CFR Subpart J

CFR Subpart J
in effect

17 C.F.R. § 23.600 Risk Management Program for swap dealers and major swap participants.

(a) Definitions. For purposes of subpart J, the following terms shall be defined as provided. (1) Affiliate. This term means, with respect to any person, a person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such person. (2) Business trading unit. This term means any department, division, group, or personnel of a swap dealer or major swap participant or any of its affiliates, whether or not identified as such, that performs, or personnel exercising direct supervisory authority over the performance of any pricing (excluding price verification for risk management purposes), trading, sales, marketing, advertising, solicitation, structuring, or brokerage activities on behalf of a registrant. (3) Clearing unit. This term means any department, division, group, or personnel of a registrant or any of its affiliates, whether or not identified as such, that performs, or personnel exercising direct supervisory authority over the performance of any proprietary or customer clearing activities on behalf of a registrant. (4) Governing body. This term means: (1) A board of directors; (2) A body performing a function similar to a board of directors; (3) Any committee of a board or body; or (4) The chief executive officer of a registrant, or any such board, body, committee, or officer of a division of a registrant, provided that the registrant's swaps activities for which registration with the Commission is required are wholly contained in a separately identifiable division. (5) Prudential regulator. This term has the same meaning as section 1a(39) of the Commodity Exchange Act and includes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Farm Credit Association, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as applicable to the swap dealer or major swap participant. (6) Senior management. This term means, with respect to a registrant, any officer or officers specifically granted the authority and responsibility to fulfill the requirements of senior management by the registrant's governing body. (7) Swaps activities. This term means, with respect to a registrant, such registrant's activities related to swaps and any product used to hedge such swaps, including, but not limited to, futures, options, other swaps or security-based swaps, debt or equity securities, foreign currency, physical commodities, and other derivatives. (b) Risk management program—(1) Purpose. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish, document, maintain, and enforce a system of risk management policies and procedures designed to monitor and manage the risks associated with the swaps activities of the swap dealer or major swap participant. For purposes of this regulation, such policies and procedures shall be referred to collectively as a “Risk Management Program.” (2) Written policies and procedures. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall maintain written policies and procedures that describe the Risk Management Program of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (3) Approval by governing body. The Risk Management Program and the written risk management policies and procedures shall be approved, in writing, by the governing body of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (4) Furnishing to the Commission. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall furnish a copy of its written risk management policies and procedures to the Commission, or to a futures association registered under section 17 of the Act, if directed by the Commission, upon application for registration and thereafter upon request. (5) Risk management unit. As part of its Risk Management Program, each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish and maintain a risk management unit with sufficient authority; qualified personnel; and financial, operational, and other resources to carry out the risk management program established pursuant to this regulation. The risk management unit shall report directly to senior management and shall be independent from the business trading unit. (c) Elements of the Risk Management Program. The Risk Management Program of each swap dealer and major swap participant shall include, at a minimum, the following elements: (1) Identification of risks and risk tolerance limits. (i) The Risk Management Program should take into account market, credit, liquidity, foreign currency, legal, operational, settlement, and any other applicable risks together with a description of the risk tolerance limits set by the swap dealer or major swap participant and the underlying methodology in written policies and procedures. The risk tolerance limits shall be reviewed and approved quarterly by senior management and annually by the governing body. Exceptions to risk tolerance limits shall be subject to written policies and procedures. (ii) The Risk Management Program shall take into account risks posed by affiliates and the Risk Management Program shall be integrated into risk management at the consolidated entity level. (iii) The Risk Management Program shall include policies and procedures for detecting breaches of risk tolerance limits set by the swap dealer or major swap participant, and alerting supervisors within the risk management unit and senior management, as appropriate. (2) Periodic Risk Exposure Reports. (i) The risk management unit of each swap dealer and major swap participant shall provide to senior management and to its governing body quarterly written reports setting forth the market, credit, liquidity, foreign currency, legal, operational, settlement, and any other applicable risk exposures of the swap dealer or major swap participant; any recommended or completed changes to the Risk Management Program; the recommended time frame for implementing recommended changes; and the status of any incomplete implementation of previously recommended changes to the Risk Management Program. For purposes of this regulation, such reports shall be referred to as “Risk Exposure Reports.” The Risk Exposure Reports also shall be provided to the senior management and the governing body immediately upon detection of any material change in the risk exposure of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (ii) Furnishing to the Commission. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall furnish copies of its Risk Exposure Reports to the Commission within five (5) business days of providing such reports to its senior management. (3) New product policy. The Risk Management Program of each swap dealer and major swap participant shall include a new product policy that is designed to identify and take into account the risks of any new product prior to engaging in transactions involving the new product. The new product policy should include the following elements: (i) Consideration of the type of counterparty with which the new product will be transacted; the product's characteristics and economic function; and whether the product requires a novel pricing methodology or presents novel legal and regulatory issues. (ii) Identification and analysis of all relevant risks associated with the new product and how they will be managed. The risk analysis should include an assessment, if relevant, of any product, market, credit, liquidity, foreign currency, legal, operational, settlement, and any other risks associated with the new product. Product risk characteristics may include, if relevant, volatility, non-linear price characteristics, jump-to-default risk, and any correlation between the value of the product and the counterparty's creditworthiness. (iii) An assessment, signed by a supervisor in the risk management unit, as to whether the new product would materially alter the overall entity-wide risk profile of the swap dealer or major swap participant. If the new product would materially alter the overall risk profile of the swap dealer or major swap participant, the new product must be pre-approved by the governing body before any transactions are effectuated. (iv) A requirement that the risk management unit review the risk analysis to identify any necessary modifications to the Risk Management Program and implement such modifications prior to engaging in transactions involving the new product. (v) Notwithstanding the foregoing, a swap dealer's or major swap participant's new product policy may include provisions permitting limited preliminary approval of new products— (A) At a risk level that would not be material to the swap dealer or major swap participant; and (B) Solely in order to provide the swap dealer or major swap participant with the opportunity to facilitate development of