The Chicago Board of Trade relies on an independent corporation to settle all trades made within its walls. This corporation acts as a guarantor, ensuring that all trades cleared by it are accounted for. Each day, this corporation reconciles the accounts of all clearing member firms to ensure that all gains have been properly credited and all losses have been collected. Additionally, this corporation sets and adjusts clearing member firm margins to account for changing market conditions. This entity is often referred to as a clearing corporation or clearinghouse.
