17 CFR § 39.11 - Financial resources.
(a) General. A derivatives clearing organization shall have adequate financial, operational, and managerial resources, as determined by the Commission, to discharge each responsibility of the derivatives clearing organization. A derivatives clearing organization shall maintain sufficient financial resources to cover its exposures with a high degree of confidence. At a minimum, each derivatives clearing organization shall possess financial resources that exceed the total amount that would:
(1) Enable the derivatives clearing organization to meet its financial obligations to its clearing members notwithstanding a default by the clearing member creating the largest financial exposure for the derivatives clearing organization in extreme but plausible market conditions; Provided that if a clearing member controls another clearing member or is under common control with another clearing member, the affiliated clearing members shall be deemed to be a single clearing member for purposes of this provision; and
(2) Enable the derivatives clearing organization to cover its operating costs for a period of at least one year, calculated on a rolling basis. A derivatives clearing organization shall identify and adequately manage its general business risks and hold sufficient liquid resources to cover potential business losses that are not related to clearing members' defaults, so that the derivatives clearing organization can continue to provide services as a going concern.
(b) Types of financial resources.
(1) Financial resources available to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section may include:
(i) The derivatives clearing organization's own capital;
(ii) Guaranty fund deposits;
(iii) Default insurance;
(iv) Potential assessments for additional guaranty fund contributions, if permitted by the derivatives clearing organization's rules; and
(v) Any other financial resource deemed acceptable by the Commission.
(2) Financial resources available to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of this section may include:
(i) The derivatives clearing organization's own capital; and
(ii) Any other financial resource deemed acceptable by the Commission.
(3) A financial resource may be allocated, in whole or in part, to satisfy the requirements of either paragraph (a)(1) or paragraph (a)(2) of this section, but not both paragraphs, and only to the extent the use of such financial resource is not otherwise limited by the Act, Commission regulations, the derivatives clearing organization's rules, or any contractual arrangements to which the derivatives clearing organization is a party.
(c) Calculation of financial resources requirements.
(1) A derivatives clearing organization shall, on a monthly basis, perform stress tests that will allow it to make a reasonable calculation of the financial resources needed to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section. The derivatives clearing organization shall have reasonable discretion in determining the methodology used to calculate the requirements, subject to the limitations identified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, and provided that the methodology must take into account both historical data and hypothetical scenarios. The Commission may review the methodology and require changes as appropriate. The requirements of this paragraph (c) do not apply to fully collateralized positions.
(2) When calculating its largest financial exposure, a derivatives clearing organization:
(i) In netting its exposure against the clearing member's initial margin, shall:
(A) Use only that portion of the margin amount on deposit (including initial margin and any add-ons) that is required; and
(B) Use customer margin (including initial margin and any add-ons) only to the extent permitted by parts 1 and 22 of this chapter, as applicable;
(ii) Shall combine the customer and house stress test losses of each clearing member using the same stress test scenarios;
(iii) May net any gains in the house account with losses in the customer account, if permitted by the derivatives clearing organization's rules, but shall not net losses in the house account with gains in the customer account; and
(iv) With respect to a clearing member's cleared swaps customer account, may net customer gains against customer losses only to the extent permitted by the derivatives clearing organization's rules.
(3) A derivatives clearing organization shall, on a monthly basis, make a reasonable calculation of its projected operating costs over a 12-month period in order to determine the amount needed to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of this section. The derivatives clearing organization shall have reasonable discretion in determining the methodology used to compute such projected operating costs. The Commission may review the methodology and require changes as appropriate.
(d) Valuation of financial resources.
(1) At appropriate intervals, but not less than monthly, a derivatives clearing organization shall compute the current market value of each financial resource used to meet its obligations under paragraph (a) of this section. Reductions in value to reflect credit, market, and liquidity risks (haircuts) shall be applied as appropriate and evaluated on a monthly basis.
(2) If assessments for additional guaranty fund contributions are permitted by the derivatives clearing organization's rules, in calculating the financial resources available to meet its obligations under paragraph (a)(1) of this section:
(i) The derivatives clearing organization shall have rules requiring that its clearing members have the ability to meet an assessment within the time frame of a normal end-of-day variation settlement cycle;
(ii) The derivatives clearing organization shall monitor the financial and operational capacity of its clearing members to meet potential assessments;
(iii) The derivatives clearing organization shall apply a 30 percent haircut to the value of potential assessments, and
(iv) The derivatives clearing organization shall only count the value of assessments, after the haircut, to meet up to 20 percent of the total amount required under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. The value of the assessments may be determined by using the largest financial exposure in extreme but plausible market conditions prior to netting against required initial margin on deposit.
(e) Liquidity of financial resources.
(1) (i) The derivatives clearing organization shall effectively measure, monitor, and manage its liquidity risks, maintaining sufficient liquid resources such that it can, at a minimum, fulfill its cash obligations when due. The derivatives clearing organization shall hold assets in a manner where the risk of loss or of delay in its access to them is minimized.
