Councils, universities, and religious organisations face strict compliance requirements when managing their surplus funds, yet many still rely on spreadsheets to identify rates, keep track of investments and reporting obligations, warns a fixed term deposit specialist.
Andrew Murray, the CEO of Curve Securities says manual rate and compliance tracking using Excel spreadsheets is prone to errors and makes it difficult to identify the best rates, forecast income, and ensure funds are allocated in line with regulatory requirements.
“There’s a clear expectation that councils invest surplus funds at the best available rate to ensure financial responsibility, transparency, and value for the community,” he says.
“Automated solutions are becoming increasingly critical for risk management and accountability in the public and institutional sector.”
“Councils are accountable to stakeholders and the wider community, and surplus funds must be invested prudently, and reported accurately.”
Next month, Curve Securities will expand into the financial intelligence market, offering YieldHub, a purpose-built online investment management platform that provides detailed portfolio analysis for councils, universities, and public sector organisations.
By integrating real-time investment tracking, compliance automation, and live rate data, YieldHub will provide councils and institutions with a smarter, more strategic approach to investing and managing their surplus funds.
“The platform streamlines the entire investment portfolio and gives more financial control to organisations investing their surplus funds,” Mr Murray says.
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He says by aggregating real-time market data from 90 banks, finance teams have immediate access to the most competitive investment options and don’t have to manually search for the best rates.
The platform’s built-in compliance tools ensure that investments adhere to policy limits and regulatory requirements, streamlining reporting and reducing admin.
As an investment tool, YieldHub streamlines decision-making by analysing rate data, portfolio details, and policy limits to generate tailored investment recommendations.
“YieldHub will read the rate data, along with the client’s investment portfolio and policy limits, consolidate all relevant information and then generate personalised investment recommendations so clients have the best options to proceed with their investment.”
“For example, if a council has $5 million to invest for one year, the platform will analyse its portfolio limits across different banks, identifying where funds can be allocated within regulatory constraints.”
“And if the council’s policy allows 10% exposure to a particular bank but only 8% is currently used, YieldHub will flag the available capacity and cross-check it against the latest term deposit rates.”
Mr Murray says the shift toward automation and real-time term deposit portfolio management is overdue, ensuring greater accuracy, efficiency, and transparency in how public funds are invested.
“Councils manage public money and they’re expected to maximise returns while staying within strict compliance guidelines to fund essential services, infrastructure, and long-term financial sustainability.”
He says the platform delivers a major efficiency boost for councils and the public sector, offering automated alerts that flag investments that fall outside policy limits.
Mr Murray estimates the platform will save councils a full day a month on reporting because the investment data, policy limits, and compliance checks are automated and stored within the platform.
He says with some capital city and metropolitan councils managing over $400 million in fixed-term investments, a robust, transparent, and fully compliant investment management system is essential for safeguarding public funds.
“Ratepayers must have confidence that public funds are being handled responsibly and in their best interest.”
