Join us for a short program (90 minutes each day for 2 days) that explains the multilateral systems that provide the infrastructure for transferring, clearing and settling payments, derivatives and other financial transactions among financial institutions and end users. 

Following Dodd Frank, clearinghouses became designated as Systemically Important Financial Market Utilities, vital to the operations of the financial markets and subject to heightened regulatory scrutiny.  Buyers and sellers in exchange transactions rely on clearinghouses to intermediate transactions and to manage credit risks between trading parties. As such, clearinghouses promote transparency, efficiency, and stability by providing market-based pricing, daily settlement, and ensuring adequate capitalization for markets to function. 
 

Learning Outcomes

After the course you will be able to:

• Understand financial market infrastructure with an emphasis on the critical function and benefits of clearinghouse operations.
• Describe the key roles of clearing parties including CCPs, clearing members, customers, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
• Explain the principles of novation and how CCPs reduce processing costs, enable multilateral netting, prevent the accumulation of losses.
• Describe the critical role that margin (both initial and variation) and the mandate of segregated funds play in ensure liquidity and market stability.
• Know the basic portfolio margining methodologies at the CME, ICE and Options Clearing Corporation.
• Understand the default management plans and resolution rules as required by CFTC.
• Describe the CCP’s assessment powers and default waterfall used to satisfy a defaulting clearing member.  
• Be familiar with the cleared swaps and OTC markets, similarities, and differences. 
• Understand past bankruptcies and bankruptcy considerations.

Who Should Attend

The course is suited for a broad range of participants including:

• Users of futures, options on futures and swaps markets such as institutional investors, money managers, producers/suppliers, as well as manufacturing and distribution companies
• Support, operations, sales, and marketing personnel at FCMs
• Public policy markers
• Staff in trading, risk management, financial and legal departments 

Level:  Fundamental

Duration:  3 hours total (2 online session, 90-minute sessions)

Delivery:  Live, virtual instruction for 90 minutes per day for two (2) consecutive days. IFM's shorter sessions allow attendees the flexibility to fit education into their work day. IFM's live course offers the benefit of a live education — including the ability to interact with other attendees and our knowledgeable faculty — without the travel expense or days away from work.

Note class hours are in U.S. Eastern Time to provide maximum convenience for most U.S. and  global participants.