System and method for centralized automated reconciliation of custody accounts

• US 7,451,103 B1
• Filed: 03/28/2000
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citibank (South Dakota) NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citibank (South Dakota) NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boyle, Terence, Cassell, Jon, Schneider, Alan, Gesher, Nolan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalinowski; Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chencinski; Siegfried E.
• Application Number:
  US09/535,877
• Time in Patent Office: 3,150 Days
• Field of Search: 705/37, 705/35, 705/36, 705/39, 705/40, 364/406, 364/408, 382/137
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method and system for centralized automated reconciliation of investment manager and related custody accounts makes use of computer hardware and software in a service bureau environment to receive information and records electronically from fund managers and custodian banks in different formats, to reformat the files for inputting to the system, and to perform the reconciliation process in a uniform manner. The system also allows one or both of fund managers and custodians to establish matching rules, to view the results of the matching process, to track the investigation process for unmatched records, and to manually match unmatched records.

Claims

1. A method for reconciliation of fund manager and custodian account records, comprising:

receiving a first account record by a database electronically from one of an internal portfolio tracking system of a fund manager and a custody network of a custodian and receiving a second account record by the database from the other of the internal portfolio tracking system of the fund manager and the custody network of the custodian;

allowing the fund manager and the custodian to predefine matching rules for the respective account records independently of one another;

automatically comparing the account records by a computer application according to the predefined matching rules for at least one item of account data selected from a group of account data items consisting of account number, security identification, units, unit cost, total cost, unit price, and total market value to identify one of matched and unmatched first and second account records; and

if unmatched account records are identified in the comparison, generating a report of the comparison by the computer application identifying the unmatched account records accessible for display by the fund manager and the custodian, allowing a manual match of the unmatched account records on the database by either one of the fund manager and the custodian, and storing an historical record of the manual match by the computer application accessible by either one of the other of the fund manager and the custodian.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the account records further comprises receiving the first and second account records for one of a position and a transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the account records for the position further comprises receiving the first and second account records for one of a securities position and a cash position.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the account records for the transaction further comprises receiving the first and second account records for one of a securities transaction and cash transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the account record electronically from the custody network of the custodian further comprises receiving the account record electronically via a proprietary financial network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the account records by the database further comprises receiving the account records by a service bureau database.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically comparing the account records further comprises uploading the account records to the database.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein uploading the account records further comprises formatting the account records.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein uploading the account records further comprises parsing the account records.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein uploading the account records further comprises validating the account records.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein uploading the account records further comprises uploading the account records according to a predefined schedule.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein predefining the matching rules further comprises predefining available match groups for the fund manager and the custodian.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein predefining the matching rules further comprises predefining the matching rules for the account records for at least one of a position and a transaction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein predefining the matching rules further comprises predefining substantially similar matching rules for the account records for the position and transaction.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein predefining the matching rules further comprises predefining different matching rules for the account records for the position and transaction.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein predefining the matching rules further comprises predefining matching criteria in terms of a tolerance in at least one of percentage terms and nominal terms.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein predefining the matching rules further comprises predefining the matching rules in terms of levels of match success.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the report further comprises allowing at least one of the fund manager and the custodian to download the report in a file.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the report further comprises displaying the unmatched first and second account records simultaneously for either one of the fund manager and the custodian on a consolidated screen.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the report further comprises prompting either one of the fund manager and the custodian for entry of the manual match.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing the manual match further comprises identifying a reason for the manual match.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein identifying the reason further comprises storing a record of the reason for the manual match.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein storing the record further comprises allowing a retrieval of the record of the reason for the manual match.

24. A system for reconciliation of fund manager and custodian account records, comprising:

a computer database adapted for receiving a first account record electronically from one of an internal portfolio tracking system of a fund manager and a custody network of a custodian and for receiving a second account record from the other of the internal portfolio tracking system of the fund manager and the custody network of the custodian;

a computer application preprogrammed for automatically comparing the received account records according to matching rules, which the fund manager and the custodian are allowed to predefine for the respective account records independently of one another, for at least one item of account data selected from a group of account data items consisting of account number, security identification, units, unit cost, total cost, unit price, and total market value to identify one of matched and unmatched first and second account records; and

wherein if unmatched account records are identified in the comparison, the computer application is further preprogrammed for generating a report of the comparison identifying the unmatched account records accessible for display by the fund manager and the custodian, for allowing a manual match of the unmatched account records on the database by either one of the fund manager and the custodian, and for storing an historical record of the manual match accessible by either one of the other of the fund manager and the custodian.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer database is further adapted for receiving the account records electronically via a proprietary financial network.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the database further comprises a service bureau database.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the database is further adapted for receiving an update of the account records.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the means for uploading database is further adapted for receiving the update of the account records according to a predefined schedule.

29. The system of claim 24, comprising a terminal for displaying the report for a user.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the computer application is further adapted for displaying the unmatched first and second account records simultaneously for the user on a consolidated display at the terminal.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the computer application is further preprogrammed for storing a record of a reason for the manual match.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the computer application is further preprogrammed for allowing retrieval of the record of the reason for the manual match.