Archives for the ‘Educational’ Category

Options Basics: Five Bullish Strategies

By Michael Sabo • Oct 25th, 2011 • Category: Educational

by Michael Sabo Options on futures offer the savvy trader a multitude of potential speculative and hedging strategies, with a multitude of different risk profiles. I’m going to outline a few basic bullish strategies you might pursue. Keep in mind, these strategies might not be appropriate in every market, or in every situation. At the [...]



Options Overview and Trading Techniques

By Matt Krupski • Sep 29th, 2011 • Category: Educational

by Matt Krupski In time of extreme volatility, investors often turn to options trading for portfolio protection, risk management, speculation, to generate potential income, and to enhance returns. If you are new to options, you’ll find they open up an exciting new realm of investment opportunities for you. Whether used alone or in conjunction with other [...]



Don’t Trade Without a Plan

By Tim Haberkorn • Sep 29th, 2011 • Category: Educational

Tim Haberkorn When markets are volatile, it’s more important than ever to remain disciplined, and stick to your trading plan. Don’t have a trading plan? You should! Over the years I’ve been working with clients, I have observed that very few of them have a trading plan. However, trading is like a business and should [...]



Canola 101: The Other Oil Seed

By Chris James • Aug 5th, 2011 • Category: Broker Commentary, Educational, Market Updates

by Chris James Canola is a contraction of “Canadian oil, low in acid.” It is a Canadian-developed (in Manitoba) variant of the industrial lubricating oil sourced from rapeseed widely grown across the northern hemisphere in Asia and Europe as well as the Dakotas in North America. While soybeans are more popular among U.S. traders, canola [...]



How the Gold Delivery Process Works

By Kristina Zurla Landgraf • Jul 28th, 2011 • Category: Educational

Interested in learning how the gold delivery process works? We have a new video on our YouTube Channel explaining how you can use the futures market to take delivery of gold. Watch it now. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors.



Frozen Pork Bellies Go Belly Up

By Kristina Zurla Landgraf • Jul 15th, 2011 • Category: Educational, Market Updates

Frozen pork belly futures have gone belly-up. CME Group has announced it will delist the contracts, as of July 15, 2011. The contract, which made its debut in 1961, was once one of the CME’s most popular contracts, but volume in recent months has been almost non-existent. The pork belly is the area of the [...]



Using Basic Chart Patterns to Help Predict Price Moves

By Kristina Zurla Landgraf • Jul 14th, 2011 • Category: Educational

by Darrell Jobman Assuming you have a basic understanding of technical analysis, the next step is to learn how to uncover common chart patterns and interpret these patterns to predict possible price moves. As we talk about technical analysis, one point worth emphasizing again is that you can become a great analyst, but that doesn’t [...]



Is There a Grain of Truth in Old Market Adages?

By Kristina Zurla Landgraf • Jun 28th, 2011 • Category: Educational, The Lighter Side

The media seems to love market adages—and so do traders. If you read financial market news, you’ve no doubt heard some unusual sayings to describe price action, historical events, or trading strategies. In futures trading, “the trend is your friend” is a popular mantra, while in stock market circles, you may hear the phrase, “buy [...]



Speculating on Interest Rates in Canada

By Chris James • Jun 20th, 2011 • Category: Broker Commentary, Educational, Market Updates

by Chris James Interest rates remain at generational lows in Canada. Will it last? Hawks believe inflation is here in all but the official statistics. They are buying gold as an inflation hedge, which they believe will eventually require high interest rates to control. Bond bulls look to Japan and the ongoing decade-long fight against [...]



Introduction to Technical Analysis

By Kristina Zurla Landgraf • Jun 6th, 2011 • Category: Educational

by Darrell Jobman Every trader is always on a learning curve. This article on the basics of technical analysis assumes several things: that you know about futures, options and the other trading instruments that are available; that you know how futures markets work and are aware of the risks in trading; and that you realize [...]