Wednesday July 10 2019

News Source: Global Exchanges

Focus: Derivative Market Segment

Type: General

Country: US

Link: https://bit.ly/2XHBwO4




On 09th July 2019, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (DSIO) issued a Staff Advisory stating that the CFTC’s uncleared swap margin rules do not require documentation governing the posting, collection and custody of initial margin until the initial margin threshold amount exceeds $50 million.

The Advisory is issued in furtherance of the March 2019 statement by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) concerning initial margin implementation.

The documentation requirements may impose a heavy burden on Phase 5 entities coming into scope in September 2020, and believe the CFTC staff clarification is appropriate in light of the BCBS-IOSCO March 2019 statement.

The Advisory also clarifies that while no specific initial margin documentation is required prior to reaching the $50 million threshold, DSIO expects that CFTC-regulated swap dealers will have appropriate risk management systems in place to calculate and monitor initial margin amounts and will act diligently as the amounts approach the $50 million threshold to ensure compliance with the documentation requirements.

Click on the above link for further information.