TD Ameritrade 2018 Annual Report
TD AMERITRADE HOLDING CORPORATION NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued) 86 transactions may expose the Company to credit risk in the event a client's assets are not sufficient to fully cover losses that the client may incur. Leverage involves securing a large potential future obligation with a lesser amount of collateral. The risks associated with margin credit and leverage increase during periods of rapid market movements, or in cases where leverage or collateral is concentrated and market movements occur. In the event the client fails to satisfy its obligations, the Company has the authority to liquidate certain positions in the client's account at prevailing market prices in order to fulfill the client's obligations. However, during periods of rapid market movements, clients who utilize margin credit or leverage and who have collateralized their obligations with securities may find that the securities have a rapidly depreciating value and may not be sufficient to cover their obligations in the event of liquidation. The Company seeks to mitigate the risks associated with its client margin and leverage activities by requiring clients to maintain margin collateral in compliance with various regulatory and internal guidelines. The Company monitors required margin levels throughout each trading day and, pursuant to such guidelines, requires clients to deposit additional collateral, or to reduce positions, when necessary. The Company contracts with unaffiliated FCM, FDM and broker-dealer entities to clear and execute futures and foreign exchange transactions for its clients. This can result in concentrations of credit risk with one or more of these counterparties. This risk is partially mitigated by the counterparties' obligation to comply with rules and regulations governing FCMs, FDMs and broker-dealers in the United States. These rules generally require maintenance of net capital and segregation of client funds and securities. In addition, the Company manages this risk by requiring credit approvals for counterparties and by utilizing account funding and sweep arrangement agreements that generally specify that all client cash in excess of futures funding requirements be transferred back to the clients' securities brokerage accounts at the Company on a daily basis. The Company loans securities temporarily to other broker-dealers in connection with its broker-dealer business. The Company receives cash as collateral for the securities loaned. Increases in securities prices may cause the market value of the securities loaned to exceed the amount of cash received as collateral. In the event the counterparty to these transactions does not return the loaned securities, the Company may be exposed to the risk of acquiring the securities at prevailing market prices in order to satisfy its client obligations. The Company mitigates this risk by requiring credit approvals for counterparties, by monitoring the market value of securities loaned on a daily basis and requiring additional cash as collateral when necessary, and by participating in a risk-sharing program offered through the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"). TheCompany borrows securities temporarily fromother broker-dealers in connectionwith its broker-dealer business. The Company deposits cash as collateral for the securities borrowed. Decreases in securities prices may cause the market value of the securities borrowed to fall below the amount of cash deposited as collateral. In the event the counterparty to these transactions does not return the cash deposited, the Company may be exposed to the risk of selling the securities at prevailing market prices. The Company mitigates this risk by requiring credit approvals for counterparties, by monitoring the collateral values on a daily basis and requiring collateral to be returned by the counterparties when necessary, and by participating in a risk-sharing program offered through the OCC. The Company transacts in reverse repurchase agreements (securities purchased under agreements to resell) in connection with its broker-dealer business. The Company's policy is to take possession or control of securities with a market value in excess of the principal amount loaned, plus accrued interest, in order to collateralize resale agreements. The Company monitors the market value of the underlying securities that collateralize the related receivable on resale agreements on a daily basis and may require additional collateral when deemed appropriate. The Company utilizes securities sold under agreements to repurchase (repurchase agreements) to finance its short- term liquidity and capital needs. Under these agreements, the Company receives cash from the counterparties and provides U.S. Treasury securities as collateral, allowing the counterparties the right to sell or repledge the collateral. These agreements expose the Company to credit losses in the event the counterparties cannot meet their obligations. The Company mitigates this risk by requiring credit approvals for counterparties, by monitoring the market value of pledged securities owned on a daily basis and requiring the counterparties to return cash or excess collateral pledged when necessary.
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