Custodial fees

Custodial fees

Fees charged by an institution that holds securities in safekeeping for an investor.

Custodial Fee

A fee a brokerage or other financial institution charges for safekeeping services. Safekeeping or custody is a service in which the brokerage or financial institution holds securities on behalf of the client, which reduces the risk of the client losing his/her assets or having them stolen. They are also available to the brokerage to sell at the client's demand. Like a bank, custody provides an investor a place to store assets with little risk. Unlike a bank, custodians are not allowed to use the items in safekeeping for their own ends. Assets in custody are not fungible for the brokerage because they remain in the client's name.