Central Counterparties

Practical guidance toward handling the latest changes to the OTC derivatives market Central Counterparties is a practical guide to central clearing and bilateral margin requirements, from one of the industry's most influential credit practitioners. With up-to-date information on the latest regulations imposed after the global financial crisis, this book covers the mechanics of the clearing process and analyses the resulting consequences. Detailed discussion explains the ways in which the very significant clearing and margining rules will affect the OTC derivatives market and the financial markets in general, with practical guidance toward implementation and how to handle the potential consequences. Over-the-counter derivatives were blamed by many for playing a major role in the 2007 financial crisis, resulting in a significant attention and dramatic action by policymakers, politicians, and regulators to reduce counterparty credit risk which was seen as a major issue in the crisis. The two most important regulatory changes are the mandatory clearing of standardised OTC derivatives, and the requirements for bilateral margin posting in non-standard OTC contracts. Central Counterparties is a complete reference guide to navigating these changes, providing clarification and practical advice. Review the mitigation of counterparty credit risk with the historical development of central clearing Clarify the latest regulatory requirements imposed by Dodd-Frank, EMIR, Basel III and more Learn the mechanics of central clearing, with special attention to complex issues such as margin calculations, the loss waterfall, client clearing and regulatory capital rules Gain insight into the advantages and disadvantages of clearing and bilateral margin requirements, and the potential issues that arise As the clearing and margining mandates are phased in, the associated costs will be severe enough to dramatically shift the topology of the financial markets and transform the nature of risk. Central Counterparties provides the information, clarification and expert insight market practitioners need to get up to speed quickly.

Central counterparties (CCPs) can offer significant benefits to a market. However, CCPs are also highly interconnected with financial institutions and markets and therefore too important to fail. The increased volumes cleared through CCPs and their increasing global scope, in particular in the OTC derivatives market, make it even more important that systemic risks related to CCPs are managed. This paper argues that the current set of international policy measures does partly address these risks, but that alternative policy measures are needed to reduce remaining systemic risks. For example, the paper recommends network analysis to be conducted by CCPs and authorities to gauge potential losses and suggests a common international approach to central bank services to help reduce the dependency of CCPs on services provided by commercial banks.

Recovery and resolution regimes are being developed for central counterparties (CCPs). We analyse current resolution tools in the context of policy, which is to restore the critical functions of a failed CCP. We conclude that the toolkit is insufficient to avoid the costs of resolution being borne by taxpayers, and propose alternative policy suggestions for addressing the problem of a failed CCP.

Practical guidance toward handling the latest changes to the OTCderivatives market Central Counterparties is a practical guide to centralclearing and bilateral margin requirements, from one of theindustry's most influential credit practitioners. With up-to-dateinformation on the latest regulations imposed after the globalfinancial crisis, this book covers the mechanics of the clearingprocess and analyses the resulting consequences. Detaileddiscussion explains the ways in which the very significant clearingand margining rules will affect the OTC derivatives market and thefinancial markets in general, with practical guidance towardimplementation and how to handle the potential consequences. Over-the-counter derivatives were blamed by many for playing amajor role in the 2007 financial crisis, resulting in a significantattention and dramatic action by policymakers, politicians, andregulators to reduce counterparty credit risk which was seen as amajor issue in the crisis. The two most important regulatorychanges are the mandatory clearing of standardised OTC derivatives,and the requirements for bilateral margin posting in non-standardOTC contracts. Central Counterparties is a completereference guide to navigating these changes, providingclarification and practical advice. Review the mitigation of counterparty credit risk with thehistorical development of central clearing Clarify the latest regulatory requirements imposed byDodd-Frank, EMIR, Basel III and more Learn the mechanics of central clearing, with special attentionto complex issues such as margin calculations, the loss waterfall,client clearing and regulatory capital rules Gain insight into the advantages and disadvantages of clearingand bilateral margin requirements, and the potential issues thatarise As the clearing and margining mandates are phased in, theassociated costs will be severe enough to dramatically shift thetopology of the financial markets and transform the nature of risk.Central Counterparties provides the information,clarification and expert insight market practitioners need to getup to speed quickly.

Clearing houses, or CCPs, were among the very few organisations to emerge from the global financial crisis with their standing enhanced. In the chaotic aftermath of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, they successfully completed trades worth trillions of dollars in a multitude of financial instruments across listed and over-the-counter markets, and so helped avert financial Armageddon. That success transformed the business of clearing. Governments and regulators around the world gave CCPs and the clearing services they provide a front-line role in protecting the global economy from future excesses of finance. CCPs, which mitigate risk in financial markets, responded by greatly expanding their activities, notably in markets for over-the-counter derivatives, and often in fierce competition with one another. In The Risk Controllers, journalist and author Peter Norman describes how CCPs operate, how they handled the Lehman default, and the challenges they now face. Because central counterparty clearing is a complex business with a long history that continues to influence decisions and structures even in today’s fast changing world, The Risk Controllers explores the development of CCPs and clearing from the earliest times to the present. It draws on the experiences of the people who helped to shape the business of clearing today. It sets the development of CCPs and clearing in the broader context of changes in society, politics and regulation. The book examines turning points, such as the 1987 stock market crash, that set clearing on a new path and the impact of long running trends, including the exponential growth of computer power and the ebb and flow of globalisation. Written in non-technical language, The Risk Controllers provides a unique and accessible guide to CCPs and clearing. It is essential reading for clearing professionals, legislators and regulators whose job it is to take this vitally important business into the future. “The recent crisis has, thankfully, renewed interest in the importance of central counterparties: how they can help preserve stability or, as Hong Kong showed in 1987, undermine stability if they are not super sound. Peter Norman’s book places the role of clearing houses in a historical context, and explains why the financial system’s plumbing matters so much. It should be read by anyone interested in building safer capital markets.” Paul Tucker, Deputy Governor Financial Stability, Bank of England

Recovery and resolution regimes are being developed for central counterparties (CCPs). We analyse current resolution tools in the context of policy, which is to restore the critical functions of a failed CCP. We conclude that the toolkit is insufficient to avoid the costs of resolution being borne by taxpayers, and propose alternative policy suggestions for addressing the problem of a failed CCP.

The Law and Regulation of Central Counterparties provides a detailed analysis of the legal and regulatory aspects of Central Counterparties (CCPs) with an introduction to their role and functions in modern financial markets. The book begins by describing in detail basic elements of modern post-trade infrastructure, exploring the modern functional and operational aspects of CCPs in the markets. It moves on to discuss the relationships between CCPs and their members, and clients of clearing members as non-members, legal issues concerning collateralisation, netting and set-off, and default arrangements that are primarily embedded in the form of the rules and regulations of CCPs. With regard to regulatory issues, the book examines the regulatory framework with reference to the UK and the EU. As to the case for a single CCP for various different types of markets, the analysis covers the advantages and disadvantages of CCP clearing and carries out an assessment of the risks and benefits of a single multi-market CCP.