A press release entitled, "Citi Enhances Transparency and Risk Assessment Functionality on Citibank Online Investments Portal and subtitled, "Leading global portal adds "Nominee" and "Fully Disclosed" offering, enhances Balance Transparency," tell us, "Citi has enhanced its global web-based investment service, Citibank Online Investments, offering additional account options for money market mutual funds. "Nominee" and "Fully Disclosed" account options allow clients to leverage all key features and benefits of the current omnibus account model. These include straight-through processing (STP), consolidated online trades, balance and dividend reporting, as well as direct automated settlement to a Citibank operating or custody account while addressing clients' requirements for additional disclosure reporting."
Elyse Weiner, Global Head of Liquidity Management Services for Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions, comments, "We know that transparency is increasingly important to our clients, which is why we have enhanced our industry-leading web-based investment service supporting local investment options in over 30 countries and 19 currencies. By adding multiple account options, Citibank Online Investments is able to match or surpass the capabilities of every other portal on the market today. These new account options include an ability to provide STP for all investments regardless of the account set-up. The breadth of our footprint, combined with the depth of Citibank Online Investments' functionality truly sets us apart."
The press release explains, "Disclosure of a client's balances to the underlying fund complexes is also an important trend in the cash investment world. Citibank Online Investments addresses that need with the introduction of Nominee accounts, which provide enhanced balance disclosure to funds. For clients selecting this option, fund complexes will get visibility into the clients' balances and transactions on a real time basis, facilitating tracking of investor relationships and provision of relationship credit."
It adds, "With the Fully Disclosed account option, clients may elect to open an investment account directly with the fund company as compared with investing through an omnibus account relationship between the fund company and Citi. This option more clearly defines the counterparties to the transactions, with full transparency between investors and investment vehicles. As with the Nominee structure, fund complexes will have the ability to view balances and client activity in real time, assisting in the maintenance of client/fund relationship."
The release also says, "As well as enhancing disclosure to fund complexes, Citi is committed to giving clients sophisticated tools to help identify and manage certain risks. Clients can also leverage Citi's extensive relationships with senior fund personnel to conduct necessary due diligence and understand a fund's investment philosophy."
Citi tells us, "Cachematrix, a core provider of institutional money market fund, bank product trading and sweep technology, has been selected to power Citi's money market fund portfolio holdings analytics module. This analytics module will provide clients with visibility to the consolidated underlying money market fund holdings, enabling them to quickly and easily identify certain potential exposure risk. Exposures will be categorized by Country, Holding, Security Category, Issuer, and Liquidity Distribution, allowing users to select a specific data point and drill deeper into the data and customize specific reports." (Note: Crane Data is a provider of Money Fund Portfolio Holdings data to Cachematrix.)
Weiner adds, "Corporations consider transparency into their investments to be vital in today's environment and it is a critical factor in selecting an investment platform. We are pleased to offer these enhanced risk assessment tools to our global clients." The release adds, "Citi's global network for liquidity management provides advisory, analytics, aggregation, and optimization services across the world."
Finally, the release says, "Citi Treasury and Trade Solutions (TTS), provides integrated cash management and trade finance services to multinational corporations, financial institutions and public sector organizations across the globe. With a full range of digital and mobile enabled platforms, tools and analytics, TTS continues to lead the way in delivering innovative and tailored solutions to its clients. It offers the industry's most comprehensive suite of treasury and trade solutions including cash management, payments, receivables, liquidity management and investment services, working capital solutions, commercial and prepaid card programs, trade finance and services."
