how much money do i need to trade futures 
many platforms for futures traders require a minimum deposit of 5 000 to 10 000 to get started trading futures also requires margin deposits that can range from as little as 300 to more than 7 000 depending on the type of commodity being traded and the amount of the contract keep in mind that a margin account is a type of collateral required in return for borrowing cash from the broker to finance trading the collateral could disappear with a losing investment the bottom linethe introducing broker is best understood as the equivalent of a stockbroker in the futures market a stockbroker maintains a relationship with clients and may recommend investment strategies or specific investments to their clients over time they like introducing brokers are usually the middlemen a trader on the floor actually executes orders for the clients in the futures markets that is the futures commission merchant or fcm 