An omnibus account is a type of account used in financial transactions where one entity, typically a financial institution, holds securities or other assets on behalf of multiple clients. Rather than each client holding their own individual account, the financial institution holds the assets in a single account, which is known as the omnibus account.
In an omnibus account, the individual holdings of each client are not separated, and the assets held in the account are not directly owned by any individual client. Instead, the financial institution manages the account and is responsible for ensuring that the assets are properly allocated and accounted for among the clients.
Omnibus accounts are often used by investment managers, broker-dealers, and other financial intermediaries who need to manage large numbers of securities transactions on behalf of multiple clients. They can help to simplify the management of these transactions and reduce administrative costs, but they can also make it more difficult for clients to track their individual holdings and transactions.