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Best Trading Platforms for E-Mini Futures • Benzinga

Many investors are intrigued by futures — they offer numerous benefits. A futures contract is a legal agreement to buy or sell a standardized asset at a predetermined price at a specific time in future. They are an efficient way to seek profits by taking a position on the market’s direction using a limited amount…

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Many investors are intrigued by futures — they offer numerous benefits. A futures contract is a legal agreement to buy or sell a standardized asset at a predetermined price at a specific time in future. They are an efficient way to seek profits by taking a position on the market’s direction using a limited amount of money. They can also help you hedge risks. 

Some investors are deterred by the amount of capital you have to commit to futures. Consider E-mini futures — a line of bite-sized futures contracts designed to make futures more accessible to retail traders.

E-minis are 1/5th the size of the standard S&P futures contract. E-mini futures are almost similar to their full-sized counterparts, but they add the benefit of less margin needed so they are available for the less capitalized traders. E-mini futures let you gain exposure to these 4 major U.S. indices:

  • S&P 500
  • NASDAQ 100
  • Dow Jones
  • Russell 2000

Best Trading Platforms for E-Mini Futures

Are you looking for new market alternatives? You should consider the benefits of playing “small ball.” The electronically traded E-mini futures have become more popular than their big brothers. They offer the benefits of U.S. equities while eliminating most of the drawbacks associated with traditional investment practices.

Low commissions and margins are just the tip of the iceberg when choosing the best trading software for E-mini futures. Serious futures traders must take into consideration a conglomerate of requirements: execution speed, client support, trading and research tools and ease of use. 

You should also consider your trading style and what features are essential in maximizing profits. Here are Benzinga’s recommendations for futures brokers to trade E-mini futures.

Commissions

$0.79/side ($0.25 Micro E-Mini)

Account Minimum

$250

Tradovate

Are you an active futures trader? Look no further than Tradovate. Tradovate offers a Netflix-like approach to commission-free trading and cloud-based solutions. You’ll get an integrated experience you can carry seamlessly across any device whenever you want it. 

Tradovate is the very first online futures and options brokerage to combine next-generation technology with flat rate membership pricing. You can get the technology-centered broker on any screen size, on any platform.

Tradovate delivers a seamless futures trading experience by offering:

  • One place to fill all your needs 
  • A pricing model that saves you money over the traditional commission model 
  • Improves the customer experience
  • Gets rid of fragmentation (other offerings require you to go through a software provider, then find a brokerage, then find an FCM) — which adds costs 
Commissions

$0
$6.95 for OTC Stocks

Account Minimum

$0

TD Ameritrade

TD Ameritrade is touted as one of the best platforms for rookie traders looking to give futures a try – with over 70 futures products. You’ll need a $1,500 minimum account balance for margin accounts.

The brokerage boasts an elite trading platform, thinkorswim, and its mobile companion that let you trade futures on the go. Real-time education, key insights and market trends are available through daily TV programs offered by the TD Ameritrade Network. Its futures knowledge center offers even more articles, videos, insights and resources to help you master futures trading.

Your application for a trading account is processed in 1-3 days. You’ll need a minimum net liquidation value of $25,000 if you are applying to trade futures in an IRA.

Commissions

$0.005 per share
minimum $1 and maximum 0.5% of trade value; volume discount available

Account Minimum

$0

Interactive Brokers

Interactive Brokers has been — for 10 consecutive years — Barron’s best online broker, offering a suite of trading platforms to optimize your trading speed and efficiency. The brokerage provides a gateway to over 125 markets worldwide as well as access to market data 24 hours a day, 6 days a week.

A host of free trading tools allow you to spot market opportunities, manage your account and analyze results. Over 100 order types help you execute virtually any trading strategy. Futures and futures options trading fees are as low as $0.85, representing some of the lowest in the market. 

Interactive Brokers also received the lowest cost broker rating from Barron’s. On demand learning is also available, thanks to a host of resources, including webinars, the Traders’ Academy, IBKR Trader’s insight and the Quant blog.

Commissions

$0

Account Minimum

$0

TradeStation

TradeStation is for seasoned traders who are looking for a comprehensive platform with professional-grade tools, fully-operational app and a vast array of tradable securities. The platform equally caters for rookie traders with its TS GO account that requires a $0 minimum account balance to open. Advanced traders can sign up for the TS Select account, which requires a $2,000 minimum account balance to get started. 

TradeStation also offers a Simulated Trading tool that lets you practice executing orders, using the brokerage’s suite of analysis and charting tools and testing trading strategies.

Commissions

$0.09 per micro contract

Account Minimum

$400

NinjaTrader

NinjaTrader is a great platform for beginners and advanced traders. Beginners can use the collection of technical analysis tools, a demo trading account and a 2-week free trial when you sign up. NinjaTrader allows you to use its trading software — for free — once you fund your brokerage account. You may also lease the software and get access to charts, market analysis and simulated trading among other essentials for E-mini futures trading. 

Commissions start as low as $0.09 and you only need $400 to open a trading account. You can get lower commissions by buying a lifetime license.

Commissions

$0

Account Minimum

$0

E*TRADE

E*TRADE offers over 60 types of futures contracts to trade, including bitcoin futures and market indices. The brokerage lets you trade on your mobile device or desktop anytime during the 24/6 trading sessions with Power E*TRADE mobile app and Power E*TRADE. It will cost you $1.50 per contract on futures and options on futures. 

The brokerage is synonymous with pro-level tools that let you trade futures along with other asset classes, formulate trading strategies with over 100 technical studies and directly trade, modify or cancel orders. Its Futures Research Center lets you get trading insights from seasoned professionals as well as explore real-time futures market data. To trade futures, you need an eligible IRA account or margin-enabled brokerage account. There are no minimum funding requirements.

E-Mini Futures vs. Traditional Futures

You’re probably wondering, what are E-mini futures? Well, there isn’t much difference between E-mini futures and their larger, standard counterparts. Both futures are great trading tools. The main difference is that you may commit to smaller amounts of money by trading E-minis rather than the traditional futures.

To help you better understand E-minis and traditional futures, we describe the similarities and differences for more insight.

Similarities:

  • E-mini futures and traditional futures are usually based on the same underlying index.
  • Both futures have similar tick sizes for calendar spread trades of 0.05 index points.

Differences:

  • An E-mini contract value is 1/5th of the standard futures contract.
  • E-mini tick sizes are different – $0.25 or $12.50 per tick for E-minis and $0.10 or $25 per tick for traditional futures.
  • E-minis have only 5 quarterly contracts listed for trading.

Pros of E-Mini Futures

Tailored to the retail investor and trader, E-mini contracts offer a host of benefits which include:

  • Around-the-clock trading
  • Added flexibility for portfolio diversification
  • A lower financial risk and investment
  • Easier to understand compared to other investing options

Cons of E-Mini Futures

  • Fast moving, making it easy to lose a lot of money in a short period
  • Risk of overtrading

Pros of Traditional Futures

  • Tax benefits
  • Simple pricing
  • Leverage lets you gain significant market exposure

Cons of Traditional Futures

  • No control over future events
  • High leverage resulting in rapid price changes

Do E-Mini Futures Have a Place in Your Portfolio?

E-minis aren’t all that different from the traditional, full-sized contracts. They are part of the chain of futures options — which are getting smaller — starting from regular futures to E-minis to micro E-mini futures. 

Whether you’re looking to capitalize on the price swings in the commodity markets or want to hedge specific elements of your portfolio, futures trading may fit your bill. And if you’re just getting your feet wet, start with the basics to learn the ins and outs of the market.

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Broker Reviews

Sollari Review – top 75 Broker ?

Sollari review

Sollari Review

Sollari is a global forex and CFD broker with trading platforms that is suitable and fully functional for all devices.

This is a good option for all levels of traders, although the product portfolio is average, and there is an inactivity fee to be aware of.

Initially formulated in 2023 to provide a robust forex trading platform, Sollari offering to include CFDs, indices, shares, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.

Sollari has several trading tools and features designed to make your trading experience as smooth as possible. The trading platform, has been heralded as a simple and convenient platform without losing the functionality you would find at MetaTrader 4. Some education is also available through the trading platform, and highly responsive customer service is available 24 hours a day.

Please read my full Sollari review for further details of this forex broker so you can decide whether Sollari can meet your needs.

Who is Sollari?

Sollari is a global forex, spread betting, and CFD online broker. Sollari is an online Crypto and Forex Broker providing traders across the globe with cutting-edge technology to trade the world’s markets. In a continuous effort to give their traders a more comfortable and safe trading experience, their experts have been improving their service and solutions ensuring traders have the freedom to trade whenever and wherever they like.

 They are headquartered in Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines. with offices in Milan, Nassau, Sofia, and Luxembourg and are authorized and 

Sollari product range overview

The product range at Sollari is average compared to other brokers. They offer a solid selection of currency pairs and CFDs, no futures CFDs, and an average number of commodity and stock index CFDs. additionally they do offer leverage trading on the main cryptocurrencies.

Sollari Range of Market

Sollari Range of Market

Forex trading

More than 50 Forex pairs are available at Sollari with no commission and some of the tightest spreads in the industry.

Indices and Financial Trading

Indices and financial CFDs have flexible margin requirements and low spread , representing some of the industry’s best spreads. There are no overnight or hidden fees of any description to worry about.

