Proposed NFA Capital Requirement - page 10

 
 

NFA Ties Up Some Loose Ends

Meanwhile, back at the Dead Pool. The NFA appears to be wrapping up the closures of CFG and UGMFX. They released the following two press releases today regarding the regulatory actions they took against said firms. Once again both firms were very poorly capitalized and were not able to keep their books straight. Once again this is one of the reasons regulators want to raise capital requirements. Once again if regulators share these concerns the trading public should as well.

NFA permanently bars Virginia forex firm, Forefront Investments Corporation

August 13, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) has permanently barred Forefront Investments Corporation (Forefront), a Futures Commission Merchant and Forex Dealer Member located in Richmond, Virginia, from NFA membership. The Decision, issued by NFA's Business Conduct Committee, is based on a Complaint filed in April 2007 and a settlement offer submitted by Forefront.

The Complaint charged that Forefront used misleading promotional material. In addition, the Complaint charged that Forefront failed to comply with NFA financial requirements, file financial statements within a timely manner, and implement an adequate anti-money laundering program. Further, the Complaint charged that Forefront failed to have a principal also registered as an associated person (AP).

NFA permanently bars United Global Markets LLC and orders firm to pay $40,000 fine

August 13, Chicago - National Futures Association (NFA) has permanently barred United Global Markets LLC (UGM), a Futures Commission Merchant and Forex Dealer Member located in Boston, Massachusetts, from NFA membership. Additionally, NFA ordered UGM to pay a $40,000 fine. The Decision, issued by NFA's Business Conduct Committee, is based on a Complaint filed in August 2007 and a settlement offer submitted by UGM.

The Committee found that UGM failed to maintain the required minimum adjusted net capital.

The Decision follows a recent enforcement action taken against UGM. In June 2007, NFA issued an emergency Member Responsibility Action against UGM. See previous press release.

 
 
 

Nobody writes you about a job?

I mean, some of the guys could need a job and you could help by giving one in your company.

How to be a lobbyist is easy to understand and becomes fun with the time.

Come on members, request a job or stop to disturb forexsavior with PMs.

 
 
 

Euro Money Comments on Capital Requirement

Euro Money has just published an article on the rule proposal that backs up everything I have been saying. Furthermore we are now seeing a lot of other Industry players offering their comments. Here are some choice quotes from some industry titans: http://www.euromoney.com/article.as...ticleID=1398928

Todd Crosland, Interbank FX's founder chief executive, says: "The NFA has proposed to raise the minimum net capital requirement to $5 million. If you offer greater than 100:1 leverage, you would have to maintain two times that amount, or $10 million. We believe that by the end of the year the NFA will have fully implemented the new minimum net capital requirements. Our current net capital is [now] in excess of $25 million."

Gain chairman Mark Galant says: "Making sure all FDMs are well capitalized is a positive for the industry. The management at many of the smaller FDMs have no real FX market experience and have never managed a 24/5 trading operation. Besides being able to cover your financial obligations to your customers, you also need sufficient capital to post collateral with bank liquidity providers. An FDM that does not have good credit lines can get in trouble pretty quickly if they are unable to lay off their risk as needed.

The Euromoney article is also quoted as saying,

"If, as expected, US regulator the National Futures Association implements a proposal it has sent out to its 43 forex dealer members (FDMs), the result will be that many firms will have to attract fresh funding or close down. The proposal is due to be discussed by the NFA's board in August. If ratified, it will then go to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which effectively acts as the NFA's gatekeeper. The CFTC will almost certainly rubber stamp it."

"In its proposal, the NFA points out that the under-capitalization of many FDMs is the main cause of many of the problems that have plagued the sector, It is therefore looking to raise FDM's net capital requirements from $1 million to $5 million. Two other proposed changes to the NFA's concentration charges and its accounting requirements are likely to result in FDMs being obliged to have a minimum of $10 million in adjusted net capital to stay in business."

"The majority of FDMs do not have this much free capital available, so unless they receive fresh funding, they will almost certainly go out of business if the proposal is passed."

 
forexsavior:
The New CFTC numbers came out last week:

http://www.cftc.gov/files/tm/fcm/tmfcmdata0706.pdf

As a result it is time for another Dead Pool Update:

Poorly Capitalized Firms

Advanced Markets ($1,039,000)

American National Trading Corp ($2,159,000)

Bacera Corporation (Shutdown!)

Cal Finanical Corporation (Shutdown!)

Direct Forex ($1,458,000)

E FX Options ($3,158,000)

Forex Club ($2,873,000)

FiniFX (Not Accepting New Customers)

Forward Forex (Shutdown!)

