Page 65 - City of Bedford FY21 Budget
P. 65

b.     Proof of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) certification
                       c.     Proof of state registration
                       d.     Completed broker/dealer questionnaire

                    The Investment Committee shall review, revise, and adopt a list of authorized broker/dealers at
                    least annually.

                    2. Internal Controls. The Director of Finance is responsible for establishing and maintaining
                    an internal control structure designed to ensure that the assets of BEDFORD are protected from
                    loss, theft or misuse.  The internal control structure shall be designed to provide reasonable
                    assurance that these objectives are met.  The concept of reasonable assurance recognizes that (1)
                    the cost of a control should not exceed the benefits likely to be derived and (2) the valuation of
                    costs and benefits require estimates and judgments by management.

                    Accordingly, within the scope of the annual audit, the Director of Finance shall establish a
                    process for an independent review by an external auditor to assure compliance with policies and
                    procedures.  The results of this compliance audit must be reported annually to the City Council.
                     The internal controls shall address the following points:

                       a.     Control of collusion
                       b.     Separation of transaction authority from accounting and record keeping
                       c.     Custodial safekeeping
                       d.     Avoidance of physical delivery securities
                       e.     Clear delegation of authority to subordinate staff members
                       f.     Written confirmation of transactions for investments and wire transfers

                    3. Delivery Versus Payment.  All trades, where applicable, will be executed by delivery versus
                    payment (DVP) to ensure that securities are deposited in an eligible financial institution prior to
                    the release of funds.  Securities will be held by a third-party safekeeping agent as evidenced by
                    safekeeping receipts.

               V.  Suitable and Authorized Investments

                    1. Investment Types.  The following investments will be permitted by this Policy as defined by
                    state and local law where applicable.  BEDFORD is not required to liquidate investments that
                    were authorized at the time of purchase.

                       a.     U.S.  government  obligations,  U.S.  government  agency  obligations,  and  U.S.
                              government instrumentality obligations (including obligations of the FDIC and the
                              Federal Home Loan Banks), which have a liquid market with a readily determinable
                              market value, and exclude those prohibited by the PFIA.

                       b.     Certificates of deposit and other evidences of deposit at a financial institution that, a)
                              has its main office or a branch office in Texas and is guaranteed or insured by the
                              Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or its successor, b) is secured by obligations
                              in a manner and amount provided by law for deposits of BEDFORD, or c) is placed
                              in a manner that meets the requirements of the PFIA.



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