Depositary banks, including some at Caceis, have been grappling with dissatisfaction for years due to the ever-complicating “settlement machinery” requiring constant fine-tuning. “With each legislative tightening, our processes must adapt,” state Rinke Visser and Sikko van Katwijk from Caceis Netherlands. Caceis is the asset servicing banking group of Crédit Agricole and Santander.
According to Van Katwijk, flawlessly executing and managing customer transactions has become “an extremely intricate affair.” Moreover, increased regulations mean custodian banks are frequently querying pension administrators about personal data. “They aren’t accustomed to this,” mentions commercial director Van Katwijk, “which occasionally leads to frustration. We’re familiar with this challenge as well.”
Last year, asset managers were vocal about their grievances against custodian banks. InsingerGilissen managers, for instance, faced protracted delays and continuous back-and-forth queries during client onboarding. In retaliation, some parties, such as Lynx, ventured into filing services, and Knox rejuvenated under AFS. Yet, Caceis maintains it hasn’t seen a customer exodus. “Though we did concede certain services,” admits Visser, pointing to the management of smaller assets. “We notice some firms provide complimentary administrative services with fiduciary management, but often at a reduced service quality.”
Services being dropped is “regrettable,” says Van Katwijk, “but the implications are generally minor and often short-lived.”
Taking custody in-house
With growing dissatisfaction towards existing custodian bank services, there’s chatter about asset managers, among others, internally handling custodial tasks. Van Katwijk observes this but warns against it, especially for smaller firms, in the aftermath of a regulatory pivot. “Asset managers should focus on robust investment strategies for clients rather than diving into custody operations,” he opines.
Despite the changes, the two top brass at Caceis argue that many custodian banks still offer “below-par services,” mainly due to conflicting interests.
Globally, depository banking is dominated by a few giants such as JPMorgan, State Street, and Northern Trust. In Europe, BNP and Caceis have established strong footholds. Still, there are smaller entities like InsingerGilissen and Van Lanschot Kempen, which offer custody services as a part of a broader suite. “Many see custody as an add-on service,” notes Visser, “which doesn’t bode well for quality.”
In protecting client assets and investment valuation, “our aim is neutrality,” asserts Van Katwijk. He highlights the conflict of interest when custody services double as asset managers or investment bankers, likening it to “butchers appraising their meat.”
Digital assets
What’s on the horizon for Caceis? “We’re exploring digital assets,” shares Van Katwijk, emphasizing their potential in tokens over cryptocurrency. Tokenisation could revolutionise individual investor access to assets like large real estate projects. “Thanks to tokens, one might invest in just a couple of bricks, making specific investments more accessible,” suggests Van Katwijk.
Finally, Van Katwijk envisions more comprehensive service offerings from Caceis. With regulatory pressures rising, clients are keener to delegate additional tasks. He anticipates that Caceis will increasingly assume a client’s entire back office, including staff. “A comprehensive, integrated front-to-back solution is what clients will progressively gravitate towards,” he concludes.