CFTC heeds buy-side demands for increased margin protection

US regulators and some end-users are pushing for greater segregation of client collateral when clearing over-the-counter derivatives via futures clearing merchants. But dealers warn this will raise costs significantly for buy-side firms. Are they willing to pay? By Christopher Whittall

Regulators in the US face a potentially tricky dilemma. A large chunk of the over-the-counter derivatives market will soon have to be cleared through central counterparties (CCPs) – the passing of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in July has made that a certainty. The predicament centres on how exactly client clearing will work in the US. Some influential buy-side firms insist the current futures clearing merchant (FCM) model has to change to ensure the initial