SW need to direct their efforts and dollars to where it would...

SW need to direct their efforts and dollars to where it would give them best bang for buck and I'd say that's:

1. Customer Care
2. Customer experience
3. Expanded offering

Doing their own clearing would require a lot of management attention and deliver little to the end customer. So I think it makes little sense right now.

What I would do though is periodically shop for other options in case OM becomes difficult in which case SW should have a ready to go plan for an alternative.

But if they're both playing nicely together (as they seem to be) they'll be more effective as a team/partners than either of them trying to go it alone imho.