appropriate operational and risk management processes for such product. (4) Specific risk management considerations. The Risk Management Program of each swap dealer and major swap participant shall include, but not be limited to, policies and procedures necessary to monitor and manage the following risks: (i) Market risk. Market risk policies and procedures shall take into account, among other things: (A) Daily measurement of market exposure, including exposure due to unique product characteristics, volatility of prices, basis and correlation risks, leverage, sensitivity of option positions, and position concentration, to comply with market risk tolerance limits; (B) Timely and reliable valuation data derived from, or verified by, sources that are independent of the business trading unit, and if derived from pricing models, that the models have been independently validated by qualified, independent external or internal persons; and (C) Periodic reconciliation of profits and losses resulting from valuations with the general ledger. (ii) Credit risk. Credit risk policies and procedures shall take into account, among other things: (A) Daily measurement of overall credit exposure to comply with counterparty credit limits; (B) Monitoring and reporting of violations of counterparty credit limits performed by personnel that are independent of the business trading unit; and (C) Regular valuation of collateral used to cover credit exposures and safeguarding of collateral to prevent loss, disposal, rehypothecation, or use unless appropriately authorized. (iii) Liquidity risk. Liquidity risk policies and procedures shall take into account, among other things: (A) Daily measurement of liquidity needs; (B) Assessing procedures to liquidate all non-cash collateral in a timely manner and without significant effect on price; and (C) Application of appropriate collateral haircuts that accurately reflect market and credit risk. (iv) Foreign currency risk. Foreign currency risk policies and procedures shall take into account, among other things: (A) Daily measurement of the amount of capital exposed to fluctuations in the value of foreign currency to comply with applicable limits; and (B) Establishment of safeguards against adverse currency fluctuations. (v) Legal risk. Legal risk policies and procedures shall take into account, among other things: (A) Determinations that transactions and netting arrangements entered into have a sound legal basis; and (B) Establishment of documentation tracking procedures designed to ensure the completeness of relevant documentation and to resolve any documentation exceptions on a timely basis. (vi) Operational risk. Operational risk policies and procedures shall take into account, among other things: (A) Secure and reliable operating and information systems with adequate, scalable capacity, and independence from the business trading unit; (B) Safeguards to detect, identify, and promptly correct deficiencies in operating and information systems; and (C) Reconciliation of all data and information in operating and information systems. (vii) Settlement risk. Settlement risk policies and procedures shall take into account, among other things: (A) Establishment of standard settlement instructions with each counterparty; (B) Procedures to track outstanding settlement items and aging information in all accounts, including nostro and suspense accounts; and (C) Procedures to ensure timely payments to counterparties and to resolve any late payments. (5) Use of central counterparties. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish policies and procedures relating to its use of central counterparties. Such policies and procedures shall: (i) Require the use of central counterparties where clearing is required pursuant to Commission regulation or order, unless the counterparty has properly invoked a clearing exemption under Commission regulations; (ii) Set forth the conditions for the voluntary use of central counterparties for clearing when available as a means of mitigating counterparty credit risk; and (iii) Require diligent investigation into the adequacy of the financial resources and risk management procedures of any central counterparty through which the swap dealer or major swap participant clears. (6) Compliance with margin and capital requirements. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall satisfy all capital and margin requirements established by the Commission or prudential regulator, as applicable. (7) Monitoring of compliance with Risk Management Program. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish policies and procedures to detect violations of the Risk Management Program; to encourage employees to report such violations to senior management, without fear of retaliation; and to take specified disciplinary action against employees who violate the Risk Management Program. (d) Business trading unit. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish policies and procedures that, at a minimum: (1) Require all trading policies be approved by the governing body of the swap dealer or major swap participant; (2) Require that traders execute transactions only with counterparties for whom credit limits have been established; (3) Provide specific quantitative or qualitative limits for traders and personnel able to commit the capital of the swap dealer or major swap participant; (4) Monitor each trader throughout the trading day to prevent the trader from exceeding any limit to which the trader is subject, or from otherwise incurring unauthorized risk; (5) Require each trader to follow established policies and procedures for executing and confirming all transactions; (6) Establish means to detect unauthorized trading activities or any other violation of policies and procedures; (7) Ensure that all trade discrepancies are documented and, other than immaterial, clerical errors, are brought to the immediate attention of management of the business trading unit; (8) Ensure that broker statements and payments to brokers are periodically audited by persons independent of the business trading unit; (9) Ensure that use of trading programs is subject to policies and procedures governing the use, supervision, maintenance, testing, and inspection of the program; and (10) Require the separation of personnel in the business trading unit from personnel in the risk management unit. (e) Review and testing. (1) Risk Management Programs shall be reviewed and tested on at least an annual basis, or upon any material change in the business of the swap dealer or major swap participant that is reasonably likely to alter the risk profile of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (2) The annual reviews of the Risk Management Program shall include an analysis of adherence to, and the effectiveness of, the risk management policies and procedures, and any recommendations for modifications to the Risk Management Program. The annual testing shall be performed by qualified internal audit staff that are independent of the business trading unit being audited or by a qualified third party audit service reporting to staff that are independent of the business trading unit. The results of the annual review of the Risk Management Program shall be promptly reported to, and reviewed by, the chief compliance officer, senior management, and governing body of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (3) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall document all internal and external reviews and testing of its Risk Management Program and written risk management policies and procedures including the date of the review or test; the results; any deficiencies identified; the corrective action taken; and the date that corrective action was taken. Such documentation shall be provided to Commission staff, upon request. (f) Distribution of risk management policies and procedures. The Risk Management Program shall include procedures for the timely distribution of its written risk management policies and procedures to relevant supervisory personnel. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall maintain records of the persons to whom the risk management policies and procedures were distributed and when they were distributed. (g) Recordkeeping. (1) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall maintain copies of all written approvals required by this section. (2) All records or reports that a swap dealer or major swap participant is required to maintain pursuant to this regulation shall be maintained in accordance with Commission Regulation § 1.31 and shall be made available promptly upon request to representatives of the Commission and to representatives of applicable prudential regulators.