Commodities Trading

At Sollari, there are several commodity CFDs, including metals and energies.

Share CFDs Trading

Trade more than 100 company shares without ever owning the underlying security. At Sollari, you can access global stock exchanges with the option to go long and short and benefit from leverage. For non-leverage trading, there is zero commission.

 

Sollari Accounts

There are five trading account options at Sollari. Of note are the Professional Trading Account and the Islamic Trading Account. There is also a free demo account from where to practice your trading.

Free Demo Account
You can select from the free demo account which platform you would like to practice trading on their trading platform. You will immediately receive $100,000 of virtual funds, which can be used to familiarise yourself with the financial markets and forex and CFD trading.

Islamic Account
This is a Shariah-compliant Islamic account which includes many features that are in keeping with Sharia law.

 

See here the overview of all the accounts.

 

BASIC ACCOUNTSTANDARD ACCOUNTGOLD ACCOUNTPRO ACCOUNTVIP ACCOUNT
MINIMUM DEPOSIT$5,000$10,000$25,000$100,000$250,000+
ORDER EXECUTIONInstantInstantInstantInstantInstant
ACCOUNT CURRENCYUSD, EUR, GBPUSD, EUR, GBPUSD, EUR, GBPUSD, EUR, GBPUSD, EUR, GBP
ACCOUNT MANAGERyesyesyesyesyes
SPREAD, PIPSFixedFixedFixed & Floating, VariableFixed & Floating, VariableFixed & Floating, Variable
QUOTATION (NUMBER OF MARKS AFTER POINT)5 marks5 marks5 marks5 marks5 marks
LEVERAGE100100200500500
MAX. TRADE SIZE10 lots20 lots40 lots50 lots100 lots
REQUOTESNoneNoneNoneNoneNone
MARGIN CALL LEVEL40%40%40%40%40%
STOP OUT LEVEL30%30%30%30%30%
TRADING PLATFORMall devicesall devicesall devicesall devicesall devices
CUSTOMER SUPPORT24/5 support24/5 support24/5 support24/5 support24/7 support

Sollari Trading Platform

Sollari provides a web, desktop, and mobile trading platform on their trading platform, which is provided by the High-tech software provider “easytech”.

This trading platform has an excellent reputation among traders. 

Sollari Trading Platform

Sollari Trading Platform

web trading platform

The web platform allows you to place trades directly from your web browser in an easy-to-use interface that is customisable and available in several languages. The web trading platform falls short because of its lack of social trading; however, it is well-designed with several useful features.

There is a two-step login for additional security, and you can search for an asset using its name or by category. Order types include:

I was impressed with both the portfolio and fee reports which were comprehensive and easy to use, with clear information on commission, swap fees, and performance.

There are also the following useful features available on the trading platform:

Trailing stop

Trailing the position of a current price can then trigger a stop order as the price reaches a predetermined distance from a stop order. It works similarly to a stop order but in a more controlled way that aligns with movements in the market.

Market Sentiment

This allows you to closely monitor movements in the market using data from other traders concerning a specific instrument.

Hedging

This allows you to mitigate risks by investing in the same product in a different direction.

Charts

Real-time charts provide up-to-the-moment information, including historical trends, forecasts, and current trends.

Sollari mobile trading platform

The mobile trading platform is in keeping with the web trading platform, with much of the same functionality. 

The actual design is well laid out and easy to use with customizability. I found the mobile app fast with personalised watch lists and the ability to open positions directly from real-time charts.

There are price alerts that include statistical alerts, which can be monthly or yearly for currency pairs, indices, etc. Clicking on the alert will automatically open the app on the instrument.

Sollari desktop trading platform

Use the desktop platform. This platform is designed with professional traders in mind, leaving the webtrader as an alternative for beginners and intermediate traders.

There is excellent customizability, some good search functions, and a choice of several languages.

There are several tools and technical indicators designed to enhance your trading activity.

Sollari customer service review

Customer service is excellent at Sollari, with immediate response times across multiple channels.

There are several channels for contacting customer support, including phone and email. When I tested their service, my query was dealt with immediately without even the intervention of a chatbot. The service provided via email and phone was similar, with fast, relevant responses to my queries. Customer service is provided 24/5, which is above average.

Sollari is opening an account.

The account opening process is straightforward, fully digital and quick. You will need your ID.

To open your account, you should first decide on the account type you wish to open

Then you can follow these quick and easy steps:

  • Select your country of residence
  • Add personal information, including name and email address
  • Choose a password
  • Enter your home address and tax residency
  • Complete some simple questions relating to your trading experience
  • Fill in information pertaining to your personal finances, such as income and savings and employment status
  • Select your base currency
  • Upload your ID documentation and proof of address, such as a utility bill or bank statement.

