CHARM

Margin, Risk and Capital for Derivatives

For Clearing Members, Swap Dealers, Clients

LCH/CME/ASX/EUREX/SIMM

Default Management Fire-drills

Initial Margin, What-If and Optimise

Attribution of IM and Margin Valuation Adjustment

CCP Switch and Optimise Clearing Broker

Client Clearing – Funding and intra-day monitoring

Capital, SA-CCR, FRTB SA, FRTB IMA

Web Apps and AWS Cloud

Latest Posts

  • Sep, 23

    Record Q2 2026 CCP IM for ETD

    From the end of June 2026 quarterly CPMI-IOSCO Quantitative Disclosures by clearinghouses captured by CCPView, this blog focuses on cleared IM for rates swaps, credit derivatives (CRD), and exchange-traded derivatives (ETD). Key takeaways The Q2 2026 disclosures show different IM dynamics across the three product groups: IM for cleared rates swaps Chart 1: IRS IM by […]

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    Sep, 16

    CCP Default Management Processes and the SwapClear Fire Drill: A 2026 Update

    Eleven years after our extensively read original blog, how has the OTC CCP and the LCH SwapClear default management process evolved and what should clearing members be preparing for today? Why Revisit This Topic? Back in 2015, we discussed the mechanics of the SwapClear default management process (DMP) and the operational burden imposed on clearing […]

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  • Sep, 9

    Q2 FCM customer seg: large US banks gave up 4+% combined YoY

    This blog looks at the market shares of customer segregated margin (customer seg) of US-regulated derivatives clearing brokers (FCMs) at the end of Q2 2026. Key takeaways At the end of Q2 2026, the biggest year-on-year (YoY) market share changes were as follows. Clearing broker market shares Derivatives client clearing brokers make most of their […]

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    Jul, 2

    How much margin? The 2024 edition

    This blog covers the 2024 edition of the “ISDA Year-End Margin Survey”, published on 14 May 2025, which covers over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives uncleared initial margin (IM) and variation margin (VM) for all asset classes, and cleared IM for interest rate derivatives (IRD) and credit derivatives (CRD) only. We combine the ISDA survey data with more […]

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  • Apr, 24

    How Much Margin? The 2023 Edition

    Initial Margin ISDA have just published the latest edition of the “ISDA Year-End Margin Survey”: We have covered previous versions of this survey, which are always worth a re-read because you can laugh at any predictions we made in the past! Sifting through all of those reveals that between $650-800bn in extra IM was anticipated by ISDA as a […]

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    Mar, 13

    Mechanics and Definitions of the ISDA Credit Support Annex (CSA)

    Credit Support Annexes used to be the dullest of the dull. A “back-office”, operational necessity that helped reduce counterparty exposures. Now, they are intrinsic to the functioning of modern day derivatives markets and have blossomed in both number and potential complexity as a result of the Uncleared Margin Rules. If you don’t have a CSA, […]

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  • Feb, 21

    Best Practices for Variation Margin

    No one wants to be called in default by a CCP during stressed markets as a result of operational complexity/failures – much as ICE & Citi stated regarding March 2020: So today I follow up on our Clarus blogs (and podcast!) regarding members requirements at CCPs. For example, you can take a look at the […]

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    Nov, 14

    Default Simulation Exercises by CCPs

    In June 2019, I wrote a blog titled, CCP Default Management Auctions, in which I covered the BIS CPMI-IOSCO “Discussion paper on central counterparty default management auctions” and explained how Clarus CHARM helps clearing members with their default management obligations, both actual and firedrill tests. One of the points in the discussion paper was on […]

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  • May, 10

    Is Now The Time to Optimise Your Initial Margin?

    Initial Margin ISDA have just published the latest edition of the “ISDA Year-End Margin Survey”: We have covered previous versions of this survey, which are always worth a re-read because you can laugh at any predictions we made in the past! Sifting through all of those reveals that between $650-800bn in extra IM was anticipated by ISDA […]

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    Mar, 22

    USD Swaps Margin Calls in March 2023

    I know our readers will have followed the events of the last two weeks, covering Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), First Republic Bank(FRC) and Credit Suisse (CS). Each different institutions, but each faced with massive depositor withdrawals caused by a loss of trust in the soundness of their business. At the start of 2023, who would […]

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