Same-Day Settlement: A Misunderstood Opportunity
This conflation in many people's minds of T+0, Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), and atomic settlement demonstrates just how misunderstood this topic really is. To be clear, T+0 simply means settlement on the same day as the trade, RTGS means settlement at the time of trading, and atomic settlement is the transfer of securities against cash (ie: delivery vs payment) at any settlement time. All of these should be embraced as opportunities that can create efficiencies, cut costs and protect our system from future market failures.