The CPO of a commodity pool that commenced operations in September of 2008 requested relief from Commission Regulations 4.22 (c) and (d), which require certification of the pool’s final Annual Report. The pool had only eight participants, total capital contributions of $3XX,XXX and, as of the pool’s liquidation date, $2X,XXX in net asset value. The CPO submitted signed waivers from each of the pool’s participants consenting to the exemption from the certified annual report requirement. DCIO granted relief pursuant to Commission Regulations 140.93 and 4.12(a).

The Division of Clearing and Intermediary Oversight took a CPO registration no-action position with respect to the independent trustees of a commodity pool where the independent trustees had no authority to perform CPO functions, the independent trustees were appointed solely to comply with audit committee requirements under the Sarbanes Oxley Act and exchange listing requirements, and a separate registered CPO was authorized to perform all commodity pool operator functions.

The Division of Clearing and Intermediary Oversight (Division) denied a request for relief from the requirement that an introducing broker (IB) provide specific customer account identifiers to the IB’s clearing futures commission merchant at or prior to the time of order entry. The Division found insufficient as grounds for the requested relief the requester’s assertion that compliance with the requirement would result in price “slippage” and poor customer order fills.

The Division of Clearing and Intermediary Oversight issued an IB registration no-action position to a United States bank whose foreign branches wish to refer foreign customers to an affiliated registered FCM. This position was based in part on the branches being located outside the United States and the FCM accepting liability for the foreign branches.

The Division of Clearing and Intermediary Oversight provided no-action relief to the general partner of a commodity pool operator (CPO) from registering as such pursuant to Section 4m(1) of the Commodity Exchange Act (Act), and allowing a registered CPO (designee) to serve as the CPO instead.

The CPO of a proprietary commodity pool (consisting only of the CPO and the CPO’s mother) requested relief from Commission Regulation 4.22(d), which requires certification of the pool’s annual report. The pool had, as of the close of its fiscal year, only $XXX,XXX in total assets, and the pool’s participants had received monthly account statements prepared by an unassociated third-party accounting firm. The CPO submitted signed waivers from each of the pool’s participants consenting to the exemption from the certified annual relief requirement.

DCIO responded to a request for guidance from the Joint Audit Committee (JAC) as to investments of customer funds by futures commission merchants (FCMs) in corporate debt securities guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) under its Temporary Liquidity Guarantee Program (TLGP).

The Division of Clearing and Intermediary Oversight issued an interpretation that a family partnership is not a commodity pool where all participants are close family members. This interpretation would not be affected by family members forming a CTA which will manage both the family partnership’s commodity interest trading and the trading of non-related persons.

The Division of Clearing and Intermediary Oversight provided no-action relief to the general partner of a commodity pool from registering as a CPO under Section 4m(1) of the Commodity Exchange Act, and allowed an affiliated, registered CPO (“designee”) to serve as the CPO of the pool instead, where, among other things: (1) the general partner and the designee are under common ownership and control; (2) the general partner has delegated all of its management authority to the designee; (3) the general partner does not engage in the solicitation of investors for the pool and does not manage pr

The Division of Clearing and Intermediary Oversight provided no-action relief to the general partner of a commodity pool from registering as a CPO under Section 4m(1) of the Commodity Exchange Act, and allowed an affiliated, registered CPO (“designee”) to serve as the CPO of the pool instead, where, among other things: (1) the general partner and the designee are under common ownership and control; (2) the general partner has delegated all of its management authority to the designee; (3) the general partner does not engage in the solicitation of investors for the pool and does not manage pr