NSCC announced plans to expand trade capture capabilities for 24-hours-a-day, five-days-a-week processing, the OCC granted European neobank bunq a new U.S. national bank charter in New York, Guggenheim Investments filed a new loan advisory subsidiary, and 19 new advisory firms registered across 26 total events.
NSCC Expands Trade Capture for 24x5 Trading
The National Securities Clearing Corporation issued a notice outlining plans to expand its trade processing window to support transaction processing 24 hours a day, five days a week. The expanded capabilities will require separate trading relationships and new validation thresholds for overnight sessions — a fundamental change to how U.S. equities markets process and clear trades.
The move toward 24x5 clearing infrastructure represents one of the most significant market structure developments in years. As exchanges and alternative trading systems have pushed to extend trading hours beyond the traditional 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM window, the clearing and settlement layer has been the critical bottleneck. NSCC's expansion removes that constraint, paving the way for around-the-clock equity trading to become operationally viable. For broker-dealers, the extended processing window will require upgrades to overnight risk management, margin calculation, and operational staffing.
OCC Grants bunq a U.S. National Bank Charter
The OCC granted a new national bank charter to bunq US Bank, NA at 500 7th Avenue in New York — the second new bank charter in two days and a landmark entry for the Amsterdam-based digital bank into the U.S. market. bunq is one of Europe's largest neobanks, offering mobile-first banking services across the European Union. The U.S. national bank charter gives bunq the ability to accept deposits, extend credit, and operate across all 50 states without requiring separate state licenses.
The New York charter location positions bunq in the heart of the U.S. financial system as it launches American operations. Back-to-back new bank charters — World Liberty Trust Company on January 6 and bunq on January 7 — represent the strongest start to new charter activity in years and signal the OCC's willingness to process non-traditional banking applications.
Guggenheim Files Loan Advisory Subsidiary
Guggenheim Investments Loan Advisors, LLC (SEC# 801-135074) entered the SEC's 120-day registration process from Stamford, Connecticut. The filing by a subsidiary of Guggenheim Partners — one of the nation's largest independent investment firms with over $325 billion in assets — signals the creation of a dedicated loan advisory platform, likely focused on CLO management, direct lending, or private credit advisory services. The loan advisory designation is notable as institutional appetite for private credit continues to expand.
19 New Firms Drive Advisory Channel Surge
Nineteen new advisory firm registrations were recorded — eight immediate and 11 entering the 120-day process — making it the strongest single day for new firm formation in January so far. Notable entrants include Night Owl Capital Canada in Greenwich, Connecticut, Jones Hill Capital in New York, and Hobe Mountain Capital Management in West Palm Beach. The geographic spread — Connecticut, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, and Florida — reflects nationwide advisory firm formation activity.
Across the Wire
One advisory firm closed: BP Asset Management in Charlotte deregistered. One name change was recorded: Storen Legacy Partners became Storen Financial in Zionsville, Indiana. Two OCC branch establishments were approved in Illinois — Old Plank Trail Community Bank in Mokena and Wintrust Bank in Chicago. First National Bank & Trust in Atmore, Alabama, received relocation approval. The day's 26 events were dominated by new firm filings, with market structure and banking charter news providing the headline stories.
All data sourced from SEC EDGAR, OCC, NSCC/DTCC, and the Finleet Terminal as of January 7, 2026. Entity profiles are available at terminal.finleet.com.