We cover all of the basics on getting started in trading the futures market! Stick around until the end of this trading tutorial to see LIVE futures contract price action.

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00:00 – Intro
01:25 – How the Futures Market Works
03:52 – Why the Future?
08:43 – How WE Use Futures Markets
13:12 – Understanding Points & Ticks
15:05 – Common Symbols & Sizes
19:48 – Real Examples of Point & Tick Values
22:54 – Contract Naming
24:22 – Futures Margin Requirements
38:46 – Futures Commissions & Fees
41:17 – Futures Tax Advantages
42:34 – LIVE Futures Price Action

If you are brand new to the futures market and want to learn how to trade futures, this is the crash course for you. In this trading tutorial, we will talk through the basic futures market concepts.

The futures market came into existence for people doing business to keep their future costs predictable. It was simply a way for both parties doing business to hedge against future market fluctuation. This actually required that both parties involved in the trade fulfill their end of the obligation when entering into a futures contract agreement. This is what makes futures contracts different than options contracts. The other key difference is that futures contracts are tied to underlying commodities and NOT stocks or companies.

In todays day and age we use the financial (or commodity) futures market to trade against index prices, currency pairs and even interest rates. We are not looking to ever actually take delivery of the product that we are trading, instead, just keep the difference in the contract price should we be correct about the future direction in prices. If you think the price of the commodity is going to go up in the future you want to become a buyer or go long the contract. If you think it will go down then you want to do the opposite and be a seller of the futures contract.

Understanding how futures is priced is a key component as well. They are not directly tied to a dollar value. Instead they are tied to a point and tick value. Futures points and ticks are going to change on a per contract basis. Its very important that you understand the size and value of a tick on the given contract that you are trading. There are a few common ones that most traders should know. The /ES E-Mini S&P 500 being the most popular.

Contracts are also named in a very specific convention. Because we know futures contracts will expire at a certain date, they have a month and year attached to the symbol that represents the commodity. The letter in the middle will always represent the month of expiration and the numbers at the end will always represent the year of expiration.

Futures margin can be an intimidating thing, but fear not, it's simpler than it may seem. Day margin for futures is the amount in your account that is needed to initiate a new position. We are only putting up a fraction of the notional value of the futures contract to be able to trade it. We are borrowing the rest from the broker.Day margin applies from 9:30 to 4:30 EST. Initial margin is the amount required to hold a futures position after the 4:30 bell. This amount is usually much higher than the day margin rate because the broker needs to use this cash to settle up with the exchanges. If you do not meet this requirement, you will likely get whats called a margin call, asking to close the position or deposit more money into the account. Maintenance margin is the amount of capital required to hold the position against any drawdowns after initial margin has been met in the extended hours. Each futures broker will also charge different commission rates so be sure to look into those before choosing who to go with.

Something thats not often talked about is the fact that there are actually tax advantages to trading futures over stocks, options and forex. You will be taxed in a 60/40 structure where the majority of your futures contract trading gains will be taxed more favorably as longer term capital gains as opposed to the 40% being taxed as short term capital gains. As always please consult a tax professional for you own unique situation.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided in this video is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered financial or legal advice. I am not a Registered Investment Advisor. Buying and selling financial instruments is highly speculative and carries risk.