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Introduction to Futures
Opportunities abound in futures and options trading. Below are some free publications and links to expand your trading knowledge.
Futures and Options Trading Resources
- Trading Futures

An educational source for understanding technical and fundamental commodity price action - Order Types
A description of the various types of orders and how to use them - Futures Glossary
Definitions for many of the terms used in the futures industry - Contract Specifications & Margin Requirements
Commodity descriptions, symbols, margin requirements, trading hours, and months traded
Videos and Presentations
- Transitioning from Stocks to Futures
This 15-minute video highlights the major differences between trading stocks and trading futures.
NFA Publications
- A Guide to Understanding Opportunities and Risks in Futures Trading

A booklet that provides the fundamentals of futures trading for potential investors - Buying Options on Futures Contracts: A Guide to Uses and Risks

A booklet that provides the fundamentals of trading options on futures contracts for potential investors - More publications are available on the NFA web site...
CME and CBOT Publications
- An Introduction to Futures and Options

This 132-page book has been prepared by the CME Market Education Department - Trading in Futures: An Introduction for Speculators

This brochure is an introduction to trading futures - Action in the Marketplace

Provides an overview of the CBOT history, describes the workings of the market, and explains how futures contracts are traded - Agricultural Options for Beginners

Gives an overview of the advantages of using options on futures, including common option terminology, and provides basic trading examples - More publications are available on the CBOT web site...

