Wrap account

An investment consulting relationship for management of a client's funds by one or more money managers, that bills all fees and commissions in one comprehensive fee charged quarterly.

Wrap Account

A brokerage account where the brokerage agrees to conduct transactions for the client for a flat fee, usually assessed on a quarterly or yearly basis. This differs from most brokerage accounts where transactions occur in exchange for a commission on the size of the transaction. A wrap account exists to protect the client from overtrading, which is the (illegal but sometimes hard to detect) practice of a broker making transactions to extract commissions rather than to benefit the client. Because this can result in less profit for the brokerage, a wrap account often requires a minimum investment of anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000.

wrap account

A special investment account in which all of the account's assets are entrusted to a professional money manager. All expenses relating to the account, including professional advice and commissions, are wrapped into a single annual fee that generally ranges from 1 to 3% of the total market value of assets in the account. Wrap accounts are designed for individual investors who choose to have a professional money manager handle a part or all of their investments. These accounts usually require minimum initial investments of at least $25,000.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms for Today's Investor by David L. Scott. Copyright © 2003 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.

Wrap account.

A wrap account is a professionally managed investment plan in which all expenses, including brokerage commissions, management fees, and administrative costs, are wrapped into a single annual charge, usually amounting to 2% to 3% of the value of the assets in the account.

Wrap accounts combine the services of a professional money manager, who chooses a personalized portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other investments, and a brokerage firm, which takes care of the trading and recordkeeping on the account.