Customer Futures Account Agreement |
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In consideration of the acceptance by optionsXpress, Inc., its agents and assigns (collectively "optionsXpress"), of one or more accounts of the undersigned customer ("Customer") (if more than one account is carried by optionsXpress, all are covered by this Agreement and are referred to collectively as the "account") and optionsXpress' agreement to act as Customer's broker for the execution, clearance and/or carrying of transactions for the purchase and sale of commodity futures contracts, forward contracts, commodity options and physical commodities (collectively, "commodity interests"), Customer agrees as follows: 1. PAYMENTS TO optionsXpress;Customer agrees to pay to optionsXpress
optionsXpress may debit the account to collect such payments and if, in the sole discretion of optionsXpress, the account is not sufficient for such purpose, Customer shall make such payments immediately following optionsXpress' request for payment. Payments shall be made in immediately available U.S. dollars to optionsXpress at the address shown at Section 8 herein or as optionsXpress shall notify Customer. Customer acknowledges that optionsXpress does not have any obligation to establish uniform commission rates and that optionsXpress therefore determines such commission rates in such manner as it may determine. 2. MARGINS; PREMIUMS;Customer agrees at all times to maintain adequate margins in the account so as continually to meet the original and maintenance margin requirements established by optionsXpress in its sole discretion from time to time. optionsXpress' margin requirements may exceed the margin requirements set by any exchange or other regulatory authority and need not be uniform as among customers or commodities. Customer agrees to pay to optionsXpress the amount of the premium for every option purchased for the account. Customer agrees to deposit margins and pay premiums immediately upon optionsXpress' request. Payments shall be made in immediately available U. S . dollars to optionsXpress at the address shown at Section 8 herein or as optionsXpress shall notify Customer. optionsXpress shall have the right to retain any interest with respect to any cash margins deposited in the account. 3. DELIVERY; OPTION EXERCISE;
4. FOREIGN CURRENCY;If optionsXpress enters into any commodity interest transaction for an account which is effected in a foreign currency:
5. POSITION LIMITS;Customer acknowledges and agrees that optionsXpress has the right at its sole discretion to limit the number of open positions (net or gross) which Customer may execute, clear and/or carry with or acquire through it. Customer agrees
optionsXpress may require such limitation, reduction or refusal whether or not such limitation, reduction or refusal is required by applicable regulations or exchange rules (as defined in Section 22). Customer shall comply with all position limits established by any regulatory or self-regulatory authority or any exchange. In addition, Customer agrees to notify optionsXpress promptly if Customer is required to file position reports with any regulatory or self-regulatory authority or with any exchange. 6. optionsXpress DUTIES; LIABILITY;Customer acknowledges and agrees:
7. EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS;Customer shall have no claim against optionsXpress or its agents for any loss, damage, liability, cost, charge, expense, penalty, fine or tax caused directly or indirectly by
8. COMMUNICATIONS;Any notice, instruction or other communication required or permitted to be given hereunder (other than orders to buy or sell a commodity interest which may be oral) shall be in writing, unless expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, and addressed to the respective parties as follows:
Attention: Compliance Department Telephone: (888) 280-8020 or to such other address as optionsXpress herewith shall specify to in writing. 9. CONFIRMATION CONCLUSIVE;Confirmation of trades, statements of account, and any other notices sent to Customer shall be conclusive and binding on Customer unless Customer notifies optionsXpress to the contrary (i) in the case of an oral report, at the time received by Customer or his agent or (ii) in the case of a written report, prior to opening of trading on the business day next following receipt of the report. In addition, if within three business days after Customer has placed an order to buy or sell a commodity interest, and has been informed or believes that such order has been or should have been executed, but has not received a written confirmation thereof, Customer shall immediately communicate by telephone such fact to optionsXpress and further shall immediately send written notification of such fact, and the details thereof, to optionsXpress by hand delivery, telex or telegram. Failing in this regard, Customer shall conclusively be deemed estopped to object and to have waived any such objection to the failure to execute or cause to be executed any transaction for any account of Customer. Nothing in this Section 9 withstanding, Customer and optionsXpress shall not be bound by any transaction or price reported in error. 10. SECURITY INTEREST;Customer hereby grants to optionsXpress a continuing lien, as security for the performance of its obligations to optionsXpress, upon all monies, securities, financial instruments, futures contracts, precious metals and other property, including, but not limited to, any credit balance (collectively, "property"), now or at any future time in Customer's account with or held for Customer by optionsXpress, by any optionsXpress affiliate or subsidiary or by any clearing futures commission merchant or organization through which trades of such Customer are executed by or on behalf of optionsXpress and any income and proceeds of any property. Any property may at any time or from time to time without notice or compliance with any condition precedent (which is hereby expressly waived) be set off, appropriated and applied by optionsXpress against any and all such obligations, including, but not limited to, any deficit balance in Customer's account, in such manner as optionsXpress in its sole discretion may determine. 