[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 112 (Friday, June 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34111-34112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14388]


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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

[Release No. 34-64604; File No. SR-FICC-2011-04]


Self-Regulatory Organizations; Fixed Income Clearing Corporation; 
Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change To 
Permit Brokers To Process Specified Pool Trade Activity at the 
Mortgage-Backed Securities Division in Broker Accounts

 June 6, 2011.
    Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 
(``Act''),\1\ notice is hereby given that on May 31, 2011, the Fixed 
Income Clearing Corporation (``FICC'') filed with the Securities and 
Exchange Commission (``Commission'') the proposed rule change described 
in Items I, II, and III below, which Items have been prepared primarily 
by FICC. FICC filed the proposal pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the 
Act \2\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(4) \3\ thereunder so that the proposal was 
effective upon filing with the Commission. The Commission is publishing 
this notice to solicit comments on the rule change from interested 
parties.
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    \1\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(1).
    \2\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \3\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(4).
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I. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Terms of Substance 
of the Proposed Rule Change

    The proposed rule change will permit brokers to process specified 
pool trade (``SPT'') activity at the Mortgage-Backed Securities 
Division (``MBSD'') in broker accounts.

II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    In its filing with the Commission, FICC included statements 
concerning the purpose of and basis for the proposed rule change and 
discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The 
text of these statements may be examined at the places specified in 
Item IV below. FICC has prepared summaries, set forth in sections (A), 
(B), and (C) below, of the most significant aspects of these 
statements.\4\
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    \4\ The Commission has modified the text of the summaries 
prepared by FICC.
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(A) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the Purpose of, and 
Statutory Basis for, the Proposed Rule Change

    The purpose of this proposed rule change is to implement certain 
technical enhancements necessary to permit brokers to process SPT 
activity at MBSD in their broker accounts. SPT activity is currently 
processed by brokers in their dealer accounts.
    MBSD's systems do not currently permit processing of SPT activity 
in broker accounts. If, after a broker submits an SPT through its 
dealer account the dealer counterparty submits the other side of the 
transaction against the broker's broker account (instead of the 
broker's dealer account), the dealer is required to make a correction 
to trade input to reflect the correct account. By permitting brokers to 
process SPT activity in their broker accounts, the proposed change 
would eliminate a cause of the corrections to trade input and thereby 
improve efficiency and reduce operational risk. The proposed change 
enhances FICC's existing services and does not eliminate any of FICC's 
existing services.\5\ FICC will notify members of the effective date of 
the proposed rule change by Important Notice.
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    \5\ MBSD will continue to support the processing of SPT activity 
in dealer accounts.
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    FICC believes that the proposed rule change is consistent with the 
requirements of Section 17A of the Act \6\ and the rules and 
regulations thereunder applicable to FICC because it is designed to 
promote the prompt and accurate clearance and settlement of securities 
transactions by enhancing an existing service offering and eliminating 
a cause of corrections to trade input.
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    \6\ 15 U.S.C. 78q-1.
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(B) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Burden on Competition

    FICC does not believe that the proposed rule change will have any 
impact or impose any burden on competition.

(C) Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement on Comments on the 
Proposed Rule Change Received From Members, Participants, or Others

    Written comments relating to the proposed rule change have not yet 
been solicited or received. FICC will notify the Commission of any 
written comments received by FICC.

[[Page 34112]]

III. Date of Effectiveness of the Proposed Rule Change and Timing for 
Commission Action

    The foregoing proposed rule change has become effective upon filing 
pursuant to Section 19(b)(3)(A) of the Act \7\ and Rule 19b-4(f)(4) \8\ 
thereunder because the proposed rule change effects a change in an 
existing service of a registered clearing agency that: (i) Does not 
adversely affect the safeguarding of securities or funds in the custody 
or control of the clearing agency or for which it is responsible; and 
(ii) does not significantly affect the respective rights or obligations 
of the clearing agency or persons using the service. At any time within 
60 days of the filing of the proposed rule change, the Commission 
summarily may temporarily suspend such rule change if it appears to the 
Commission that such action is necessary or appropriate in the public 
interest, for the protection of investors, or otherwise in furtherance 
of the purposes of the Act.
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    \7\ 15 U.S.C. 78s(b)(3)(A).
    \8\ 17 CFR 240.19b-4(f)(4).
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IV. Solicitation of Comments

    Interested persons are invited to submit written data, views, and 
arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule 
change is consistent with the Act. Comments may be submitted by any of 
the following methods:

Electronic Comments

     Use the Commission's Internet comment form (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml); or
     Send an e-mail to [email protected]. Please include 
File Number SR-FICC-2011-04 on the subject line.

Paper Comments

     Send paper comments in triplicate to Elizabeth M. Murphy, 
Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20549-1090.

All submissions should refer to File Number SR-FICC-2011-04. This file 
number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. To 
help the Commission process and review your comments more efficiently, 
please use only one method. The Commission will post all comments on 
the Commission's Internet Web site (http://www.sec.gov/rules/sro.shtml). Copies of the submission, all subsequent amendments, all 
written statements with respect to the proposed rule change that are 
filed with the Commission, and all written communications relating to 
the proposed rule change between the Commission and any person, other 
than those that may be withheld from the public in accordance with the 
provisions of 5 U.S.C. 552, will be available for Web site viewing and 
printing in the Commission's Public Reference Room, 100 F Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20549, on official business days between the hours of 10 
a.m. and 3 p.m. Copies of such filings also will be available for 
inspection and copying at the principal office of FICC and on FICC's 
Web site at http://dtcc.com/downloads/legal/rule_filings/2011/ficc/2011-04.pdf. All comments received will be posted without change; the 
Commission does not edit personal identifying information from 
submissions. You should submit only information that you wish to make 
available publicly. All submissions should refer to File Number SR-
FICC-2011-04 and should be submitted on or before July 1, 2011.

    For the Commission by the Division of Trading and Markets, 
pursuant to delegated authority.\9\
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    \9\ 17 CFR 200.30-3(a)(12).
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Cathy H. Ahn,
Deputy Secretary .
[FR Doc. 2011-14388 Filed 6-9-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8011-01-P