Joint Release/Agencies Release Swap Margin Guidance — 2017-02-23

The Federal Reserve Board (Board) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on Thursday issued guidance explaining how supervisors should examine for compliance with the swap margin rule, which established margin requirements for swaps not cleared through a clearinghouse. The guidance explains that the Board and the OCC expect swap entities covered by the rule to prioritize their compliance efforts surrounding the March 1, 2017, variation margin deadline according to the size and risk of their counterparties. Margin requirements help ensure the safety and soundness of swap trading and help reduce risk to the financial system associated with non-cleared swaps. The final rule incorporated a phase-in period for swap entities to begin exchanging variation margin with their swap counterparties. The phase-in period gave markets and firms time to adjust to the new requirements, which were adopted in October 2015.