How much money do I need in my account to trade futures?
Trading account balances greatly depend on the margin requirements of the product you are looking to trade.
The amount of money required to trade futures can vary widely and can change based on market conditions. Some brokers only require a deposit equal to the day trading margin of the contract, while others may require the full initial margin amount, and still others may require a minimum initial account balance.
Even if the day trading margin of the contract you wish to trade is $85, it is generally a good idea to deposit more than that so your position is not liquidated if the trade goes immediately against you.
If the broker requires an initial margin deposit, these values can be found on the CME website. Simply navigate to the product you're searching for and click 'margins'. Keep in mind the CME only posts maintenance margin requirements. To determine initial margin multiply that value by 1.10.
Product margins can change daily based on the volatility of the product and market conditions.
Please check out our Youtube site and our other knowledgebase articles for more information on futures margin.