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About
Commodities Trading:
The Commodities
Futures Trading Commission is the primary regulatory body. The site is full of information for traders and prospective
traders. Here you will find Commitments of Traders, Exchanges
& Products, Customer Protection, Market Oversight, Laws &
Regulation, and current news. An excellent place to begin.
The
National Futures Association is a self-regulatory organization for
the U.S. futures industry. The Association claims as part of its
mission: "Since NFA began
operations in 1982, we have been committed to protecting the rights of
investors in the futures markets. To this end, we require that
the firms and individuals who trade futures with the public become
Members of NFA and that they adhere to the highest standards of
professional and financial responsibility." Among the
information available at this site is BASIC, a database of CFTC
registration and NFA membership information and futures-related
regulatory and non-regulatory actions contributed by NFA, the CFTC and
the U.S. futures exchanges. Investors will also find contact
information for exchanges, how to file complaints, glossary of terms,
and investor education links.
The Security
and Exchange Commission describes commodities futures trading like
this: "A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a
specific quantity of a commodity or financial instrument at a
specified price on a particular date in the future. Commodities
include bulk goods, such as grains, metals, and foods, and financial
instruments include U.S. and foreign currencies." Additional information about commodities trading and its regulation
can be found at the
SEC
site.
On the Web:
Chicago Board Options Exchange
The CBOE is the world's largest options exchange. Click on "Option
Tutorials" for self-guided tutorials on options covering options
basics, how a trade is made, and calls & puts. Must accept their
terms of agreement before beginning the tutorials.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange Education
The CME is an exchange for trading futures and futures options. It
establishes and enforces rules and regulations and collects and disseminates information
on transactions executed on its trading floor. "Getting Started" provides a
variety of online resources for investors interested in learning about the CME's markets
and how to get started trading futures and options. Additional materials can be found in
Educational Resources.
CNN
Commodities
Active futures data for energy, metals,
livestock/meats, and others from CNN's Money site.
Commodity Futures & Options
Tutorial World Link Futures, Inc. is a futures broker that publishes "as a gesture of good
will" this free educational tutorial. Simply and
clearly written, the tutorial takes the beginning investor from the simple basics (What are
Futures and Options) to the specifics.
Futures
Magazine
The Futures Classroom link features articles, an FAQ and
a glossary as well as featured columns on futures trading. Must be a
subscriber, but some articles are available for free. The
Education
and Training Links page provides additional links to training
sites.
Commodities Exchanges:
Chicago
Board of Exchange
Chicago
Board of Trade
Chicago
Mercantile Exchange
Kansas
City Board of Trade
Minneapolis
Grain Exchange
New York Board of Trade (ICE Trade
the World) (coffee, sugar, cocoa, etc.)
New
York Mercantile Exchange
In the Library:
- Futures
This monthly periodical aimed at futures traders provides articles
on industry issues, current market developments, trading techniques
and strategies, and other areas of interest to traders.
For books on commodities and futures trading, check the
Library catalog under the
headings "Commodities," "Commodity Futures," or "Futures."
Click on the title of any book below to
view its availability, or to place a hold. Some suggested
titles include:
Go
to the Library catalog
On the Library network:
-
Business & Company Resource Center
Search for news
and articles on commodities. An extensive business, company and
industry database with articles, financial documents, rankings,
company histories, industry reports, and much more.
-
Infotrac OneFile
Large periodicals database featuring full text and citations for
newspaper and magazine articles. Search for general articles on
commodities, options and futures trading.
-
ProQuest National Newspapers
Look for newspaper articles about the advertising industry, which
provides full text to the Los Angeles
Times, the New York Times, Washington Post
and other leading newspapers from roughly 1985-present.
Go to the
Library's databases
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