.
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Securities

Bonds and stocks.
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