Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - June 26, 2026) - The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission today issued a joint request for public comment on potential approaches to further harmonize regulatory frameworks applicable to portfolio margining across securities, security-based swaps, futures, swaps, and related positions.
The request for comment is intended to assist the agencies in evaluating whether greater coordination or alignment in portfolio margining requirements may improve risk management efficiency, reduce unnecessary market fragmentation, and enhance customer protections consistent with the agencies’ respective statutory authorities and responsibilities.
“By further harmonizing our frameworks, we can ensure that jurisdictional overlap does not stifle innovation and efficiency,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “Cross-margining offers a clear opportunity to unlock liquidity that remains frozen in separate accounts, and we encourage market participants to provide feedback on ideas that will help improve coordination between both agencies.”
“Fostering enhanced cooperation between the CFTC and SEC with respect to portfolio margining promises to unleash untapped capital while ensuring a more robust risk management framework and market protections,” said CFTC Chairman Mike Selig. “I look forward to reviewing and implementing stakeholder feedback as we build the new frontier of finance.”
The joint request for comment seeks input on a range of issues, including:
- Existing portfolio margining models and practices
- Customer protection considerations
- Cross-margining and cross-product offsets
- Capital, segregation, and collateral treatment
- Risk management and margin methodologies
- Clearing agency and derivatives clearing organization considerations
- Operational and technical implementation issues
- Potential impacts on market liquidity and competition
The SEC and CFTC encourage the public to provide input on these topics, as identified in the agencies’ request for comment. The public comment period will remain open for 60 days following publication of the request for comment in the Federal Register.
Source: Newsfile SEC Press Digest