Todd Rosenfeld, Chief Learning Officer at STC, discusses the 2024 settlement update to T+1.
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Currently, settlement date occurs two business days after trade date; however, recent rule amendments from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and conforming FINRA rule changes will soon make that cycle one day shorter. Effective May 28, 2024, the new standard for transaction settlement becomes one business day after a trade, or T + 1.
Test-Taking Impact:
- For students testing before Tuesday, May 28, questions influenced by transaction settlement should be answered using T + 2.
- For students testing on or after Tuesday, May 28, questions influenced by transaction settlement should be answered using T + 1.
The new “T + 1” settlement cycle will apply to the same securities transactions that are currently covered by the “T + 2” settlement cycle. These include transactions involving corporate stocks and bonds, municipal securities, exchange-traded funds, certain mutual funds, and limited partnerships that trade on an exchange.
T + 1 Settlement and the Regulation T Payment Date
Let’s assume that a customer buys 1,000 shares of ABC stock on Monday, June 3. Based on the new settlement procedures, the transaction will settle on Tuesday, June 4. Keep in mind, transaction settlement involves the transfer of securities between the brokerage firms involved.
For this buying customer, another important factor is determining when is payment due?
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According to Regulation T, customers may pay for their portion of the trade (100% if purchased in a cash account or 50% if purchased in a margin account) within two business days following the settlement date (i.e., S + 2). Put another way, this means that payment is now due by no later than the third business day after the trade date (i.e., T + 3).
T + 1 and the Ex-Dividend Date
The record date is the date that a person must own stock to be entitled to a dividend. The ex-dividend date represents the date on which a stock begins to trade without its dividend. With the change of regular-way settlement to one business day, the ex-dividend date will now be the same day as the record date.
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So ultimately, if an investor purchases stock for regular-way settlement (i.e., T + 1) either on or after the ex-dividend/record date, he will not be entitled to the quarterly cash dividend since he will not own the stock by the record date (i.e., the trade will not settle in time). To be entitled to the dividend, an investor must purchase the stock at least one business day before the ex-dividend/record date.
T + 1 and Options Exercise
Since the exercise of an equity option involves the purchase and sale of the underlying stock, settlement of the resulting transaction of an exercised option occurs in one business day (i.e., T + 1).
Please Note: As applicable, additional details regarding the impact of settlement change to close-outs for fails to deliver will be addressed within the actual study manual for certain courses.
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