FX Option1 Inc (Shutdown!)

GFS Futures & Forex ($2,995,000)

Hamilton Williams ($1,130,000)

MB Trading ($1,170,000)

Money Garden ($3,584,000)

Nations Investments (Shutdown!)

One World Capital ($2,308,000)

Performance Capital International (Vanished)

Royal Forex Trading ($1,171,000)

SNC Investments ($1,524,000)

Solid Gold Financial ($2,239,000)

Spencer Financial (Shutdown!)

Trend Commodities (Shutdown!)

United Global Markets (Shutdown!)

Worldwide Clearing (Shutdown!)

Wall Street Derivatives ($936,000)

Unregulated Firms (Buyer Beware)

GCI (?)

Cletus' Fishing & Forex (?)

Krusty's Currency Trading (?)

So far not a single firm in the dead pool has shown any signs they have the capital to potentially meet the proposed requirements. Of course, they are not required to put forth any additional capital yet since the rule has not passed but you would think that at least one or two of them would take the initiative and pony up the dough now to show the world they are in it for the long haul.

Although I must doff my cap to I Trade FX for their near $4 million in reported capital. Contrary to my earlier ribbing they are getting closer to making the $5 million barrier to entry and just may stick it to the savior in the end. They have replaced the firm that was, prior to the most recent report, the most likely firm to make it off the Dead Pool List- MB Trading. The month before MB Trading was showing $3,952,000 in adjusted net capital but now they are only showing $1,170,000 in adjusted net capital. That is quite a drop for MB Trading. It leaves them with only $171,000 in excess net capital. Of course, it could be a one month anomaly so I won't jump to any conclusions. But in light of the new NFA proposal and the increasing drumbeat from the media about the likelihood of this rule becoming law it seems to me MB Trading should be INCREASING their net capital, not decreasing it. It leaves one to wonder just what's going on over in El Sugundo...

Thank you for taking your time to update and educate us about brokers. Can you tell us if any clients from these 10 shutdown firms get hurt by not receiving their money? Do you have any undate on Advanced markets (AMIFX) case? Thanks again!

 

Forex Dealer Dead Pool (version 3.0)

The New CFTC numbers came out last week:

http://www.cftc.gov/files/tm/fcm/tmfcmdata0706.pdf

As a result it is time for another Dead Pool Update:

Poorly Capitalized Firms

Advanced Markets ($1,039,000)

American National Trading Corp ($2,159,000)

Bacera Corporation (Shutdown!)

Cal Finanical Corporation (Shutdown!)

Direct Forex ($1,458,000)

E FX Options ($3,158,000)

Forex Club ($2,873,000)

FiniFX (Not Accepting New Customers)

Forward Forex (Shutdown!)

FX Option1 Inc (Shutdown!)

GFS Futures & Forex ($2,995,000)

Hamilton Williams ($1,130,000)

MB Trading ($1,170,000)

Money Garden ($3,584,000)

Nations Investments (Shutdown!)

One World Capital ($2,308,000)

Performance Capital International (Vanished)

Royal Forex Trading ($1,171,000)

SNC Investments ($1,524,000)

Solid Gold Financial ($2,239,000)

Spencer Financial (Shutdown!)

Trend Commodities (Shutdown!)

United Global Markets (Shutdown!)

Worldwide Clearing (Shutdown!)

Wall Street Derivatives ($936,000)

Unregulated Firms (Buyer Beware)

GCI (?)

Cletus' Fishing & Forex (?)

Krusty's Currency Trading (?)

So far not a single firm in the dead pool has shown any signs they have the capital to potentially meet the proposed requirements. Of course, they are not required to put forth any additional capital yet since the rule has not passed but you would think that at least one or two of them would take the initiative and pony up the dough now to show the world they are in it for the long haul.

Although I must doff my cap to I Trade FX for their near $4 million in reported capital. Contrary to my earlier ribbing they are getting closer to making the $5 million barrier to entry and just may stick it to the savior in the end. They have replaced the firm that was, prior to the most recent report, the most likely firm to make it off the Dead Pool List- MB Trading. The month before MB Trading was showing $3,952,000 in adjusted net capital but now they are only showing $1,170,000 in adjusted net capital. That is quite a drop for MB Trading. It leaves them with only $171,000 in excess net capital. Of course, it could be a one month anomaly so I won't jump to any conclusions. But in light of the new NFA proposal and the increasing drumbeat from the media about the likelihood of this rule becoming law it seems to me MB Trading should be INCREASING their net capital, not decreasing it. It leaves one to wonder just what's going on over in El Sugundo...

Reason: