[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 17, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 17CFR32.6]

[Page 386-387]
 
              TITLE 17--COMMODITY AND SECURITIES EXCHANGES
 
             CHAPTER I--COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
 
PART 32_REGULATION OF COMMODITY OPTION TRANSACTIONS--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  32.6  Segregation.

    (a) Any person which accepts money, securities, or property from an 
option customer as payment of the purchase price in connection with a 
commodity option transaction shall treat and deal with such money, 
securities, and property as belonging to such option customer until 
expiration of the term of the option or, if the option customer 
exercises the option, until all rights of the option customer under the 
commodity option have been fulfilled. Such money, securities, and 
property (1) shall be separately accounted for and segregated as 
belonging to such option customer, (2) shall be kept in the United 
States, and (3) shall not be commingled with the money, securities, or 
property of any other person, including the money, securities, or 
property received by a futures commission merchant to margin, guarantee 
or secure the trades or contracts of commodity customers (as defined in 
Sec.  1.3(k) of this chapter) or with the money accruing to such 
commodity customers as the result of such trades or contracts: Provided, 
however, That the money, securities, or property treated as belonging to 
an option customer may for convenience be commingled with the money, 
securities, or property treated as belonging to any other option 
customer and deposited in the same account or accounts with any bank or 
trust company in the United States. Such money, securities, and 
property, when so deposited with any bank or trust company, shall be 
deposited under an account name which will clearly show that it contains 
money, securities, or property, segregated as required by this part. 
Each person depositing such money, securities, or property shall obtain 
and retain in its files for the period provided in Sec.  1.31 of this 
chapter an acknowledgment from such bank or trust company that it was 
informed that the money, securities, and property therein are being 
treated as belonging to option customers and are being held in 
accordance with the provisions of this part. Such bank or trust company 
shall allow inspection of such accounts at any reasonable time by 
representatives of the Commission: Provided, further, That, up to a 
maximum of 10 percent of the money, securities or property accepted from 
an option customer as payment of the purchase price in connection with a 
commodity option transaction need not be treated and dealt with as 
belonging to the option customer and segregated as aforesaid.
    (b) No money, securities or property deposited in accordance with 
paragraph (a) of this section shall be held, disposed of, used or 
treated as belonging to the depositing person or any person other than 
the option customers of such person: Provided, however, That such money 
may be invested in obligations of the United States, and in obligations 
fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by the United States. Such 
investments shall be made through an account or accounts used for the 
deposit of money, securities or property received from option customers 
and proceeds from any sale of such obligations shall be redeposited in 
such account or accounts. Each person which invests money belonging to 
option customers in obligations as described in paragraph (b) of this 
section, shall separately account for such obligations and segregate 
such obligations as belonging to such option customers. Such obligations 
may only be deposited with a bank or trust company in the United States 
and shall be deposited under an account name which will clearly show 
that it contains obligations treated as belonging to option customers, 
segregated as required by this part. Each person depositing such 
obligations shall obtain and retain in its files an acknowledgment from 
such bank or trust company that it was informed that the obligations are 
treated as belonging to option customers and are being held in 
accordance with the provisions of this part. Such acknowledgment shall 
be retained for the period provided in Sec.  1.31 of this chapter. Such 
bank or trust company shall allow inspection of the obligations at

[[Page 387]]

any reasonable time by representatives of the Commission.
    (c) Each person which invests money treated as belonging to option 
customers as permitted hereunder shall keep a record showing the 
following: (1) The date on which such investments were made, (2) the 
name of the person through which such investments were made, (3) the 
amount of money so invested, (4) a description of the obligations in 
which such investments were made, (5) the identity of the depositories 
or other places where such obligations are segregated, (6) the date on 
which such investments were liquidated or otherwise disposed of and the 
amount of money received on such disposition, if any, and (7) the name 
of the person to or through which such investments were disposed of.
    (d) Persons which invest money in obligations described in paragraph 
(b) of this section shall include such obligations in segregated 
accounts at values which at no time shall be greater than current market 
value, determined as of the close of the market on the last preceding 
market day.
    (e) The deposit and/or investment of money as provided in paragraphs 
(a) or (b) of this section shall not operate to prevent the person so 
depositing and/or investing such money from receiving and retaining as 
its own any increment or interest resulting therefrom.
    (f) The amount of money, securities and property which is and which 
must be in a segregated account in order to comply with the requirements 
of this part shall be computed by each person required to segregate such 
money, securities and property as of the close of each business day. A 
record of such computation shall be made and kept, together with all 
supporting data in accordance with the provisions of Sec.  1.31 of this 
chapter. Such computation shall be made prior to the opening of business 
on the next business day.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 
3038-0003)

[41 FR 51814, Nov. 24, 1976, as amended at 46 FR 63036, Dec. 30, 1981]