17 C.F.R. § 23.601 Monitoring of position limits.

(a) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish and enforce written policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to monitor for and prevent violations of applicable position limits established by the Commission, a designated contract market, or a swap execution facility, and to monitor for and prevent improper reliance upon any exemptions or exclusions from such position limits. For purposes of this regulation, such policies and procedures shall be referred to as “Position Limit Procedures.” The Position Limit Procedures shall be incorporated into the Risk Management Program of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (b) For purposes of the Position Limit Procedures, each swap dealer and major swap participant shall convert all swap positions into equivalent futures positions using the methodology set forth in Commission regulations. (c) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall provide training to all relevant personnel on applicable position limits on an annual basis and shall promptly notify personnel upon any change to applicable position limits. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall maintain records of such training and notifications including the substance of the training, the identity of those receiving training, and the identity of those notified of changes to applicable position limits. (d) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall diligently monitor its trading activities and diligently supervise the actions of its partners, officers, employees, and agents to ensure compliance with the Position Limit Procedures of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (e) The Position Limit Procedures of each swap dealer and major swap participant shall implement an early warning system designed to detect and alert its senior management when position limits are in danger of being breached (such as when trading has reached a percentage threshold of the applicable position limit, and when position limits have been exceeded). Any detected violation of applicable position limits shall be reported promptly to the firm's governing body. Any detected violation of applicable position limits, other than on-exchange violations reported to the Commission by a designated contract market or a swap execution facility, shall be reported promptly to the Commission. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall maintain a record of any early warning received, any position limit violation detected, any action taken as a result of either, and the date action was taken. (f) Each swap dealer and major swap participant that transacts in instruments for which position limits have been established by the Commission, a designated contract market, or a swap execution facility shall test its Position Limit Procedures for adequacy and effectiveness at least once each calendar quarter and maintain records of such tests; the results thereof; any action that is taken as a result thereof including, without limitation, any recommendations for modifications to the firm's Position Limit Procedures; and the date action was taken. (g) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall document its compliance with applicable position limits established by the Commission, a designated contract market, or a swap execution facility in a written report on a quarterly basis. Such report shall be promptly reported to and reviewed by the chief compliance officer, senior management, and governing body of the swap dealer or major swap participant, and shall include, without limitation, a list of all early warnings received, all position limit violations, the action taken in response, the results of the quarterly position limit testing required by this regulation, any deficiencies in the Position Limit Procedures, the status of any pending amendments to the Position Limit Procedures, and any action taken to amend the Position Limit Procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable position limits. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall retain a copy of this report. (h) On an annual basis, each swap dealer and major swap participant shall audit its Position Limit Procedures as part of the audit of its Risk Management Program required by Commission regulations. (i) All records required to be maintained pursuant to these regulations shall be maintained in accordance with Commission Regulation § 1.31 and shall be made available promptly upon request to representatives of the Commission and to representatives of applicable prudential regulators.

17 C.F.R. § 23.602 Diligent supervision.

(a) Supervision. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish and maintain a system to supervise, and shall diligently supervise, all activities relating to its business performed by its partners, members, officers, employees, and agents (or persons occupying a similar status or performing a similar function). Such system shall be reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the requirements of the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations. (b) Supervisory System. Such supervisory system shall provide, at a minimum, for the following: (1) The designation, where applicable, of at least one person with authority to carry out the supervisory responsibilities of the swap dealer or major swap participant for all activities relating to its business as a swap dealer or major swap participant. (2) The use of reasonable efforts to determine that all supervisors are qualified and meet such standards of training, experience, competence, and such other qualification standards as the Commission finds necessary or appropriate.

17 C.F.R. § 23.603 Business continuity and disaster recovery.

(a) Business continuity and disaster recovery plan required. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish and maintain a written business continuity and disaster recovery plan that outlines the procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency or other disruption of its normal business activities. The business continuity and disaster recovery plan shall be designed to enable the swap dealer or major swap participant to continue or to resume any operations by the next business day with minimal disturbance to its counterparties and the market, and to recover all documentation and data required to be maintained by applicable law and regulation. (b) Essential components. The business continuity and disaster recovery plan of a swap dealer or major swap participant shall include the following components: (1) Identification of the documents, data, facilities, infrastructure, personnel and competencies essential to the continued operations of the swap dealer or major swap participant and to fulfill the obligations of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (2) Identification of the supervisory personnel responsible for implementing each aspect of the business continuity and disaster recovery plan and the emergency contacts required to be provided pursuant to this regulation. (3) A plan to communicate with the following persons in the event of an emergency or other disruption, to the extent applicable to the operations of the swap dealer or major swap participant: employees; counterparties; swap data repositories; execution facilities; trading facilities; clearing facilities; regulatory authorities; data, communications and infrastructure providers and other vendors; disaster recovery specialists and other persons essential to the recovery of documentation and data, the resumption of operations, and compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations. (4) Procedures for, and the maintenance of, back-up facilities, systems, infrastructure, alternative staffing and other resources to achieve the timely recovery of data and documentation and to resume operations as soon as reasonably possible and generally within the next business day. (5) Maintenance of back-up facilities, systems, infrastructure and alternative staffing arrangements in one or more areas that are geographically separate from the swap dealer's or major swap participant's primary facilities, systems, infrastructure and personnel (which may include contractual arrangements for the use of facilities, systems and infrastructure provided by third parties). (6) Back-up or copying, with sufficient frequency, of documents and data essential to the operations of the swap dealer or major swap participant or to fulfill the regulatory obligations of the swap dealer or major swap participant and storing the information off-site in either hard-copy or electronic format. (7) Identification of potential business interruptions encountered by third parties that are necessary to the continued operations of the swap dealer or major swap participant and a plan to minimize the impact of such disruptions. (c) Distribution to employees. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall distribute a copy of its business continuity and disaster recovery plan to relevant employees and promptly provide any significant revision thereto. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall maintain copies of the business continuity and disaster recovery plan at one or more accessible off-site locations. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall train relevant employees on applicable components of the business continuity and disaster recovery plan. (d) Commission notification. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall promptly notify the Commission of any emergency or other disruption that may affect the ability of the swap dealer or major swap participant to fulfill its regulatory obligations or would have a significant adverse effect on the swap dealer or major swap participant, its counterparties, or the market. (e) Emergency contacts. Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall provide to the Commission the name and contact information of two employees who the Commission can contact in the event of an emergency or other disruption. The individuals identified shall be authorized to make key decisions on behalf of the swap dealer or major swap participant and have knowledge of the firm's business continuity and disaster recovery plan. The swap dealer or major swap participant shall provide the Commission with any updates to this information promptly. (f) Review and modification. A member of the senior management of each swap dealer and major swap participant shall review the business continuity and disaster recovery plan annually or upon any material change to the business. Any deficiencies found or corrective action taken shall be documented. (g) Testing and audit. Each business continuity and disaster recovery plan shall be tested annually by qualified, independent internal personnel or a qualified third party service. The date the testing was performed shall be documented, together with the nature and scope of the testing, any deficiencies found, any corrective action taken, and the date that corrective action was taken. Each business continuity and disaster recovery plan shall be audited at least once every three years by a qualified third party service. The date the audit was performed shall be documented, together with the nature and scope of the audit, any deficiencies found, any corrective action taken, and the date that corrective action was taken. (h) Business continuity and disaster recovery plans required by other regulatory authorities. A swap dealer or major swap participant shall comply with the requirements of this regulation in addition to any business continuity and disaster recovery requirements that are imposed upon the swap dealer or major swap participant by its prudential regulator or any other regulatory or self-regulatory authority. (i) Recordkeeping. The business continuity and disaster recovery plan of the swap dealer and major swap participant and all other records required to be maintained pursuant to this section shall be maintained in accordance with Commission Regulation § 1.31 and shall be made available promptly upon request to representatives of the Commission and to representatives of applicable prudential regulators.

17 C.F.R. § 23.605 Conflicts of interest policies and procedures.

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms shall be defined as provided. (1) Affiliate. This term means, with respect to any person, a person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, such person. (2) Business trading unit. This term means any department, division, group, or personnel of a swap dealer or major swap participant or any of its affiliates, whether or not identified as such, that performs, or personnel exercising direct supervisory authority over the performance of, any pricing (excluding price verification for risk management purposes), trading, sales, marketing, advertising, solicitation, structuring, or brokerage activities on behalf of a swap dealer or major swap participant or any of its affiliates. (3) Clearing unit. This term means any department, division, group, or personnel of a swap dealer or major swap participant or any of its affiliates, whether or not identified as such, that performs, or personnel exercising direct supervisory authority over the performance of, any proprietary or customer clearing activities on behalf of a swap dealer or major swap participant or any of its affiliates. (4) Derivative. This term means: (i) A contract for the purchase or sale of a commodity for future delivery; (ii) A security futures product; (iii) A swap; (iv) Any agreement, contract, or transaction described in section 2(c)(2)(C)(i) or section 2(c)(2)(D)(i) of the Act; (v) Any commodity option authorized under section 4c of the Act; and (vi) Any leverage transaction authorized under section 19 of the Act. (5) Non-research personnel. This term means any employee of the business trading unit or clearing unit, or any other employee of the swap dealer or major swap participant, other than an employee performing a legal or compliance function, who is not directly responsible for, or otherwise not involved in, research or analysis intended for inclusion in a research report. (6) Public appearance. This term means any participation in a conference call, seminar, forum (including an interactive electronic forum) or other public speaking activity before 15 or more persons (individuals or entities), or interview or appearance before one or more representatives of the media, radio, television or print media, or the writing of a print media article, in which a research analyst makes a recommendation or offers an opinion concerning a derivatives transaction. This term does not include a password-protected Webcast, conference call or similar event with 15 or more existing customers, provided that all of the event participants previously received the most current research report or other documentation that contains the required applicable disclosures, and that the research analyst appearing at the event corrects and updates during the public appearance any disclosures in the research report that are inaccurate, misleading, or no longer applicable. (7) Research analyst. This term means the employee of a swap dealer or major swap participant who is primarily responsible for, and any employee who reports directly or indirectly to such research analyst in connection with, preparation of the substance of a research report relating to any derivative, whether or not any such person has the job title of “research analyst.” (8) Research department. This term means any department or division that is principally responsible for preparing the substance of a research report relating to any derivative on behalf of a swap dealer or major swap participant, including a department or division contained in an affiliate of a swap dealer or major swap participant. (9) Research report. This term means any written communication (including electronic) that includes an analysis of the price or market for any derivative, and that provides information reasonably sufficient upon which to base a decision to enter into a derivatives transaction. This term does not include: (i) Communications distributed to fewer than 15 persons; (ii) Commentaries on economic, political, or market conditions; (iii) Statistical summaries of multiple companies' financial data, including listings of current ratings; (iv) Periodic reports or other communications prepared for investment company shareholders or commodity pool participants that discuss individual derivatives positions in the context of a fund's past performance or the basis for previously-made discretionary decisions; (v) Any communications generated by an employee of the business trading unit that is conveyed as a solicitation for entering into a derivatives transaction, and is conspicuously identified as such; and (vi) Internal communications that are not given to current or prospective customers. (b) Policies and procedures. Each swap dealer and major swap participant subject to this rule must adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the swap dealer or major swap participant and its employees comply with the provisions of this rule. (c) Research analysts and research reports—(1) Restrictions on relationship with research department. (i) Non-research personnel shall not direct a research analyst's decision to publish a research report of the swap dealer or major swap participant, and non-research personnel shall not direct the views and opinions expressed in a research report of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (ii) No research analyst may be subject to the supervision or control of any employee of the swap dealer's or major swap participant's business trading unit or clearing unit, and no employee of the business trading unit or clearing unit may have any influence or control over the evaluation or compensation of a research analyst. (iii) Except as provided in paragraph (c)(1)(iv) of this section, non-research personnel, other than the board of directors and any committee thereof, shall not review or approve a research report of the swap dealer or major swap participant before its publication. (iv) Non-research personnel may review a research report before its publication as necessary only to verify the factual accuracy of information in the research report, to provide for non-substantive editing, to format the layout or style of the research report, or to identify any potential conflicts of interest, provided that: (A) Any written communication between non-research personnel and research department personnel concerning the content of a research report must be made either through authorized legal or compliance personnel of the swap dealer or major swap participant or in a transmission copied to such personnel; and (B) Any oral communication between non-research personnel and research department personnel concerning the content of a research report must be documented and made either through authorized legal or compliance personnel acting as an intermediary or in a conversation conducted in the presence of such personnel. (2) Restrictions on communications. Any written or oral communication by a research analyst to a current or prospective counterparty relating to any derivative must not omit any material fact or qualification that would cause the communication to be misleading to a reasonable person. (3) Restrictions on research analyst compensation. A swap dealer or major swap participant may not consider as a factor in reviewing or approving a research analyst's compensation his or her contributions to the swap dealer's or major swap participant's trading or clearing business. Except for communicating client or customer feedback, ratings, and other indicators of research analyst performance to research department management, no employee of the business trading unit or clearing unit of the swap dealer or major swap participant may influence the review or approval of a research analyst's compensation. (4) Prohibition of promise of favorable research. No swap dealer or major swap participant may directly or indirectly offer favorable research, or threaten to change research, to an existing or prospective counterparty as consideration or inducement for the receipt of business or compensation. (5) Disclosure requirements—(i) Ownership and material conflicts of interest. A swap dealer or major swap participant must disclose in research reports and a research analyst must disclose in public appearances: (A) Whether the research analyst maintains a financial interest in any derivative of a type, class, or, category that the research analyst follows, and the general nature of the financial interest; and (B) Any other actual, material conflicts of interest of the research analyst or swap dealer or major swap participant of which the research analyst has knowledge at the time of publication of the research report or at the time of the public appearance. (ii) Prominence of disclosure. Disclosures and references to disclosures must be clear, comprehensive, and prominent. With respect to public appearances by research analysts, the disclosures required by this paragraph (c)(5) must be conspicuous. (iii) Records of public appearances. Each swap dealer and major swap participant must maintain records of public appearances by research analysts sufficient to demonstrate compliance by those research analysts with the applicable disclosure requirements under this paragraph (c)(5). (iv) Third-party research reports. (A) For the purposes of this paragraph (c)(5)(iv), “independent third-party research report” shall mean a research report, in respect of which the person or entity producing the report: (1) Has no affiliation or business or contractual relationship with the distributing swap dealer or major swap participant, or that swap dealer's or major swap participant's affiliates, that is reasonably likely to inform the content of its research reports; and (2) Makes content determinations without any input from the distributing swap dealer or major swap participant or that swap dealer's or major swap participant's affiliates. (B) Subject to paragraph (c)(5)(iv)(C) of this section, if a swap dealer or major swap participant distributes or makes available any independent third-party research report, the swap dealer or major swap participant must accompany the research report with, or provide a Web address that directs the recipient to, the current applicable disclosures, as they pertain to the swap dealer or major swap participant, required by this section. Each swap dealer and major swap participant must establish written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure the completeness and accuracy of all applicable disclosures. (C) The requirements of paragraph (c)(5)(iv)(B) of this section shall not apply to independent third-party research reports made available by a swap dealer or major swap participant to its customers: (1) Upon request; or (2) Through a Web site maintained by the swap dealer or major swap participant. (6) Prohibition of retaliation against research analysts. No swap dealer or major swap participant, and no employee of a swap dealer or major swap participant who is involved with the swap dealer's or major swap participant's pricing, trading, or clearing activities, may, directly or indirectly, retaliate against or threaten to retaliate against any research analyst employed by the swap dealer or major swap participant or its affiliates as a result of an adverse, negative, or otherwise unfavorable research report or public appearance written or made, in good faith, by the research analyst that may adversely affect the swap dealer's or major swap participant's present or prospective pricing, trading, or clearing activities. (d) Clearing activities. (1) No swap dealer or major swap participant shall directly or indirectly interfere with or attempt to influence the decision of the clearing unit of any affiliated clearing member of a derivatives clearing organization to provide clearing services and activities to a particular customer, including but not limited to a decision relating to the following: (i) Whether to offer clearing services and activities to a particular customer; (ii) Whether to accept a particular customer for the purposes of clearing derivatives; (iii) Whether to submit a customer's transaction to a particular derivatives clearing organization; (iv) Whether to set or adjust risk tolerance levels for a particular customer; (v) Whether to accept certain forms of collateral from a particular customer; or (vi) Whether to set a particular customer's fees for clearing services based upon criteria that are not generally available and applicable to other customers of the swap dealer or major swap participant. (2) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall create and maintain an appropriate informational partition, as specified in section 4s(j)(5)(A) of the Act, between business trading units of the swap dealer or major swap participant and clearing units of any affiliated clearing member of a derivatives clearing organization to reasonably ensure compliance with the Act and the prohibitions specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section. At a minimum, such informational partitions shall require that no employee of a business trading unit of a swap dealer or major swap participant shall supervise, control, or influence any employee of the clearing unit of any affiliated clearing member of a derivatives clearing organization. (e) Undue influence on counterparties. Each swap dealer and major swap participant must adopt and implement written policies and procedures that mandate the disclosure to its counterparties of any material incentives and any material conflicts of interest regarding the decision of a counterparty: (1) Whether to execute a derivative on a swap execution facility or designated contract market; or (2) Whether to clear a derivative through a derivatives clearing organization. (f) All records that a swap dealer or major swap participant is required to maintain pursuant to this regulation shall be maintained in accordance with Commission Regulation § 1.31 and shall be made available promptly upon request to representatives of the Commission and to representatives of the applicable prudential regulator, as defined in 7 U.S.C. 1a(39).

17 C.F.R. § 23.606 General information: availability for disclosure and inspection.

(a) Disclosure of information. (1) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall make available for disclosure to and inspection by the Commission and its prudential regulator, as applicable, all information required by, or related to, the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations, including: (i) The terms and condition of its swaps; (ii) Its swaps trading operations, mechanisms, and practices; (iii) Financial integrity and risk management protections relating to swaps; and (iv) Any other information relevant to its trading in swaps. (2) Such information shall be made available promptly, upon request, to Commission staff and the staff of the applicable prudential regulator, at such frequency and in such manner as is set forth in the Commodity Exchange Act, Commission regulations, or the regulations of the applicable prudential regulator. (b) Ability to provide information. (1) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish and maintain reliable internal data capture, processing, storage, and other operational systems sufficient to capture, process, record, store, and produce all information necessary to satisfy its duties under the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations. Such systems shall be designed to produce the information within the time frames set forth in the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations or upon request, as applicable. (2) Each swap dealer and major swap participant shall establish, implement, maintain, and enforce written procedures for the capture, processing, recording, storage, and production of all information necessary to satisfy its duties under the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations. (c) Record retention. All records or reports that a swap dealer or major swap participant is required to maintain pursuant to this regulation shall be maintained in accordance with Commission Regulation § 1.31 and shall be made available promptly upon request to representatives of the Commission and to representatives of applicable prudential regulators.

17 C.F.R. § 23.607 Antitrust considerations.

(a) No swap dealer or major swap participant shall adopt any process or take any action that results in any unreasonable restraint of trade, or impose any material anticompetitive burden on trading or clearing, unless necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act. (b) Consistent with its obligations under paragraph (a) of this section, each swap dealer and major swap participant shall adopt policies and procedures to prevent actions that result in unreasonable restraint of trade, or impose any material anticompetitive burden on trading or clearing.

