Intro to FIA

The Futures Industry Association is the leading trade organization for the futures, options and OTC cleared derivatives markets. It is the only association representative of all organizations that have an interest in the listed derivatives markets. Its membership includes the world’s largest derivatives clearing firms as well as leading derivatives exchanges from more than 20 countries. As the principal members of the derivatives clearinghouses, our member firms play a critical role in the reduction of systemic risk in the financial markets. They provide the majority of the funds that support these clearinghouses and commit a substantial amount of their own capital to guarantee customer transactions.

FIA’s core constituency consists of futures commission merchants, and the primary focus of the association is the global use of exchanges, trading systems and clearinghouses for derivatives transactions. FIA’s regular members, who act as the majority clearing members of the U.S. exchanges, handle more than 90% of the customer funds held for trading on U.S. futures exchanges.

Divisions

FIA divisions are a vital component of the FIA. They give members the opportunity to discuss common issues, exchange ideas, give input to the FIA board, exchanges and other regulatory and self-regulatory bodies, and network with peers. Division initiatives bring industry professionals together to find solutions for common problems. Divisions also support FIA efforts at the international level. FIA divisions meet in New York, Chicago, London and Tokyo. Any employee of a member firm is eligible to join a division for a small annual membership fee.