Street N. E.: Executive Vice Chief Officer Mur
Street N. E.: Executive Vice Chief Officer Mur
Zubrow
                                                                                                                Executive Vice president
                                                                                                                        Chief Risk Officer
                                                                              clearing houses. In
We support regulations requiring the creation of a risk committee at all
                                                                        for the  separation of the
addition, we believe it would be appropriate for regulations to provide
                                                                     management      function (Risk
corporate governance function (Board of Directors) from the     risk
Committee) within a clearing house.
Risk Corrtfytittee
                                                                                          of clearing member
We believe that the risk committee should be comprised of a majority
                                                       participation.      We     support   a requirement to for
representatives, with the remainder open to client
                                                                   of  client    representatives     with relevant
at least IO per cent of the risk committee to be composed
                                                                         independent       representatives.    VVe
expertise, and the remainder to be open to participation by                                             guarantee
                                                        should     be   the    preservation     of the
believe that the main focus of the risk committee
fund that is utilized to safeguard the clearing house and its
                                                                        members against defaults, taking
                                            standards,     including      mitigation of systemic risk. The
into account prudent risk management
main focus of the Board would be to promote         the  commercial         interests of the clearing house.
                                                          and    the   board      would be able to achieve a
VVe expect that in most cases the risk committee
                                                                                requirement for the Board to
productive balance between those two interests. VVe support a
                                                                                              the risk committee
consult with the appropriate regulator prior to rejecting a recommendation by
                                                       to  risk  would     fall  within the   purview of the risk
on matters of risk. In our view all matters  relating
                                                                                                of the guarantee
committee. This would include all matters related to margin and the sizing
                                               application,     and  the    enumeration      of  products eligible
fund; membership criteria and membership
for clearing. The CFTC identified sound risk management standards
                                                                                    as well as open access as
key factors that must be addressed in determining whether
                                                                      a particular type of swap is suitable
for clearing'.
With respect to the corporate governance    function of SEFs, exchanges and clearing houses, we
support encouraging a balance of views being represented on
                                                                      the Board of Directors. N/e think
that a 35% requirement for independent directors will be        problematic     to implement in practice
                                                                  of individuals    who are not already
because it will be difficult to identify a sufficient number
involved in the industry and who have appropriate level       of  practical   market   experience. In our
                                                                 be   achieved        identifying   different
view the desired balance between different interests can                          by
                                                             representation      of those   interests  in the
classes of interested parties and encouraging a diverse
                                                          that   no  single   class  of interested    parties
Board of Directors, This would be done by requiring
                                                                                                       house
achieves more than a 65% of the seats on the board. Each SEF, exchange and clearing
                                                             of  the   seats,  The   Commissions       would
should be able to determine how to fill the remainder
                                                               provision.       our  opinion   the  different
monitor compliance with the letter and the spirit of    this                In
                                                                                               requirement is to
The best way to promote a successful implementation of the clearing trading
                                                                        risk       a  prudent      manner, while
ensure that clearing houses are fuily equipped to manage                       in
                                                                          order    to   achieve     this purpose,
providing open access to clients and clearing members.               In
                                                              intellectual     capital   from    those   who have
clearing houses should be able to attract financial and
                                                             intends      to  clear,    as   well   as   from    new
experience in the products that the clearing house                                                                   at
                                                      derivatives       market    is  sufficiently    diversified
participants into the market. We note that the OTC
                                                                 October      25,   2030'    shows     that the   five
present. A market survey published by lSDA on Monday,
                                                                        derivatives market (equity, rates,
largest US-Based dealers hold 37 percent of the outstanding
                                                         of the   giobal     nature of the OTC derivatives
credit), In our view this data is more representative
market than other data' that has been quoted out       of  contest    in   the   debate regarding conf'lief. of
                                                                                      US institutions and was
interest. That data was focused exclusively on a restricted number of
                                                   market,   which     is  globai   by   virtue of buy side, sell
not intended to represent a survey of the OTC
                                                        that   dealers      would    acquire    shareholdings in
side, regulators and execution venues, To assume
                                                   over  a  clearing      house     with   a  view   to impede or
a clearing house or otherwise gain influence                                                                         of
narrow the implementation     of the clearing requirement would be inconsistent with the reality
                                                                                         have made significant
today's markets, On the contrary some participants in the OTC markets
                                                                                              where some
We do not believe that there should be a two tiered approach to membership,
                                         mutualization  and others  are  not.  A clearing   house  will rely
clearing members are subject to loss
on the financial resources waterfall set out      in  CFTC  proposed    $39.  11.  This   includes funded
                                                member.   CFTC   proposed     $39, 11  also  contemplates
guarantee fund contributions by a clearing
                                                                            for additional default fund
the ability of a clearing organization to assess a clearing member
                                                    to make  sure  that a  clearing    member will have
contributions. We believe that it is important
                                                                                 in proportion to house
sufficient liquid capitai to fund additional guarantee fund assessments,
and client business cleared by that clearing member.
