Futures Brokers: Some of the Best to Choose From

As you probably know already, futures trading involves agreeing to a contract to buy or sell an asset at a set price in the future. In other words, they can be used in bullish or bearish markets.

Futures brokers are targeted at a more knowledgeable clientele than other financial products, meaning they’re less likely to have beginner-friendly resources or features. That said, most will offer charting packages which include the most common technical indicators.

The platform offers two account types IBKR Lite (no commissions, account minimums, or inactivity fees) and IBKR Pro (which offers a broader range of products for advanced traders). Both platforms charge $0.85 per contract for futures trading. Unfortunately, opening an account can get complicated for some people.

InteractiveBrokers

TradeStation

The platform does a great job of providing both advanced tools and commission-free, low-cost trading options — futures contracts start from $0.85. But what makes it unique is the e-mini futures offering (one-tenth the size of a regular contract), which you can trade from $0.5 per contract.

E*TRADE stands out for its product range; it offers more than 200 futures contracts to choose between, including derivatives, currencies, and metals. You can also trade your futures on the go with user-friendly mobile and desktop trading platforms. Although a few other brokers offer this, the E*TRADE app stands out for its easy-to-use interface and full functionality.

E*TRADE

Charles Schwab

Even though we’ve said futures trading isn’t suitable for beginners in general, this is one of the better options thanks to the vast amount of educational resources available, from both the Trading Insights section of the site and customer service.

The platform comes with some of the most sophisticated features you could ask for, pleasing even the most advanced traders. For instance, its unique ThinkBack feature lets you backtest your trading strategies to figure out if it’s suitable for your purposes.

TD Ameritrade

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