Getting started in the different futures markets can seem daunting one way that you can learn as you go without putting any of your money at risk is to start out paper trading . A futures contract is a financial derivative that tracks the price of the underlying asset this means futures contracts dont have an intrinsic value per se but derive their value from the price of an asset to which theyre linked hence the name derivative futures contracts are basically an agreement between a buyer and a seller to buy or sell the underlying asset at a specified . Getting started with commodity futures trading before you get started futures trading or commodities trading make sure you educate yourself with trading futures beginners guide learn an online commodity futures trading platform and get to a known commodities broker download a free futures trading software from cannon trading. The material contained on this page is intended solely to help give an introduction to futures trading and in no way should be taken as futures trading advice or recommendations we strongly encourage you to seek out further information about commodities trading from your broker or advisor the us commodity futures trading commission cftc