Futures trading is considered by many as the
most advanced of the trading products for the retail investor.
As a result many of the futures trading platforms in the market
place today have been designed with the experienced trader in mind
and offer functionality that allows traders to place complex orders
directly into the world's futures exchanges.
'Lite' Trading platforms (mostly free)
Some of the leading providers of Futures trading platforms have
recognised that there is a demand for lighter versions of these
advanced platforms and have produced retail systems that are ideal
for the those individuals who are starting out in the world of
futures trading but who do not require the advanced trading tools
provided on the more complex versions. The good news is that many
of these basic retail trading platforms are free and don't require
traders to trade in hundreds of lots.
Tip: Don't rush into spending
money on an advanced trading platfrom if you are new to trading.
The 'lite' versions of many of these platforms are more than
adequate for your first few months.
Advanced Trading platforms available
For the more experienced futures trader many futures brokers now
offer multiple trading platforms for their clients. Much of
the decsion making process as to which platform to use will
come down to personal preferences and helpfully most brokers will
offer a two week free demo of these trading solutions to
allow you to experience the functionality prior to opening an
account and trading with real money.
Ultimately the broker earns money for trades that are executed
through one of their trading platforms and so the greater the
choice of front end solutions on offer the more likely they are to
win your business. As with other areas of the financial markets the
increased competition has resulted in better deals for traders with
the cost of execution and clearing at record lows and, in common
with other parts of the industry, the value added services offered
by brokers is now becoming increasingly important.
As a result futures trading platforms are likely to continue to
evolve and provide retail and professional investors with
increasingly advanced trading tools and market access.
Further resources on Futures trading
Comparing Futures brokers
Below is a table of Futures brokers with a few key
account-opening criteria that we believe should be considered when
you are deciding which broker to open an account with.
Start comparingFutures brokers
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