For decades, Singapore investors have used CDP accounts to hold local shares directly in their names. But with cheaper online brokers and custodian accounts becoming the norm, is CDP still necessary— or is it becoming a relic of the past? I studied how our system compares with the US, Hong Kong, Australia, the UK and China, so you don’t have to. Here’s what every Singapore investor should know before choosing between CDP and broker custody. What is a CDP account? A CDP securities account is an account operated by The Central Depository, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Singapore Exchange (SGX), which established the CDP in 1987 to provide clearing, settlement and safekeeping services for securities traded on the Singapore financial markets. This allowed direct retail investors to hold eligible Singapore-listed shares in an individual CDP account under their own name, and their investments were not locked inside the brokerage platform where they first bought them....