3230. Clearing Agreements

(1) opening, approving and monitoring customer accounts;

(2) extension of credit;

(3) maintenance of books and records;

(4) receipt and delivery of funds and securities;

(5) safeguarding of funds and securities;

(6) confirmations and statements;

(7) acceptance of orders and execution of transactions;

(8) whether, for purposes of the Commission's financial responsibility rules adopted under the Act, and the Securities Investor Protection Act, as amended, and regulations adopted thereunder, customers are customers of the clearing member; and

(9) the requirement to provide customer notification under paragraph (g) of this Rule.

(b)(1) In order for the introducing member to carry out its functions and responsibilities under the agreement, each clearing member must forward promptly any written customer complaint received by the clearing member regarding the introducing member or its associated persons relating to functions and responsibilities allocated to the introducing member under the agreement directly to: (A) the introducing member; and (B) the introducing member's examining authority designated under Section 17 of the Act ("DEA") (or, if none, to its appropriate regulatory agency or authority). The clearing or carrying agreement must specifically direct and authorize the clearing member to do so.

(2) The clearing member must also notify the customer, in writing, that it has received the complaint, and that the complaint has been forwarded to the introducing member and to the introducing member's DEA (or, if none, to its appropriate regulatory agency or authority).

(3) Pursuant to the Rule 9600 Series, the Association may exempt a member or person associated with a member from the requirements of this paragraph for good cause shown in instances where the introducing organization is an affiliated entity of the carrying organization.

(c)(1) A clearing member, when it enters into a clearing agreement, must immediately, and annually thereafter, provide the introducing member a list or description of all reports (exception and other types of reports) which it offers to the introducing member to assist the introducing member in supervising its activities, monitoring its customer accounts, and carrying out its functions and responsibilities under the clearing agreement. The introducing member must notify promptly the clearing member, in writing, of those specific reports offered by the clearing member that the introducing member requires to supervise and monitor its customer accounts.

(2) The clearing member must retain as part of its books and records required to be maintained under the Act and the Association's rules, copies of the reports requested by or provided to the introducing member. For purposes of this Rule, the clearing member will be in compliance with the requirements of this paragraph if it retains the data from which the original report was produced, provided, the clearing member can, at the request of the DEA (or, if none, to its appropriate regulatory agency or authority), either (A) recreate the report; or (B) provide the data and the data formatting that was used to prepare the report.

(3) Each year, no later than July 31, the clearing member must notify in writing the introducing member's chief executive and compliance officers of the reports offered to the introducing member pursuant to paragraph (c)(1) and the reports requested by or supplied to the introducing member as of such date. The clearing member must also provide a copy of the notice to the introducing member's DEA (or, if none, to its appropriate regulatory agency or authority).

(4) Pursuant to the Rule 9600 Series, the Association may exempt a member or person associated with a member from the requirements of this paragraph for good cause shown in instances where the introducing organization is an affiliated entity of the carrying organization.