# What Is a Depository? Definition, Types, and Examples

> **Definition**
>
> A depository is a facility or institution, such as a bank or credit union, that accepts deposits of money or securities for safekeeping and assists in their trading.

## What Is a Depository?

A depository is an essential component of the financial ecosystem, housing valuable assets securely and facilitating transactions. The term can refer to a facility in which something is deposited for storage or safeguarding, or an institution that accepts currency deposits from customers, such as a [bank](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bank.asp) or a savings association. A depository also can be an organization, bank, or institution that holds [securities](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/security.asp) and assists in the trading of securities. Deposits placed in a depository must be returned in the same condition upon request.

Depositories provide security and [liquidity](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liquidity.asp) in the market, and they aid in trading securities. They use money deposited for safekeeping to lend to others, and they provide a funds [transfer](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/transfer.asp) system.

### Key Takeaways

*   A depository is a facility or institution where assets such as money or securities are stored and safeguarded. 
*   Depository institutions include banks, credit unions, and savings and loan associations.
*   They provide security, liquidity, and facilitate funds transfers in the financial market.
*   Depositories can hold securities in electronic form, reducing the risks associated with physical documentation.
*   The three main types of depository institutions are credit unions, savings institutions, and commercial banks.

![Depository: A facility where something is deposited for storage or safeguarding.](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/v2Go9gGTZzhQIvLD9fg-FcKammE=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/depository.asp-final-36e12f0f84fe41db8d71979a4cb057ef.jpg)

*— Investopedia / Jake Shi*

## How Depositories Function and Their Benefits

Depositories are buildings, offices, and warehouses that allow consumers and businesses to deposit money, securities, and other valuable [assets](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/asset.asp) for safekeeping. Depositories may include banks, safehouses, vaults, [financial institutions](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financialinstitution.asp), and other organizations.

Depositories have many uses for people and businesses. First, they eliminate the owner's [risk](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/risk.asp) of holding physical assets by providing a safe place to store them. For instance, banks and other financial institutions give consumers a place to deposit their money by offering time deposit and demand deposit accounts.

A [time deposit](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/timedeposit.asp) is an interest-bearing account with a specific date of maturity, such as a [certificate of deposit (CD)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/certificateofdeposit.asp). A [demand deposit](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/demanddeposit.asp) account holds funds until they need to be withdrawn, such as with a checking or savings account.

Deposits can also be securities, such as stocks or bonds. When these assets are deposited, the institution holds the securities, either in electronic form, also known as [book-entry](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bookentrysecurities.asp) form, or in paper form, such as a physical stock certificate.

Depository organizations also help create liquidity in the market. Customers give their money to a financial institution; the company holds it for a time and returns it when the customer wants it back. These institutions accept money from customers and pay [interest](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/interest.asp) on it over time. While holding customers' money, these institutions lend it as loans, earning more interest than they pay.

## Real-World Depository Example: Understanding Euroclear

[Euroclear](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/euroclear.asp) is a clearinghouse that acts as a central securities depository for its clients, many of whom trade on European [exchanges](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/exchange.asp). Most of its clients are banks, [broker-dealers](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/broker-dealer.asp), and other institutions professionally engaged in managing new issues of securities, market-making, trading, or holding a wide variety of securities.

Euroclear [settles domestic and international securities transactions](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/crest.asp), covering bonds, equities, [derivatives](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/derivative.asp), and investment funds. Domestic securities from more than 40 markets are accepted in the system, covering a broad range of internationally traded fixed- and floating-rate [debt instruments](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/debtinstrument.asp), convertibles, [warrants](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/warrant.asp), and equities. This includes domestic debt instruments, short- and medium-term instruments, equities and equity-linked instruments, and international bonds from the major markets of Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Americas.

## Key Considerations in Using Depositories

One main role of a depository is to transfer share ownership between accounts when [trades](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/trade.asp) happen. This helps reduce the paperwork for executing a trade and speeds up the transfer process.

Another function of a depository is the elimination of the risk of holding the securities in physical form. These risks can include theft, loss, fraud, damage, or delay in deliveries.

