Learning how to trade futures could be a profit center for traders and speculators, as well as a way to hedge your portfolio or minimize losses. But, for those who seek a fast-moving trading opportunity, futures trading may be right for you. Explore the information and resources below to increase your understanding of how to start trading futures.

A futures contract is quite literally how it sounds. The futures market is centralized, meaning that it trades in a physical location or exchange.

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There are several exchanges, such as The Chicago Board of Trade and the Mercantile Exchange. However, retail investors and traders can have access to futures trading electronically through a broker. Some things to consider before trading futures:. Control a large investment with a relatively small amount of money. Futures markets trade at many different times of the day.

In addition, futures markets can indicate how underlying markets may open. For example, stock index futures will likely tell traders whether the stock market may open up or down.

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The futures market is very active with a large amount of trading, especially in the high volume contracts. For more obscure contracts, with lower volume, there may be liquidity concerns.

If you have an existing position in a commodity or stock, you can use a future contract to protect unrealized profit or minimize a loss. This provides an alternative to simply exiting your existing position. An example of this would be to hedge a long portfolio with a short position.

The standard account can either be an individual or joint account. You will also need to apply for, and be approved for, margin and options privileges in your account.

This feature-packed trading platform lets you monitor the futures markets, plan your strategy, and implement it in one convenient, easy-to-use, and integrated place. One of the unique features of thinkorswim is custom futures pairing. Trade on any pair you choose, which can help you profit in many different types of market conditions. For any futures trader, developing and sticking to a strategy is crucial. Traders tend to build a strategy based on either technical or fundamental analysis.

Technical analysis is focused on statistics generated by market activity, such as past prices, volume, and many other variables. Charting and other similar technologies are used. Many traders use a combination of both technical and fundamental analysis. In addition, explore a variety of tools to help you formulate a futures trading strategy that works for you. Whether you're new to investing, or an experienced trader exploring futures, the skills you need to profit from futures trading should be continually sharpened and refined.

Explore our educational and research resources too. See what sets us apart from the rest with our top 6 reasons to choose TD Ameritrade. For five years in a row, we ranked 1 for Long-Term Investing in Barron's Online Broker Survey.

Check the background of TD Ameritrade on FINRA's BrokerCheck. Educational resources are provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered an individualized recommendation or advice. Futures and futures options trading is speculative and is not suitable for all investors. Trading privileges subject to review and approval. Not all clients will qualify. Forex accounts are not available to residents of Ohio or Arizona.

International investments involve special risks, including currency fluctuations and political and economic instability.

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Home Why TD Ameritrade? Get Started Explore the information and resources below to increase your understanding of how to start trading futures. Understanding the Basics Trading Futures Open Your Account Choosing a Trading Platform Developing a Trading Strategy Building Your Skills. Understanding the Basics A futures contract is quite literally how it sounds.

There are many types of futures contract to trade. Interest Rates Metals Currency Grains Stock Index Energy Softs Forest Livestock The futures market is centralized, meaning that it trades in a physical location or exchange. Trading Futures Some things to consider before trading futures: Developing a Trading Strategy For any futures trader, developing and sticking to a strategy is crucial.

Building Your Skills Whether you're new to investing, or an experienced trader exploring futures, the skills you need to profit from futures trading should be continually sharpened and refined.

ETF and futures concepts are discussed. Various asset classes are discussed. What Your Financial Services Firm Should Be See what sets us apart from the rest with our top 6 reasons to choose TD Ameritrade. See How We Stack Up Compare TD Ameritrade to other leading financial services firms. Best for Long-Term Investing For five years in a row, we ranked 1 for Long-Term Investing in Barron's Online Broker Survey.

Careers Search Jobs Minimum Requirements Disclosures Privacy Financial Statement Newsroom Site Map Security TD Ameritrade Institutional TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. Diversification does not eliminate the risk of experiencing investment losses. Futures accounts are not protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation SIPC.