CASS 9.5 Reporting to clients on request1
Firms are reminded that, under COBS 16.4, they are required to send to each of their clients at least once a year a statement in a durable medium of those designated investments and/or client money they hold for that client. A firm which manages investments may provide this statement in its periodic statement, as required under COBS 16.3.
Firms are reminded that the requirements in COBS 16.4 only set out the minimum frequency at which firms must report to their clients on their holdings of designated investments and/or client money. Firms may choose to report to their clients more frequently.
Subject to CASS 9.5.6 R, CASS 9.5.4 R and CASS 9.5.5 R require firms to comply with a client's request for information on the custody assets and/or client money the firm holds for a client under CASS 6 and/or CASS 7, and such request may be made by a client at any time.
When a firm receives a request, made by a client, or on a client's behalf, for a statement of the custody assets and/or client money that the firm holds for that client, the firm must provide the client with the statement requested in a durable medium.
When a firm receives a request, made by a client, or on a client's behalf, for a copy of any statement of custody assets and/or client money previously provided to that client, the firm must provide the client with the copy of the statement requested in a durable medium and within five business days following the receipt of the request.
Any charge agreed between the firm and the client for providing the statements in CASS 9.5.4 R and CASS 9.5.5 R must reasonably correspond to the firm's actual costs.
Any statement provided to a client under CASS 9.5.4 R or CASS 9.5.5 R may, although it is not required to, be in the same form as the statement a firm is required to provide to a client under COBS 16.4 or, if appropriate, COBS 16.3.
Consistent with the fair, clear and not misleading rule, a firm should ensure that, in any statements of custody assets and/or client money it provides to its clients, it is clear from the statement which assets and/or monies the firm reports as holding for the client are, or are not, protected under CASS 6 and/or CASS 7 (e.g. if the statement also includes information regarding assets and/or monies which are held by the firm for that client which are not subject to the custody rules and/or client money rules) .
Firms are reminded that under CASS 3.2.4 G firms that enter into arrangements with retail clients covered by CASS 3 (Collateral) should, when appropriate, identify in any statement of custody assets sent to the client under COBS 16.4 (Statements of client designated investments or client money) or this section the details of the assets which form the basis of that collateral arrangement.