11. BACKGROUND CHECK;Customer authorizes optionsXpress and any service provider, which may include its affiliates, to use, verify and confirm any of the information that Customer provides, including obtaining reports concerning Customer's (and Customer's spouse's if Customer lives in a community property state) background, credit standing and business conduct and to share all such information with their successors, assigns, affiliates, agents and service providers to determine Customer's eligibility for an account or any feature or otherwise. Upon Customer's written request, optionsXpress will inform Customer whether optionsXpress has obtained credit reports, and, if so, optionsXpress will provide Customer with the name and address of the reporting agency that furnished the reports. Customer agrees that, without notifying Customer, optionsXpress may request a new credit report in connection with any review, extension, or renewal of the account. Customer further agrees that optionsXpress may submit information reflecting on Customer's credit record to a credit reporting agency. Customer authorizes optionsXpress to share with its affiliates credit bureau information, information contained in Customer's application to open an account, information obtained from third parties and similar information, or to use such information consistent with optionsXpress' privacy policy. 12. LIQUIDATION OF CUSTOMER POSITIONS - If;
then optionsXpress shall have the right to (i) satisfy any obligations (either directly or by way of guaranty or suretyship) due optionsXpress out of any Customer's property in optionsXpress' custody or control, (ii) liquidate any or all of Customer's commodity interest positions, (iii) cancel any or all of Customer's outstanding orders, (iv) treat any or all of Customer's obligations due optionsXpress as immediately due and payable, (v) sell any or all of Customer's, property in optionsXpress' custody or control in such manner as optionsXpress determines to be commercially reasonable, and/or (vi) terminate any or all of optionsXpress' obligations for future performance to Customer, in each and every such case without any notice of default, demand for margin or additional margin, notice to Customer of sale or purchase, or other notice or advertisement and whether or not the ownership interest shall be solely Customer's or held jointly with others. It is understood that, in all cases, a prior demand, call or notice of the time or place of sale or purchase shall not be considered a waiver of optionsXpress' right to sell or buy without demand or notice as herein provided, that Customer shall at all times be liable for the payment of any debit balance owing in each account upon demand whether occurring upon a liquidation as provided under this Section 12 or otherwise under this Agreement, and that in all cases Customer shall be liable for any deficiency remaining in each account in the event of liquidation thereof in whole or in part together with interest thereon and all costs relating to liquidation and collection (including reasonable attorneys' fees). Customer agrees that optionsXpress, in its sole discretion, may delegate any or all of its rights to take action under this Section 12. 13. CUSTOMER REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS;Customer represents and warrants to and agrees with optionsXpress that:
Customer shall promptly notify optionsXpress in writing if any of the warranties or representations contained in this Section 13 or if any information contained in the accompanying New Account Application or otherwise provided by or on behalf of Customer to optionsXpress becomes inaccurate or in any way cease to be true, complete and correct. 14. CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS;The Customer acknowledges responsibility for acquainting itself with the material terms and conditions of any commodity interest contracts which may be traded in the account. The Customer should consult with the relevant exchange or optionsXpress concerning these terms and conditions, particularly the exercise, expiration and related contract provisions which may be subject to exception or modification by the rules or procedures of the exchange or optionsXpress. 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF optionsXpress;Customer hereby agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless optionsXpress and its partners, directors, officers, employees and agents from and against any loss, cost, claim, damage (including any consequential cost, loss or damage), liability or expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) and any fine, sanction or penalty made or imposed by any regulatory or self-regulatory authority or any exchange as the direct or indirect result of:
16. MODIFICATION OF AGREEMENT;This Agreement may only be altered, modified or amended by written agreement of the parties, except that if optionsXpress notifies Customer of any amendment to this Agreement, including but not limited to by posting any such amendment on optionsXpress' website, and if Customer continues to retain or thereafter places trades in accounts subject to this Agreement, Customer agrees that such action or inaction by Customer will constitute consent by Customer to such amendment. No employee or agent of optionsXpress has any authority to alter, modify, or amend in any respect any of the terms of this Agreement and no supplemental or special understanding shall be binding upon optionsXpress unless one of optionsXpress' duly authorized officers shall have agreed thereto in writing. The rights and remedies conferred upon each of optionsXpress shall be cumulative, and its forbearance to take any remedial action available to it under this Agreement shall not waive its right at any time or from time to time thereafter to take such action. 17. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS;This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of optionsXpress, its successors and assigns, and shall be binding upon Customer and Customer's executors, trustees, administrators, successors and assigns. This Agreement may be assigned by optionsXpress with or without notice, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by Customer without the written consent of optionsXpress, without which consent any purported assignment shall be void. 18. SEVERABILITY;If any term or provision hereof or the application thereof to any persons or circumstances shall to any extent be contrary to any exchange, government or self-regulatory regulation or contrary to any federal, state or local law or otherwise be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement or the application of such term or provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is contrary, invalid or unenforceable, shall not be affected thereby. 19. CAPTIONS;All captions used herein are for convenience only, are not a part of this Agreement, and are not to be used in construing or interpreting any aspect of this Agreement. 20. TERMINATION;This Agreement shall continue in force until written notice of termination is given by Customer or optionsXpress. Termination shall not relieve either party of any liability or obligation incurred prior to such notice. Customer, upon giving or receiving notice of termination, promptly will take all action necessary to transfer all open positions in each account to another futures commission merchant. All applicable provisions contained herein shall survive termination of Customer's account and this Agreement, including, but not limited to the limitation of liability and Customer's indemnification obligations pursuant to Sections 6 and 15, respectively. 21. ENTIRE AGREEMENT;This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between Customer and optionsXpress with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any prior agreements between the parties with respect to such subject matter. 22. APPLICABLE RULES AND REGULATIONS;The account and each transaction therein shall be subject to the terms of this Agreement and to (a) all applicable laws, the regulations, rules and orders of all regulatory and self-regulatory organizations having jurisdiction (collectively "regulations"), and (b) the constitution, by-laws, rules, regulations, orders, resolutions, interpretations and customs and usage's (collectively 'rules') of the contract market, board of trade, other market and any associated clearing organization (each an 'exchange"), if any, on or subject to the rules of which such transaction is executed and/or cleared and optionsXpress, and their respective partners, directors, employees, officers or agents shall not be liable to Customer for any action taken in compliance with applicable regulations or exchange rules. The reference in the preceding sentence to applicable regulations and exchange rules is solely for the protection of optionsXpress and their failure to comply therewith shall not constitute a breach of this Agreement or relieve Customer of any obligation or responsibility under this Agreement. 23. GOVERNING LAW; CONSENT TO JURISDICTION;In case of a dispute between Customer and optionsXpress arising out of or relating to the making or performance of this Agreement, any transaction pursuant to this Agreement, or otherwise in connection with all legal proceedings arising directly, indirectly or otherwise in connection with, out of, related to or from Customers account(s), transactions contemplated by this Agreement or breach thereof, or appeal from or motion on an arbitration award relating to Customers accounts (a) this Agreement and its enforcement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to principles of conflicts of law, and (b) If Customer has not signed the Arbitration Agreement set forth below or if such Arbitration Agreement is otherwise invalid or unenforceable, Customer will bring any legal proceeding Customer may initiate against optionsXpress in, and Customer hereby consents in any legal proceeding by optionsXpress to the jurisdiction of, any local, state or federal court located within the State of Illinois and City of Chicago. Customer hereby waives any and all objections Customer may, at any time, have as to the propriety of the court in which any such legal proceedings may be commenced. Customer also agrees that any service of process mailed to Customer at any address specified to optionsXpress shall be deemed a proper service of process on Customer. In any event, Customer agrees that if any dispute or controversy between Customer and optionsXpress involves or includes futures contracts transactions which are directly or indirectly incidental to or related to any transactions in which are the subject of a dispute or controversy arising under this Agreement, then both such disputes or controversies shall be heard and determined in the same forum. If customer signs the Futures Arbitration Agreement, then Customer agrees that any question relating to whether Customer or optionsXpress has commenced an arbitration proceeding in a timely manner, whether a dispute is subject to the Futures Arbitration Agreement or whether a party (other than Customer or optionsXpress) has consented to arbitration and all proceedings to compel arbitration and to confirm or set aside an arbitration award shall be determined by a court as specified in Section 23(b). 