                                                                            have the ability to provide
We believe it would be appropriate to require that clearing members
                                     for all points in the curve for all   products  cleared. Clearing
daily executable binding quotation
                                                                                    Clearing members
Houses must be able to mark risk to market at the end of each trading day,
                                                                         than reiying on whether the
must provide daily prices for all points of the maturity curve rather
cleared product trades on an exchange or a SEF on that day.
                                                                       have the operational ability
In our view it would be appropriate to require that clearing members
                                                                            including porting books
to sustain the flow ot client and house positions into the clearing house,
                                                                                     party pricing and
of liquid and illiquid positions at times of market distress, We think
                                                                            third
                                                                                   For  this reason we
outsourced default management services can disappear quickly in a crisis,
                                                                           able   to  participate in the
recommend a requirement that clearing members or their affiliates be
default management process.
VVe   understand $39, 11(e) to mean that a clearing house must hold sufficient
                                                                                 cash and/or highly
                                                         costs, and that if any  of those resources
liquid securities to meet at least six months' operating
                                                                          of credit or similar facility
are not liquid, a clearing house may take into account a committed line
for the purpose of meeting this requirement.
                                                                            or similar liquidity facility, it
In our view if a clearing house has in place a committed line of credit
                                                                                  amount of risk into the
would be appropriate for all clearing members who introduce a significant
                                                             commitment     to   be  open to non clearing
clearing house to share in that commitment, and for the
                                                                      members          a committed line of
members. It is worth noting that greater participation by clearing                  in
                                                                      a        component      of providing
credit or similar liquidity facility at times of market distress   is    key
liquidity in the settlement system, with clear benefits
                                                        for systemic  stability,
Ifa clearing house receives illiquid                            collateral and uses that collateral under the terms of the
                                                              liquidity facility that could affect the ability of members
                                                                                                                            to
committed line of credit or similar
                                                              collateral calls   and  guarantee  fund  assessments,  For  this
access sufficient liquidity to meet
reason we believe it is appropriate                            to diversify broadly the risk and reward of providing such
liquidity.
                                                                                                     that is set out in
VVe would   be grateful for a clarification of the commentary to these provisions
                                                      commentary         states    that  a  committed       line of credit
the CFTC Notice of proposed rulemaking, The
or similar facility cannot be used for purposes of       the  financial     safeguards       set  out  in  f39,   11(b)(1)
                                                            commentary         states    that  a  DCQ     may    only   use
or the operating costs set out in f39, 11(b)(2)'. The
                                                       to  meet     the    liquidity    requirements         set  forth   in
a committed line of credit or similar facility                                                                    amount
                                                        that  $39.   11(e}(1)     refers   to the   minimum
proposed $39.1'l(e)91} and f39.11(e}(2).Given
                                                                                        requirements of one day
of cash or liquid assets that a DCO must maintain to meet the
settlement cycle and average dally variation        margin    and    six  moths      operating     costs respectively,
                                                    a  committed       line   of  credit   or  similar   facility for the
we interpret the Regulations to provide that
purpose of meeting this requirement may         be  used   to meet     obligations      in excess     of  that minimum
                                                                   $39,   11(e)(2)    we   interpret   the    regulations
requirement. In addition, given the express language           in
                                                                                                             the
                                                 or  similar   facility   can     be   used    to   meet          liquidity
to mean that a committed line of         credit
                                                     costs   as   well   as   one   years    of  operating     costs,   We
requirements related to six months operating
                                                                                                requirements.        If our
believe it would be very helpful to have further clarification on these
understanding of he Regulations is correct, our view is that these requirements
                                                                                                      are adequate to
                                                                                           Reform and Consumer
meet the financial stability requirements set out in the Wall Street
 Protection Act.
