Finance Dictionary
Escrow
Definition
A legal arrangement in which a third party holds money or property until a particular condition has been met.
Deep Dive
Escrow represents a pivotal legal arrangement designed to foster trust and mitigate risk in complex transactions by employing a neutral third party. This third party, known as the escrow agent, holds assets—be it money, property, or documents—until all pre-agreed conditions between the primary transacting parties have been meticulously fulfilled. Its core purpose is to ensure that neither party is disadvantaged by prematurely releasing assets or services before their counterpart has met their obligations, thereby providing a secure interim holding solution.
Examples & Use Cases
- 1A buyer's funds for a house are held in escrow until the property deed is officially transferred
- 2A software company places its source code in escrow for clients to access if the company ceases operations
- 3During a business acquisition, a portion of the purchase price is held in escrow pending the resolution of potential liabilities
Related Terms
Trust AccountCollateralDue Diligence