24. AUTHORIZATION TO TRANSFER FUNDS.optionsXpress and its clearing agent(s), including but not limited to R. J. O'Brien & Associates ("Clearing Agent"), is hereby authorized, at any time, and from time to time, without prior notice to Customer, to transfer from/to the Customer's regulated commodity account(s) carried by optionsXpress to/from any other account the Customer maintains with (a) optionsXpress or (b) Clearing Agent (including without limitation Customer's securities account(s)), in each case such amount of excess funds which in optionsXpress' or Clearing Agent’s judgment may be reasonably required to avoid margin calls or to reduce a debit balance in such accounts. It is understood that optionsXpress or Clearing Agent, as applicable, will, within a reasonable time thereafter, confirm in writing to the Customer any such transfer. Each night funds from Customer’s commodity account(s) will be swept to your securities account held with optionsXpress. Customer may be eligible to automatically sweep funds from Customer’s optionsXpress securities account into money market funds managed by Reich & Tang Management LLC. Visit our website for further details. By electing an automatic sweep option for your excess funds in your securities account, Customer’s account may not receive preferential treatment afforded funds held in a customer regulated commodity account, but may receive certain other protections in the event of a bankruptcy. Further details are available here. 25. AUTHORIZATION TO CROSS TRANSACTIONS.Customer authorizes optionsXpress, any subsidiary or affiliate of optionsXpress, and their partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, and any floor broker acting on Customer's behalf in any transaction for the account, without prior notice to Customer, to take the other side of Customer's transaction through any account of such person subject to its being executed at prevailing prices in accordance with the Commodity Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, and applicable exchange rules. 26. NOTICE TO FOREIGN TRADERS.If Customer is not a United States citizen, Customer has read, understood and agreed to the following additional Notice to Foreign Traders: (a) Customer is not a United States citizen and will notify optionsXpress immediately should Customer obtain such status; (b) If Customer is not fluent in the English language, these Terms and Conditions, other disclosures, agreements and documents relating to Customer and optionsXpress have been accurately and independently translated for Customer into Customer’s native language; (c) optionsXpress is Customer's Agent for purposes of accepting delivery and service of any communication issued by or on behalf of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) to Customer as a foreign trader or broker with respect to any futures or options contracts maintained in Customer's accounts carried by optionsXpress. Service or delivery of any communication issued by or on behalf of the CFTC to optionsXpress is valid and effective service or delivery to Customer unless Customer currently maintains an agency agreement with a person domiciled in the United States and provides optionsXpress with a copy of this agreement; (d) CFTC regulations require that both Customer and optionsXpress respond to special calls by the CFTC seeking information regarding Customer’s domestic or foreign futures and options trading. Customer, as a foreign trader or broker, is required to provide the CFTC with the information specified in such a special call, and optionsXpress will be considered Customer's Agent, and may also be required to respond to special calls (unless Customer has designated an Agent by an agreement and provided optionsXpress with a copy). Customer may look to CFTC Regulation 21.03 for a more complete description of special calls; (e) Customer agrees that Customer has read, understands and agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and this Notice to Foreign Traders and has decided, not as a result of solicitation by optionsXpress, to conduct business with optionsXpress. 27. JOINT ACCOUNTS.The following additional terms and conditions shall apply to a joint account: (a) each of the undersigned shall have authority on behalf of all of the undersigned and without notice to any other of the undersigned to purchase, sell (including short sales), or otherwise effect transactions in commodity interests on margin or otherwise in the account; to receive confirmations, reports, notices and any other communications; to receive and dispose of any securities and other property; to make and terminate agreements relating to these matters and to waive or modify provisions thereof; and to deal with optionsXpress as if such party is the sole party having any interest in the account; (b) optionsXpress is authorized, empowered and directed to follow the instructions of any of the undersigned concerning the account and pay money and deliver property in the account upon the instructions of any of the undersigned without inquiring into the purpose of any such payments or delivery and without being bound to see the application or disposition of any such money and or property delivered;(c) the liability of each of the undersigned to optionsXpress with respect to the account shall be joint and several; (d) in the event of the death of any of the undersigned, the survivors shall immediately give written notice to optionsXpress, the estate of any of the undersigned who had died and each survivor shall be jointly and severally liable to optionsXpress for any debt or loss in the account resulting from completing transactions initialed prior to optionsXpress' receipt of the written notice of such death, from liquidating the account or from adjusting the interests of the parties. Any taxes or other expenses chargeable against the account as a result of such death shall also be chargeable against the survivors; provided, however, that this provision shall not release the decedent's estate from any liability provided for in this Agreement. In addition, before or after receiving such written notice of a death, optionsXpress may take such actions, including but not limited to requesting documents and restricting transactions in the account as optionsXpress deems advisable to protect itself against any tax, liability or loss. Ver.: optionsXpress_FUT_AA_112007 |