Have you ever heard of buying things before you even have them? 

That's exactly what Futures are all about! Futures are contracts that allow people to buy or sell things like food, gas, or money at a set price for a future date.

Think about it, if you knew that the price of apples was going to go up in the future, you could buy a Futures contract now at the current price and then sell it later when the price has gone up. That's like getting a discount on apples that you don't even have yet, then eventually earning from it!

In this blog, we will learn all about Futures and how they work so that you too can benefit from buying things at a set price in the future. Ready to jump in and learn? Let's go!

What are Futures?

A future is a contract that allows people to buy or sell items like food, gas, or money at a set price for a future date.

Furthermore, a future is a type of agreement between two parties to buy or sell an asset at a set price on a future date. This can be anything from a commodity like wheat to financial products like stocks or bonds.

Types of Futures Contracts

There are three main types of Futures contracts that you should know about: Agricultural Futures, Financial Futures, and Energy Futures.

Agricultural Futures

Agricultural Futures are contracts for crops like wheat or corn. For example, if a farmer wants to sell their wheat crops in the future, they can buy a Futures contract for their wheat at a set price. This helps the farmer know exactly how much money they will make from their crops, even if the price of wheat changes between now and the future date.

Financial Futures

Financial Futures are contracts for financial products like stocks or bonds. For example, if you think the price of a stock will go up in the future, you can buy a Futures contract for that stock at its current price. Then, when the price of the stock goes up in the future, you can sell your Futures contract for a profit.

Energy Futures

Energy Futures are contracts for energy products like oil or gas. For example, if a gas station wants to make sure they can buy gas at a set price in the future, they can buy a Futures contract for gas. This helps the gas station know how much they will pay for gas, even if the price of gas changes between now and the future date.

How Do Futures Operate?

To understand how Futures work, we need to take a closer look at the Futures market. The Futures market is made up of participants like farmers, investors, and banks. These participants trade Futures contracts on Futures exchanges, which are similar to stock exchanges.

When someone wants to buy a Futures contract, they place a bid. When someone wants to sell a Futures contract, they place an offer. The highest bid and the lowest offer make up the market price for the Future. When a buyer and a seller agree on a price, the contract is settled and the buyer receives the asset they agreed to purchase on the future date.

The price of a Future is determined by supply and demand and other market factors like the weather or changes in the economy.

Benefits and Risks of Trading Futures

When you trade Futures, it's important to understand the benefits and risks involved. In this section, we'll take a closer look at what they are:

Benefits of Trading Futures

Hedging

Hedging is when you use Futures to protect yourself against changes in the price of what you're buying or selling. For example, if a farmer is worried that the price of wheat will go down, they can buy a Futures contract for wheat at a set price. This way, even if the price of wheat goes down, they will still make the same amount of money from their crops.

Speculation

Speculation is when you use Futures to try and make a profit from changes in the price of what you're buying or selling. For example, if you think the price of oil will go up, you can buy a Futures contract for oil. If the price of oil does go up, you can sell your Futures contract for a profit.

Risks of Trading Futures

Market Risks

Market Risks are the risks that the price of what you're buying or selling will go up or down. For example, if you buy a Futures contract for wheat, the price of wheat could go up or down between now and the future date. If the price of wheat goes down, you could lose money.

Credit Risks

Credit Risks are the risks that the person you're trading with won't be able to pay you back. For example, if you buy a Futures contract from someone and they can't pay you back, you could lose money or take some time before it is solved.

Final Thoughts

Trading Futures has the potential to bring in profits, but it's also crucial of its possible risks to the money you invested. Before you start trading, it is important to educate yourself and understand how Futures work. By doing your research and learning as much as you can, you can help minimize the risks and maximize your potential profits.

If you're interested in trading Futures, your next step is to learn more and start practicing. You can use simulation tools to practice trading and get a feel for how the market works. You can also join online forums and communities to connect with other traders and learn from their experiences. 

And, you're in luck! We have a cool app called Money$kool that you can download where you can learn more about financial topics, including Futures.

With Money$kool, you'll have access to engaging and expert-made lessons that will help you understand complex financial concepts in an easy and relatable way. The app is perfect even for beginners who want to learn more about money, business, and investing.

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