The Best Brokers For Futures Trading

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Futures trading isn’t something you wake up one day and decide to have a stab at while you sip your coffee and watch a few YouTube tutorials. It’s serious stuff, and there’s plenty that can go wrong. You could easily stumble at the first hurdle by choosing the wrong futures broker.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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TradeStation

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ETRADE 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 ETRADE app stands out for its easy-to-use interface and full functionality.

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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.

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Swipe Up

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The Best Brokers For Futures Trading

Futures trading isn’t something you wake up one day and decide to have a stab at while you sip your coffee and watch a few YouTube tutorials. It’s serious stuff, and there’s plenty that can go wrong. You could easily stumble at the first hurdle by choosing the wrong futures broker.

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.

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

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

Swipe Up

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