17 C.F.R. § 23.608 Restrictions on counterparty clearing relationships.

No swap dealer or major swap participant entering into a swap to be submitted for clearing with a counterparty that is a customer of a futures commission merchant shall enter into an arrangement that: (a) Discloses to the futures commission merchant or any swap dealer or major swap participant the identity of a customer's original executing counterparty; (b) Limits the number of counterparties with whom a customer may enter into a trade; (c) Restricts the size of the position a customer may take with any individual counterparty, apart from an overall limit for all positions held by the customer with the swap dealer or major swap participant; (d) Impairs a customer's access to execution of a trade on terms that have a reasonable relationship to the best terms available; or (e) Prevents compliance with the timeframes set forth in § 1.74(b), § 23.610(b), or § 39.12(b)(7) of this chapter.

17 C.F.R. § 23.609 Clearing member risk management.

(a) With respect to clearing activities in futures, security futures products, swaps, agreements, contracts, or transactions described in section 2(c)(2)(C)(i) or section 2(c)(2)(D)(i) of the Act, commodity options authorized under section 4c of the Act, or leveraged transactions authorized under section 19 of the Act, each swap dealer or major swap participant that is a clearing member of a derivatives clearing organization shall: (1) Establish risk-based limits based on position size, order size, margin requirements, or similar factors; (2) Screen orders for compliance with the risk-based limits in accordance with the following: (i) For transactions subject to automated execution, the clearing member shall use automated means to screen orders for compliance with the risk-based limits; and (ii) For transactions subject to non-automated execution, the clearing member shall establish and maintain systems of risk controls reasonably designed to ensure compliance with the limits. (3) Monitor for adherence to the risk-based limits intra-day and overnight; (4) Conduct stress tests under extreme but plausible conditions of all positions at least once per week; (5) Evaluate its ability to meet initial margin requirements at least once per week; (6) Evaluate its ability to meet variation margin requirements in cash at least once per week; (7) Evaluate its ability to liquidate the positions it clears in an orderly manner, and estimate the cost of the liquidation; and (8) Test all lines of credit at least once per year. (b) Each swap dealer or major swap participant that is a clearing member of a derivatives clearing organization shall: (1) Establish written procedures to comply with this regulation; and (2) Keep full, complete, and systematic records documenting its compliance with this regulation. (3) All records required to be maintained pursuant to these regulations shall be maintained in accordance with Commission Regulation § 1.31 and shall be made available promptly upon request to representatives of the Commission and to representatives of applicable prudential regulators.

17 C.F.R. § 23.610 Clearing member acceptance for clearing.

(a) Each swap dealer or major swap participant that is a clearing member of a derivatives clearing organization shall coordinate with each derivatives clearing organization on which it clears to establish systems that enable the clearing member, or the derivatives clearing organization acting on its behalf, to accept or reject each trade submitted to the derivatives clearing organization for clearing by or for the clearing member as quickly as would be technologically practicable if fully automated systems were used; and (b) Each swap dealer or major swap participant that is a clearing member of a derivatives clearing organization shall accept or reject each trade submitted by or for it as quickly as would be technologically practicable if fully automated systems were used; a clearing member may meet this requirement by: (1) Establishing systems to pre-screen orders for compliance with criteria specified by the clearing member; (2) Establishing systems that authorize a derivatives clearing organization to accept or reject on its behalf trades that meet, or fail to meet, criteria specified by the clearing member; or (3) Establishing systems that enable the clearing member to communicate to the derivatives clearing organization acceptance or rejection of each trade as quickly as would be technologically practicable if fully automated systems were used.

17 C.F.R. § 23.611 Delegation of authority to the Director of the Division of Clearing and Risk to establish an alternative compliance schedule to comply with clearing member acceptance for clearing.

(a) The Commission hereby delegates to the Director of the Division of Clearing and Risk or such other employee or employees as the Director may designate from time to time, the authority to establish an alternative compliance schedule for requirements of § 23.610 for swaps that are found to be technologically or economically impracticable for an affected swap dealer or major swap participant that seeks, in good faith, to comply with the requirements of § 23.610 within a reasonable time period beyond the date on which compliance by such swap dealer or major swap participant is otherwise required. (b) A request for an alternative compliance schedule under this section shall be acted upon by the Director of the Division of Clearing and Risk within 30 days from the time such a request is received, or it shall be deemed approved. (c) An exception granted under this section shall not cause a registrant to be out of compliance or deemed in violation of any registration requirements. (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in any case in which a Commission employee delegated authority under this section believes it appropriate, he or she may submit to the Commission for its consideration the question of whether an alternative compliance schedule should be established. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to prohibit the Commission, at its election, from exercising the authority delegated in this section.

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