Safekeeping
What it is:
Safekeeping is a term describing a financial institution's responsibility to keep clients' assets in a safe area.
How it works (Example):
Let's say John Doe deposits $4,000 into his savings account at Bank XYZ. Bank XYZ has an obligation to keep John's $4,000 separate and apart from its own accounts that it uses to pay the bank employees and other expenses.
Similarly, John Doe's brokerage firm has a responsibility to keep the money in his account separate from the brokerage firm's own cash and house accounts.
Why it Matters:
One of the fundamental purposes of the entire banking industry is safekeeping. That is, they provide people with a safe place to keep their money until they need it.
A safekeeping certificate is a document that proves that a person owns a security or a CD. American Depository Receipts (ADRs) are some of the most common forms of safekeeping certificates. Issued by U.S. banks, American Depository Receipts (ADRs) are certificates that represent shares of a foreign stock owned by the issuing bank. The foreign shares are usually held in custody overseas, but the certificates trade in the U.S. Through this system, a large number of foreign-based companies are actively traded on one of the three major U.S. equity markets (the NYSE, AMEX or Nasdaq).
