This article at TSCM regarding shorts and timing for gains and losses at year end. News to me. http://www.thestreet.com/_tsclsii/funds/beverlygoodman/10059952.html
as i read that it just means that you must use trade date for reporting gains on a short as opposed to settlement date. no big deal except in the last 3 days of the year if you are trying to defer taxes to the next year.