Financial Stability

Reliability

Privacy

Our Financial Stability Gives You Peace of Mind

The financial integrity of XPRESSTRADE has always been one of our strongest selling points. We’re registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the National Futures Association as a Futures Commission Merchant, which means that we’re subject to strict capital requirements. We also clear through ADM Investor Services, one of the most financially sound firms in the futures industry. ADM Investor Services is responsible for the execution and clearing of XPRESSTRADE customer orders as well as the safekeeping of XPRESSTRADE customer funds. ADM Investor Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and merchandisers. ADM has been a Chicago Board of Trade member firm since 1927 and is a Fortune 100 company, with sales of $14.2 billion and shareholders’ equity of $6.2 billion for fiscal year 1999. We believe that ADM Investor Services’ conservative financial structure and strong reputation allow you to rest assured that your trading account is secure.

Strict Regulatory Requirements

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission requires that Futures Commission Merchants meet strict capital requirements. At June 30, 1999, ADM Investor Services reported assets of $499 million and stockholders' equity of $86 million, and its capitalization surpassed its required level by more than $47 million. In addition, regulations governing U.S. futures and option markets require that customer positions and monies be separately accounted for and segregated from the positions and monies of the clearing firm. Such regulations are designed to protect customers in the event of the insolvency or financial instability of the clearing member through which they conduct business.

Why Financial Stability is So Important

If you've traded stocks, bonds, or mutual funds online in the past, you probably know that most broker/dealers are members of the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD"). NASD members are required to carry, at a minimum, Securities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC") coverage to insure the value of your securities in the event that your broker goes bankrupt. However, there is no futures industry equivalent to SIPC, and therefore, it's critical that you select a brokerage firm that's aligned with a well-capitalized and financially conservative clearing firm. XPRESSTRADE'S relationship with ADM Investor Services gives you confidence that your funds are held by one of the futures industry's most financially-sound, reputable companies. Of course, this protection obviously does not cover losses of capital resulting from your trading activity.