(ii) The financial resources allocated by the derivatives clearing organization to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section shall be sufficiently liquid to enable the derivatives clearing organization to fulfill its obligations as a central counterparty during a one-day settlement cycle. The derivatives clearing organization shall maintain cash, U.S. Treasury obligations, or high quality, liquid, general obligations of a sovereign nation, in an amount greater than or equal to an amount calculated as follows:
(A) Calculate the average daily settlement variation pay for each clearing member over the last fiscal quarter;
(B) Calculate the sum of those average daily settlement variation pays; and
(C) Using that sum, calculate the average of its clearing members' average daily settlement variation pays.
(iii) If the total amount of the financial resources required pursuant to the calculation set forth in paragraph (e)(1)(ii) of this section is insufficient to enable the derivatives clearing organization to fulfill its obligations during a one-day settlement cycle, the derivatives clearing organization may take into account a committed line of credit or similar facility for the purpose of meeting the remainder of the requirement of this paragraph (e) (subject to the limitation in paragraph (e)(3) of this section).
(iv) A derivatives clearing organization is not subject to paragraph (e)(1)(ii) of this section for fully collateralized positions.
(2) The financial resources allocated by the derivatives clearing organization to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of this section must include unencumbered, liquid financial assets (i.e., cash and/or highly liquid securities) sufficient to enable the derivatives clearing organization to cover its operating costs for a period of at least six months. If the financial resources allocated to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(2) of this section do not include such assets in a sufficient amount, the derivatives clearing organization may take into account a committed line of credit or similar facility for the purpose of meeting the requirements of this paragraph (subject to the limitation in paragraph (e)(3) of this section).
(3) A committed line of credit or similar facility may be allocated, in whole or in part, to satisfy the requirements of either paragraph (e)(1)(ii) or (e)(2) of this section, but not both paragraphs.
(4)
(i) Assets in a guaranty fund shall have minimal credit, market, and liquidity risks and shall be readily accessible on a same-day basis;
(ii) Cash balances shall be invested or placed in safekeeping in a manner that bears little or no principal risk; and
(iii) Letters of credit shall not be a permissible asset for a guaranty fund.
(f) Reporting requirements.
(1) Quarterly reporting. Each fiscal quarter, or at any time upon Commission request, a derivatives clearing organization shall:
(i) Report to the Commission;
(A) The amount of financial resources necessary to meet the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section and §§ 39.33(a) and 39.39(d), if applicable;
(B) The value of each financial resource available, computed in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this section; and
(C) The manner in which the derivatives clearing organization meets the liquidity requirements of paragraph (e) of this section;
(ii) Provide the Commission with a financial statement, including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows, prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, of the derivatives clearing organization; provided, however, that for a derivatives clearing organization that is incorporated or organized under the laws of any foreign country, the financial statement may be prepared in accordance with either U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or the International Financial Reporting Standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board; and
(iii) Report to the Commission the value of each individual clearing member's guaranty fund deposit, if the derivatives clearing organization reports having guaranty fund deposits as a financial resource available to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section and §§ 39.33(a) and 39.39(d), if applicable.
(iv) The calculations required by this paragraph (f) shall be made as of the last business day of the derivatives clearing organization's fiscal quarter. The report shall be submitted not later than 17 business days after the end of the derivatives clearing organization's fiscal quarter, or at such later time as the Commission may permit, in its discretion, upon request by the derivatives clearing organization.
(2) Annual reporting.
(i) A derivatives clearing organization shall submit to the Commission an audited year-end financial statement of the derivatives clearing organization calculated in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles; provided, however, that for a derivatives clearing organization that is incorporated or organized under the laws of any foreign country, the financial statement may be prepared in accordance with either U.S. generally accepted accounting principles or the International Financial Reporting Standards issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.
(ii) The report required by paragraph (f)(2)(i) of this section shall be submitted not later than 90 days after the end of the derivatives clearing organization's fiscal year, or at such later time as the Commission may permit, in its discretion, upon request by the derivatives clearing organization.
(iii) A derivatives clearing organization shall submit concurrently with the audited year-end financial statement required by paragraph (f)(2)(i) of this section:
(A) A reconciliation, including appropriate explanations, of its balance sheet in the audited year-end financial statement with the balance sheet in the derivatives clearing organization's financial statement for the last quarter of the fiscal year when material differences exist or, if no material differences exist, a statement so indicating; and
(B) Such further information as may be necessary to make the statements not misleading.
(3) Other reporting.
(i) A derivatives clearing organization shall provide to the Commission as part of its first report under paragraph (f)(1) of this section, and in the event of any change thereafter:
(A) Sufficient documentation explaining the methodology used to compute its financial resources requirements under paragraph (a) of this section and §§ 39.33(a) and 39.39(d), if applicable; and
(B) Sufficient documentation explaining the basis for its determinations regarding the valuation and liquidity requirements set forth in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section.
(ii) A derivatives clearing organization shall provide to the Commission copies of any agreements establishing or amending a credit facility, insurance coverage, or other arrangement evidencing or otherwise supporting the derivatives clearing organization's conclusions regarding its:
(A) Financial resources available to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section and §§ 39.33(a) and 39.39(d), if applicable; and
(B) Liquidity resources available to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (e) of this section and § 39.33(c), if applicable.
(4) Certification. A derivatives clearing organization shall provide with each report submitted pursuant to this section a certification by the person responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the report that, to the best of his or her knowledge and reasonable belief, and under penalty of law, the information contained in the report is accurate and complete.