Millennium Trust Company, a firm specializing in the custody of alternative investments and private fund assets, announces it has reached $1 billion in fund assets under custody in less than two years of launching the firm’s Private Fund Custody service.
Millennium Trust’s qualified custodian service has also attracted firms that are developing alternative investment products based on peer-to-peer lending and private equity investing through various crowdfunding platforms.
“A large financial institution suggested that we speak with Millennium Trust regarding our unique custody requirements. We were delighted to discover a qualified custodian willing to collaborate with us to create tailored solutions that addressed both our immediate and future custody needs,” stated Carrie Dolan, CFO of LC Advisors and Lending Club, a leading platform for investing in and obtaining personal loans.
With efforts to deter fraud, safeguard client assets and provide further transparency, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made amendments to the Custody Rule 206(4)-2 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 resulting in a new need for private fund advisors to engage the services of an independent qualified custodian. Although the amended rule has been in effect for quite some time, many advisors to private funds are still unsure as to which assets are required to be held with a qualified custodian.
As the SEC continues to ramp up its examination process, advisors are gaining a better understanding of how the custody rule applies to their practice and are actively searching for a qualified custodian who can address their specific custody needs. Earlier this month, the SEC issued a risk alert stating that one-third of the advisory firms examined showed significant deficiencies involving advisor custody and safety of client assets. Millennium Trust’s service can effectively address each specific custody need to funds that range in value from a few hundred thousand dollars to funds steadily growing towards one billion dollars in value. Leveraging over a decade of experience in alternative asset custody, Millennium Trust is the only specialized custodian to provide a scalable, customizable and cost effective solution to private fund advisors.