     This is referred to as   39.8(b)(2)   in   the Notice. We think this is a typographical   error and the text was intended to refer to
39.11(bI(2).
Gross margin
We are in favor of requiring clearing houses to hold                  margin on a gross basis (each client posting
the net of their aggregate position, each clearing                     member posting to the clearing house the
gross amount of all clearing house required client                    collateral) rather than net, This requirement
would apply at a minimum to systemically important                    clearing houses.
                                                                                                        our
We believe that     the nevv market structure landscape there should be no too big to fail. In
                       in
                                                  members,    clearing  houses   and  clients.  Given   the
view this principle applies equally to  clearing
                                                                                     to have skin in the
loss mutuatization feature of clearing, it is only by requiring each participant
                                                                        risk into the system have an
game that we can ensure all the parties involved in bringing
                                                                                          is of particular
incentive to act in a manner that is prudent, safe and sound. This principle
                                         deemed    systemically   important   by the  Financiai   Stability
relevance for those entities that are
Oversight Council pursuant to Title  Vill of  Dodd  Frank.
                                                                                   working groups, We
We welcome the active involvement of our regulators in the CPSS-IOSCO
                                                                                      house should be
believe that as part of the designation of systemic importance, a clearing
required to adhere to CPSS-lOSCO standards. With respect
                                                                         to emergency powers, the
                                                                                     Recommendations
consultative report "Guidance on the application of the 2004 CPSS-lOSCO
                                                                           CPSS/lOSCO in May 2010
for Central Counterparties to OTC derivatives CCPs" published by
provides that emergency powers of clearing houses should not be used            by a clearing house to
                                                                             ' By way of example, we
change the economic of a transaction that has been cleared already,
                                                                                   important) should be
do not believe a clearing house (whether or not designated as systemically
                                                                                               in order to
able to decide that the recovery on a trade is, by way of example, 90%
                                                                                 exclusively
                                                                            clearing   houses    need the
avoid incurring a loss at the clearing house. Systemically important
                                                                     consuit the   Risk  Committee,     the
ability to take emergency action in a crisis if there is no time to
                                                                                       required   to revert
Board of Directors or Regulators. However, we believe that SlDCQs should be
to the Risk Committee, the Board of Directors or Regulators as soon
                                                                                as possible after such
                                                                                  out in Title Vlli of the
action for ratification, well within the "no later' than 24 hours" deadline set
Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
ln                   between regulators who have authority over clearing houses will be a key
  our view, coordination
                    stability. One significant element will be the ability of regulators
                                                                                                to look
component of systemic
                     members, exchanges, SEFs          and clearing   houses    for  any   factors  that
across clients, clearing
                     risks, We think it is appropriate
could increase systemic                                 to monitor  the activity  of  clients, clearing
                                                                             with a view to identify
members exchanges, SEFs and clearing houses for undue concentration
Conctusion
                                                                                              should be too
We believe that no institution, including clearing members and clearing houses
                                                 Street   Reform   and  Consumer      Protection  Act would
big to fail. The policy objectives of the Wall
                                                stability  and   ensuring    safety     and  soundness    of
be well served by promoting systemic
                                                                 that  these  institutions  have   adequate
exchanges, SEFs and clearing houses, and by requiring
capital to absorb losses and sufficient liquidity to safeguard the system,
Sincerely,
             r
        --:       )
                           )   =~
Barry L. Zubrow
EVP 8 Chief Ri~fficer
CC:
Honorable        Gary Gensler, Chairman
Honorable        Michael Dunn, Commissioner
Honorable        Jill E. Sommers, Commissioner
Honorable        Bart Chilton, Commissioner
Honorable        Scott O'Malia, Commissioner