Unit 1: Types of Accounts Flashcards
Cash Account
A basic investment account, and anyone eligible to open an investment account can open one.
-Customer must pay IN FULL for any securities purchased
What type of accounts MUST BE OPENED AS A CASH ACCOUNT?
Personal retirement accounts (IRAs)
Corporate retirement accounts (401k)s
Custodial accounts (UTMAs, UGMAs, Coverdell Education Savings Acct. (ESA)
Margin Accounts
Some cash and some credit to purchase the securities
The securities firm lends the necessary funds at the time of purchase, with the securities in the portfolio serving as collateral for the loan.
-Borrowed money = a debt that must be repaid
customers who open margin accounts must meet certain minimal suitability of requirements.
The use of borrowed money is known as
financial leverage
The term “margin”
refers to the minimum amount of equity a customer must deposit to buy securities
Fee-based accounts
charge a single fee (either fixed or % of assets in the account)
-are appropriate only for investors who engage in at least moderate level of trading activity
Disclosure document given
Fee-based accounts tend to reduce the likelihood of
churning - illegal and unethical practice that occurs when a BD or one of the registered reps engage in exessive buying and selling of securities in a customer acc to generate more commissions
Fee-based acct have introduced the risk of
reverse churning - when RRs recommend a switch from brokerage acc to a fee-based which clearly shows the disadvantage to the customer
-means moving low-activity trading customers to fee-based
Fee-based accounts are NOT wrap accts
wrap accts are accts for which firms provide a group of advisory services **in addition to brokerage services
Wrap accounts
-accts charged a single fee
-fee usually % of assets being managed
-firms offering wrap accts must be register as investment advisors
prime brokerage acct
Usually an institutional account
Centralized master acc that utilizes executing firms for trades ,
selects one member firm (the prime broker) to provide custody and other services, while other firms, called “executing brokers” handle most of the trades placed by the customer
what is needed to open a prime brokerage acct
- sign agreement with customer, spelling out the terms of the agreement, as well as the names of all executing brokers the customer has contracted with
Key adv. of prime brokerage acct
provides clients with ability to trade with multiple brokerage houses while maintaining a centralized master acct with all the clients cash and securities
-more active trading
-hedge funds
DVP/RVP ?
-Collect on delivery - you will not pay until you receive the securities
-Usually an institutional account
Cash-on-delivery settlement
Day trader
someone who buys and sells the same security on the same day to try and take advantage of the intraday price movements
Pattern Day trader
someone who executes 4 OR MORE DAY TRADES IN A 5-BUSINESS-DAY PERIOD
-minimum equity requirement in a pattern day traders acct. or $25k
-Special risk disclosure required
-Cross guarantee not allowed: can’t use guarantees from third parties to cover (margin) maintenance calls
-Principal approval required before OPENING
Pattern Day Traders must
have on deposit at least $25k in the acct equity on any day in which day trading occurs
Before opening an acct (with day trading)
- provide the customer with a risk disclosure statement that outlines all the risks associated with day trading
- AND approve the acct. for a day trading strategy or receive from the customer a written statement that the customer does not intend to engage in day trading
Individual accounts
account with one owner
-owner can control the investments within the account
-request distributions of cash or securities from the acct
-have their name on the check or certificate
*suitability is based solely on the individual**
Joint Accounts
- JTWROS
2.Joint TIC - *Community property (based on states)
co-owners of joint accounts are called
tenets
Forms for joint acct
- appropriate new account form
- joint agreement must be signed (allows tenets to transact business in the acct. )
Other features of joint acct
-checks must be payable to the names on the account & endorsed for deposit by all tenets
-when securities are sold from the joint acct., the certificate must be signed by all tenets
-suitability based on everyone in the group - not just one member of the group
JTWROS
-equal ownership
-deceased tenants interest is passed to the surviving tenets
-assets divided equally
Joint Tenets in Common (TIC)
-Assets divided per customer instructions
-each tenet has authority to act
-ownership provides that a deceased tenets fractional share in the accounts goes to the tenets estate
-each owner sets their own heirs
FREEZE acct if one owner dies before - then the account will be retitled
Test Topic alert:
JTWROS vs TIC
JTWROS: all parties have undivided interest in the account
TIC: each party must specify a percentage interest in the account
Community Property
Joint account that is a marital property classification recognized by some, but not all states.
in these states, most property acquired during marriage is considered to be OWNED JOINTLY by both spouses and would be divided at the time of divorse, annulemnt or death
What is important to know about community property
-comm. property laws differ from state to state
some states have created separate classifications called “community property with rights of survivorship” that are similar to TIC with rights of survivorship property designations
Custodial accounts
not technically joint accounts cause there is only one owner but there are 2 names on the account:
1. Custodian
2. Beneficial owner or minor
-custodian for the minor enters all the trades . UGMA and UTMA accts require adults to act as custodian for a minor (beneficial owner)
what year was UTMA founded
1986 - these are more flexibility
what year was UGMA founded
1956
UTMA Account features
- reregistgered as late as 25
greater flexibility (real property can be transferred to a UTMA - BUT NOT UGMA) - custodian has full control over the minors account and can perform the following
- buy or sell securities or other assets, such as real estate, in UTMA
-exercise rights or warrants
-liquidate, trade, or hold securities
RRs must know the following about UTMAS/UGMAS custodial account rules:
-all gifts, and transfers in the case of UTMas are IRREVOKABLE
-an account may only have 1 custodian and one minor/beneficial owner
-a donor of securities can act as a custodian or appoint someone to do so
-unless acting as a custodian, parents have no legal control over UTMA/UGMA account or securities in it
a minor can be a bene in one or more accounts
a minor has the right to sue the custodian for any improper actions
can only be opened as cash accounts - no margin
TOD
Transfer on death is a type of account registration that allows the owner of the account to pass all or a portion of it, upon death, to a single or multiple beneficiaries
no specific legal documentation is needed
TOD avoids probate but the assets in the account do not avoid estate tax
Business accounts
- sole proprietorship
- general partnership
- limited partnership
- LLC
- S Corp
- C Corp