Instructions For Completing TRACE Participation Agreement And Supplements

This page provides guidance regarding the completion of the TRACE Participation Agreement and its supplemental documents. To view and download a copy of this and other related agreements, visit our TRACE Agreements Web Page. If you have any questions about this process, please contact Trace Feedback.

 

Sign Up For TRACE Reporting

 

A party at the firm authorized to sign official documents must sign the appropriate agreement and applicable supplements and mail two completed copies to:

 

FINRA Operations
9509 Key West Avenue
5th Floor
Rockville, MD 20850

 

FINRA Operations will keep one copy and return a signed copy to the designated authorized party at your firm.

 

FINRA Operations Phone Number: (866) 776-0800.

 

Portions Of The Agreement To Complete

 

ALL USERS of the TRACE system, whether FINRA member firms or third-party reporting intermediaries, must complete and submit a TRACE Order Form indicating the TRACE access method selected.

 

ALL USERS of the TRACE system, whether FINRA member firms or third-party reporting intermediaries, must complete and submit the TRACE Participation Agreement.

 

• FINRA member firms that handle their own reporting must complete and sign the TRACE Participation Agreement and one or both of the following, where applicable:
  
  

1. TRACE Web Access Addendum (Attachment A of the TRACE Participation Agreement) and TRACE Order Form (notifying FINRA of the access method selected and number of User IDs requested).
2. Nasdaq CTCI Agreement
   Instructions and Resources for Nasdaq CTCI
   
   

• FINRA member firms that delegate reporting to a third-party reporting intermediary must complete and sign the TRACE Participation Agreement as well as complete and sign:
  
  Note: Firms reporting via the NSCC interface do not need to complete Attachment
  
  

• The TRACE Service Bureau/Executing Broker Supplement (Attachment B of the TRACE Participation Agreement), if
  
  

1. a FINRA member firm (e.g., a clearing firm or a member firm Alternative Trading System (ATS) is reporting on behalf of another FINRA member, or
2. a service bureau or vendor is reporting on behalf of a FINRA member firm.
   
   

• A FINRA member firm (e.g., a clearing firm or a member ATS) that offers reporting services on behalf of another FINRA member must complete and sign the TRACE Participation Agreement and the following:
• • The TRACE Service Bureau/Executing Broker Supplement (Attachment B of the TRACE Participation Agreement).
• A non-FINRA member third-party reporting intermediary (e.g., a Service Bureau or vendor) must sign a TRACE Participation Agreement and the following:
• • The TRACE Service Bureau/Executing Broker Supplement (Attachment B of the TRACE Participation Agreement).
    
    

Accessing the Issue Master

 

A TRACE Participation Agreement and an FTP certificate-one per firm-are both necessary in order to access the file of reportable CUSIPS. The list of reportable bonds will be available for manual download from the TRACE secure Web site. The file will also be available on a secure FTP server each morning.  Instructions for FTP Downloading of the Issue Master, Participant List, Daily List, and Closing Price Files.

 

Note: In order for the CUSIP numbers to be provided, your firm must have a daily license in place with CUSIP, since FINRA does not own these numbers. Otherwise, the numbers will be suppressed.