Deutsche Bank Private Wealth Management’s UK arm has rolled out new lending facilities for high net worth clients allowing them to borrow against liquid assets held with the bank as well as illiquid assets held externally.

Using the new facilities, clients can borrow against assets ranging from shares and bonds to art and antiques. The service will be bespoke, so the size of the loan and the interest charged will depend on the individual involved, as well as his or her track record with the wealth manager and the liquidity of the collateral assets.

Previously, clients might have gone to a number of different sources to meet liquidity needs, which raises costs as it is on an unsecured basis. Now, the wealth manager is aiming to provide a full suite of lending services to HNW clients all under one roof.

“Lending provides a big opportunity for private wealth management, and is one of our focuses for 2011 and beyond,” Michael Darriba, head of lending and credit solutions for DB PWM in the UK, told WealthBriefing.

On what distinguishes Deutsche Bank’s new service from its competitors, Darriba said factors included the size of the lending available and the joined-up nature of managing both assets and liabilities.

“We want to focus on developing lending solutions for all our clients in the UK,” said Darriba.

These individuals tend to have a lot of wealth invested in real estate, as well as assets such as art and aircraft at the higher end, providing a wide range of collateral.

So far, the take-up has been positive, says Darriba, and the private bank has had strong enquiries from branches around the country and closed a number of deals.