V-Bank AG

V-Bank AG is a specialized German custodian bank based in Munich that focuses on serving independent asset managers, external advisers, and family offices rather than marketing directly to retail clients. Founded in 2008, it operates a B2B model that centers on securities custody, trade settlement, cash accounts, corporate actions processing, and tax handling under German rules, including withholding and reporting obligations. The bank provides client and portfolio reporting and offers connectivity to common portfolio management systems via interfaces and data exports, alongside a digital portal for account and order oversight; product manufacturing and retail advisory are not part of its model. As a credit institution, it is supervised in Germany and subject to EU regulation relevant to deposit-taking and investment services; deposits are covered by the statutory German deposit guarantee scheme up to the legally defined limit per depositor, while securities are held in custody under segregation rules applicable to client assets. Pricing is typically negotiated between the bank and the asset manager and usually includes custody charges, transaction and settlement fees, foreign exchange spreads, and service-level add-ons; end-clients often experience these costs via their adviser’s fee structure. Account opening and ongoing due diligence are conducted through the professional adviser under German KYC/AML requirements. The offering suits professional and semi-professional investors who want an execution and custody platform separated from advisory, with post-trade operations handled by a dedicated specialist; it will not suit users seeking full-service retail banking, proprietary investment products, or broad lending. Key considerations include counterparty and operational risks common to any custodian relationship, possible service dependence on the chosen asset manager, variability in interest paid on cash balances, and the usual market-access limitations that can arise from selected sub-custodians and execution venues.