Investors can buy precious metals like [bullion](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bullion.asp) in physical or paper form. Gold or silver bars or coins can be purchased from a dealer and kept with a third-party depository. Investing in gold through [futures contracts](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/futurescontract.asp) is not equivalent to the investor owning gold. Instead, gold is owed to the investor.

A trader or hedger looking to take actual delivery on a futures contract must first establish a long (buy) futures position and wait until a short (seller) tenders a notice to delivery. With gold futures contracts, the seller is committing to deliver the gold to the buyer at the contract [expiry date](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/expirationdate.asp). The seller must have the metal—in this case, gold—in an approved depository. This is represented by holding COMEX-approved electronic depository warrants, which are required to make or take delivery.

## Exploring Different Types of Depositories

The three main types of depository institutions are [credit unions](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/creditunion.asp), savings institutions, and commercial banks. The main source of funding for these institutions is through deposits from customers. Customer deposits and accounts are insured by the [Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fdic.asp) up to certain limits.

> **Important**
>
> A depository's institutional function or type determines which agency or agencies are responsible for its oversight.

Credit unions are nonprofit organizations focused on customer service. Customers make deposits into a credit union account, which is similar to buying shares in that credit union. Credit union earnings are distributed in the form of [dividends](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dividend.asp) to every customer.

Savings institutions are for-profit companies also known as [savings and loan institutions](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/federal-savings-and-loan.asp). These institutions focus primarily on consumer mortgage lending but may also offer [credit cards](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/creditcard.asp) and commercial loans. Customers deposit money into accounts, effectively buying shares in the credit union.  
  
For example, a savings institution may approve 71,000 mortgage loans, 714 real estate loans, 340,000 credit cards, and 252,000 auto and personal consumer loans while earning interest on all these products during a single fiscal year.

[Commercial banks](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/commercialbank.asp) are for-profit companies and are the largest type of depository institutions. These banks offer a range of services to consumers and businesses such as [savings accounts](https://www.investopedia.com/best-high-yield-savings-accounts-4770633), consumer and commercial loans, credit cards, and investment products. These institutions accept deposits and primarily use the deposits to offer mortgage loans, commercial loans, and [real estate loans](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/commercial-real-estate-loan.asp).

## Difference Between Depository and Repository

A depository is not the same thing as a repository, although they can often be confused.

A repository is where items are kept safe. But unlike a depository, the items kept in a repository are generally abstract such as knowledge. For example, data can be stored in a software repository or a central file location. Investopedia is also considered a repository—in this case, it's a repository for financial information.

## What Is a Depository Institution?

A depository institution is a financial institution whose main source of funds is deposits from customers. A commercial bank is a type of depository institution, as is a credit union or a savings and loan association.

## What Is a Non-Depository Financial Institution?

A non-depository institution is a type of financial institution that does not primarily rely on customer deposits for its main income. Instead, it acts as a third party to financial transactions. One example of a non-depository institution is a life insurance company. Insurance companies accept payment for insurance products, but they do not typically hold funds for safekeeping, as a depository does.

## What Are the Benefits of a Depository Institution?

There are several advantages to using a depository institution such as a bank. First, depositories provide safekeeping for assets, cash, and valuables, eliminating the risk of theft and loss. They typically pay interest on your deposits, which will grow your balance. Depositories also create liquidity by lending out money.

## The Bottom Line

A depository is a place to deposit, or place, assets such as cash or securities. Depository institutions can include banks, credit unions, and savings and loans institutions. When you place your funds in a depository, the organization often will pay you interest on your deposit. It may also loan out those funds in the form of mortgages or personal loans.

A depository must return your deposit when you request it. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation guarantees your deposits at participating institutions, up to certain limits. Depositories facilitate market liquidity through lending and trading activities. They're similar to but not the same as repositories, which hold intangible assets.

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  Euroclear. "[Our Business](https://www.euroclear.com/about/en/business.html)."
>     
> 2.  Euroclear. “[Euroclear Services](https://www.euroclear.com/services/en/asset-classes.html).”
>     
> 3.  CME Group. "[COMEX Gold Warrants](https://www.cmegroup.com/trading/metals/files/comex-gold-warrants-info-sheet.pdf)," Page 1.
>     
> 4.  Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. "[Deposit Insurance FAQs](https://www.fdic.gov/deposit/deposits/faq.html)."