Share investments are often held by custodians. Who are they, what do they do and are they safe?

Last year saw an unprecedented wave of amateur investors hit the stock market.

Australia’s biggest broker, CommSec, said the number of first-time traders more than doubled.

Data from the financial regulator, ASIC, shows a record 110,000 share-trading accounts were opened in March alone, as Australia went into lockdown and share prices bottomed.

The fad has continued into 2021, with another 51,000 accounts opened in January.

The rise of trading apps from brokers big and small has made it quick and easy to dive in. Perhaps a bit too easy, according to Alex Dunnin from financial analysis firm Rainmaker.

“Slow down. You don’t need to trade today, this hour, this minute, this nanosecond. Just calm it down, it’ll still be there for you tomorrow,”…