Which US Based Commodities/fx Broker Offers Emini Index Futures?
Monday, March 22nd, 2010 at
12:57 pm
Prawx asked:
Which US based commodities/fx broker offers emini index futures? I’ve heard you can trade stock index futures in minilots just like trading currencies and commodities(ie pay no commission just the spread) and was wondering which US based fx brokers offer that?
I was under the impression that commodities(futures) do not have a flat commission but a “spread” from which a broker makes money. How on earth can somone make money with a $100 forex account otherwise.
Which US based commodities/fx broker offers emini index futures? I’ve heard you can trade stock index futures in minilots just like trading currencies and commodities(ie pay no commission just the spread) and was wondering which US based fx brokers offer that?
I was under the impression that commodities(futures) do not have a flat commission but a “spread” from which a broker makes money. How on earth can somone make money with a $100 forex account otherwise.
I already know that gold, silver and currencies have next to low or no commission such as the flat dollar commission on stocks.
I need a list of brokers that sell futures in minilots without extravagent fees.
Tagged with: Forex • Futures Broker • Futures Commodities
Filed under: Commodity Trading
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Yes, there’re mini sized S&P, DOW and NASDAQ futures contracts, but there’s no such thing as “pay no commission” for your trades. ALL legitimate brokers charge a commission on ALL index futures, commodity futures, interest rate futures and currency futures.
If you’re looking for a broker that offers a wide range of products including forex and futures, Interactive Brokers is a good candidate.
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Ok, you may not be familiar with exactly how the futures market works.
Futures contracts are standardized and are traded on public exchanges regulated by the SEC, unlike spot forex which is an unregulated market. A single e-mini S&P500 futures contract is worth 50 times the S&P500 index on the settlement day, so around $55,000, while a large size S&P is 250 times, around $275,000. Contracts are standardized in size, with most around $100,000 per contract or higher, so you do NOT get to trade them at any lower multiple.
This is same for all futures traded on exchanges (commodity, index, interest rates and currencies). I know some brokers offer commodities trading with custom order size. These are NOT legitimate futures trading or futures brokers. They are basically just trading in an environment controlled by your broker with your broker setting the bid/ask prices instead of the market and taking the other side of your trades, instead of actually on real exchanges with other market participants.
Commission is generally charged on a per contract basis, usually around $2 per contract, again, by all legitimate futures brokers, which is actually pretty cheap compared to stocks and the value of the contract.
If you are just experimenting with $100, and is unwilling to commit more cash right now, it can be difficult to find a broker that offers all the products you want to trade.
1. All futures brokers offer the eMini
2. You’re talking about currencies. When you trade futures, you pay a commission, whether currencies or the eMini or oil or any other commodity. When you trade the currency spot cash market, you pay the spread instead of a set commision. Personally, I prefer currency futures; the spread is a rip-off and costs a lot more than the $6 commision I pay. Try Forex.com (forget FXCM)
You can trade both futures and forex spot through NinjaTrader free trading platform
Download the free trial here: