Consolidated Account Statement (CAS): Features, Benefits, and How to Get It

With investments scattered across products, does managing multiple investments feel like a struggle? Generally, an Indian retail investor holds mutual fund units, equity shares in a demat account, and even a few corporate bonds. All these assets sit with different fund houses or brokers. Thus, having a clear overview of your investments can be a challenge.

This is where a consolidated account statement can help. It can change the perspective for every serious wealth creator.

As its name suggests, it consolidates every scattered investment detail into one document. Thus, it can offer a bird's-eye view of an investor’s financial well-being.

Let us learn what a consolidated account statement is in this blog.

What is a Consolidated Account Statement?

A consolidated account statement, or CAS, is simply a unified financial record showing all your transactions and holdings across various mutual funds and stock market investments.

So, with the help of a CAS, you can avoid downloading ten separate PDFs from ten different portals.

Your CAS is linked to your PAN (Permanent Account Number), which acts as a base to pull data from various sources.

The answer to ‘what is a consolidated account statement,’ lies in its ability to simplify life.

A CAS holds a record irrespective of whether you buy shares through a broker or start an SIP directly with an AMC. With this statement, no investment can be missed, forgotten, or hidden over time.

Why Consolidation of Financial Accounts Matters

Whether in life or not, you need to stay organised in your investment records. With clutter in your records, you might end up making poor decisions.

For example, a kitchen with spices kept in 15 different shelves can make cooking a slow, error-prone, and frustrating process. Now, you can think of a single masala box with every spice in its place. Being organised in such a way can make cooking quick and efficient.

Financial management, too, works on the same logic. Without a consolidated account statement, investors might overemphasise one part or miss a payment on a dormant folio.

Consolidation with CAS can help investors view the total "family" of investments. You will know if your portfolio has too much risk or if it lacks diversity.

The consolidated account statement can provide a clear summary, where there is no duplication of efforts. With CAS, the legal heirs of an investor can identify all assets in one go, thus simplifying the inheritance nitty-gritty.

Types of Accounts Included in a Consolidated Statement

You might have first come across this term on a bank or depository website. In general, consolidated accounts include every investment linked to a specific PAN. The investment list covers equity shares, preference shares, and debentures that are held in demat form.

It also includes every mutual fund folio, whether you purchased them through a distributor or directly through an AMC.

Investments in government securities, sovereign gold bonds, and ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) are also placed here.

Also, if you hold money market instruments or corporate deposits through their demat account, those appear in CAS too.

How a Consolidated Account Statement Works?

Now, let us focus on the working of the consolidated account statement. The CAS process uses data sharing between DPs (Depository Participants) and RTAs (Registrar and Transfer Agents).

Organisations like NSDL, CDSL, CAMS, and KFintech work in collaboration to aggregate this information. After a transaction occurs, the respective agency records it. And, at the end of every month, these agencies match the PAN across their databases.

Thus, for every investor who made a transaction during a given month, the system then compiles a consolidated account statement. However, if no trade happened, the agencies would still send a half-yearly or annual statement to show your current investment balance.

Therefore, your investment data remains fresh and accurate. All that you need to do is ensure that your email and PAN are updated across all folios.

Key Features of a Consolidated Account Statement

A consolidated account statement is made up of numerous layers of data. It enables deeper analysis and acts as a comprehensive financial report card.

Single-View Portfolio Overview

This is the first section in your CAS. Usually, it provides your total valuation summary.

Here, you can view your aggregate invested amount and your portfolio’s current market value. With a single-view overview, you just need seconds to understand your investments’ net worth.

Transaction-Level Details

Here, you will find a list of every buy, sell, or switch operation performed during the statement period. You can also look for dividend reinvestments and SIP instalments.

An active trader or a disciplined SIP investor can use this part to verify if the broker or the fund house executed the orders at the correct price and quantity.

Asset Allocation and Performance Summary

With good statements, you can break down the holdings into different asset classes such as equity, debt, and balanced categories.

A person can check if their asset allocation matches their long-term goals. If the equity portion has grown too large due to a market rally, the summary would make the need for rebalancing obvious.

Tax and Compliance Reporting

Tax seasons can be full of stress if you have made multiple investments.

The consolidated account statement can simplify the picture with a clear record of capital gains and losses. It is also a reliable document for tax auditors and helps in the accurate filing of Income Tax Returns (ITR).

Benefits of Using a Consolidated Account Statement

The core of CAS for investing is its efficiency. Transforming a chaotic spreadsheet into a professional financial report makes CAS a necessity for organised financial planning.

Simplified Financial Tracking

With a Consolidated Account Statement, you no longer need multiple logins or passwords. One single statement shows all your investments in one place, from blue-chip stocks to small-cap mutual funds. It simplifies tracking, saves time, and makes portfolio monitoring effortless.

Improved Investment Decision-Making

CAS can show you your entire investment picture, helping you spot patterns. You can spot investment gaps, such as identifying three different mutual funds holding the same underlying stock. Such "portfolio overlaps" stand out in CAS, helping you invest and diversify better.

Time and Effort Savings

With CAS, you no longer have to enter data into apps or Excel sheets. You can easily save time with the statement’s automated nature.

Enhanced Financial Transparency

CAS helps you identify any unauthorised or unfamiliar transactions when you review your statement. Thus, investors, brokers, and fund houses can stay on the same page about the number of units or shares you are holding.

Who Should Use a Consolidated Account Statement?

The consolidated account statement has multi-use benefits. It can help different investor types differently.

Individual Investors

Say you are an average salary earner with a few SIPs and a demat account. You need basic investment hygiene. CAS can keep you informed about your goal-based investment progress.

High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNI)

If you have large and complex portfolios with multiple brokers and various wealth management platforms, the CAS can be a blessing. You can use the CAS to untangle a complex web of assets.

Financial Advisors and Wealth Managers

Advisors can get an accurate view of their clients’ current holdings before they give advice. Thus, these professionals do not have to depend on the client for mentioning each and every investment.

Businesses and Corporate Account Holders

Companies investing their surplus cash into liquid funds or debt instruments can use CAS for accounting. Thus, they can reconcile books at the end of the quarter or financial year, accurately.

How to Get a Consolidated Account Statement?

You can get your CAS quickly and easily from different financial bodies.

Through Banks or Financial Institutions

Most leading banks offer a "consolidated view" in their net banking portals. To download CAS, an investor can log in and navigate to the investment section.

Via Investment Platforms or Wealth Management Tools

Registrars like CAMS and KFintech provide a dedicated CAS portal. An investor can visit the website, enter their PAN and registered email ID, and request CAS. Depositories like NSDL and CDSL offer their versions of the statement for demat-heavy portfolios.

Required Information and Permissions

All you need is a valid PAN. Also, your email address needs to be consistent across all mutual fund folios and demat accounts.

Security and Data Privacy Considerations

CAS contains sensitive financial data. Therefore, security is a top priority for the issuing agencies.

Data Encryption and Protection Measures

A consolidated account statement sent via email comes with a password. The password encryption ensures that even if someone intercepts the email, they cannot view the contents without the key.

Regulatory Compliance and Standards

SEBI regulates the issuance of these statements, ensuring the highest confidentiality in agencies handling data. Thus, strict cybersecurity protocols are in place to prevent data leaks.

A CAS is a powerful instrument for any investor. It can help you clearly navigate the complex world of finance.

Source

NSDL
CAMSOnline