Investing via a broker? Don't leave unutilised funds in the trading account

Experts say that the broker is the custodian of your funds and securities, so you must choose one carefully

If you follow news of the fines imposed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on brokers, it will give you a good idea of the shenanigans they indulge in. Last week, the market regulator fined Anand Rathi Rs 100,000 for violating stockbroker norms and transferring money from clients' accounts to its own and vice versa on several occasions.  

Sebi rules state that brokers must segregate clients' funds from their own. "When a broker opens a bank account where he intends to keep clients' money, even the title of the account has to indicate that it is