Sollari Deposit and Withdrawal

Deposits and withdrawals and essentially free, and the minimum deposit is high compared to what you would find at other brokers.

Before making your first deposit, you will need to choose between the following base currencies:

EUR, USD, GBP

Deposit options include:

  1. Bank transfer
  2. Credit and debit card
  3. Cryptocurrency

The minimum deposit is $5000, which is high compared to other brokers. There are no fees should you choose to deposit via bank transfer from your bank account.

Bank transfers take several business days.

Withdrawals can be made using the same methods accepted for deposits, and there are no withdrawal fees for electronic wallets and credit/debit cards. 

Sollari safety

Sollari is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) but is performing full due diligence to comply with AML regulations.

In addition, all client funds are held in segregated bank accounts to protect those funds should Sollari go bust.

The Sollari negative balance protection protects client funds should their balance go negative.

Sollari fees

Sollari has low CFD and forex fees and average non-trading fees.

Fees can be separated into two main categories for a CFD and forex broker: trading and non-trading fees.

Trading fees

The trading fees will vary depending on the financial instruments you are trading within each asset class. Trading fees can be charged as a spread, a commission, or a financing rate.

Spreads differ between the bid and ask price for a foreign currency price. Here’s how Sollari spreads compare against some other forex brokers:

Non-trading fees

Sollari has low non-trading fees as they do not charge deposit and withdrawal fees, and there is no account fee.

Inactivity fees are charged. There are inactivity fees to be aware of. However, these will only kick in once your account has been inactive for several months and you have a positive balance.

Who is Sollari suitable for?

Sollari is suitable for all levels of traders looking for a solid trading platform and very competitive spreads.

The selection of account types is aimed at both retail and professional investors.

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Demo Trading

The Advantages and Negatives of Forex Demo Trading

trading on the demo account

Intro to Fx Demo Trading

Despite the placement as the planets greatest monetary market, the forex marketplace only became easily available to retail traders in latest years because of the introduction of sites based trading via on-line forex brokers.

Aspiring forex investors can right now make use of digital trading systems – like the extremely well-known MetaTrader software program
(offered as a free of charge download by MetaQuotes Software program Company ) to access the large forex market thou they might trade only in very small amounts themselves

The majority of on the web brokers will support MetaTrader and could also provide their own proprietary platforms or web-centred dealing interfaces.

These types of systems typically enable traders to do a quick overview of the currency marketplace and maybe carry out some specialized evaluation, in addition to permitting them to gain access to trading necessities like purchase access and deal delivery for a wide selection of foreign currency pairs.

free of charge fx practice account

Like a common way of motivating forex investors to use their offer setup solutions and first deposit funds with them to make use of as trading accounts perimeter, many online forex brokers will offer a free of charge fx practice account to potential or existing clients.

Referred to as a forex demonstration accounts, such unsecured debts enable a trader to encounter a hands-on demo of what seems prefer to trade currency pairs in the forex market with this broker without placing any actual money at risk.

Although using a FX trading demo account has several benefits for traders, some tricks are well worth talking about because the technicians of getting into a demonstration operate and the producing emotional responses an investor can possess while controlling it can differ significantly from the encounter of live forex trading utilizing their personal hard-attained money.

Additional common demonstration accounts circumstances which make them vary considerably from an actual cash financed account include broker-imposed period limitations and set debris of virtual foreign currency.

The subsequent areas of this content will talk about starting up an on the web trading demo accounts, in addition to probably the most significant benefits and negatives of using a demonstration forex account in comparison to utilizing a live fx accounts for trading foreign currencies.

Starting Up a Free of charge Forex Demonstration Account
Simply about any trustworthy fx broker will allow potential and current customers to open up up a demo account with them free of charge to enable investors to practice currency trading using digital money.

Demo accounts traders frequently also get access to at least a few of the broker’s customer providers and consumer support personnel to ensure that they can obtain a much better feeling for what coping with the broker will end up being like when they determine to finance a trading account with genuine cash.

Investors desperate to open up a demonstration trading accounts can typically get around to the site of one or even more forex demonstration brokers and adhere to guidelines shown there for opening up a demo or practise account with the brokers they select.

Selecting the greatest fx demo accounts for your requirements might require critiquing those provided by a number of online brokers with different features in order to make an knowledgeable decision which broker is the best partner for your start.

When starting a demonstration account, you may even require to choose a quantity of virtual money to fund the demonstration accounts with and get into some personal data to determine yourself with.

In case you feel worried about offering your true personal data to a broker you are will to try not really you have more freedom as no documentation is required for this in general, the moment you open a real account your KYC documentation will be needed for compliance and this protects the broker as well as the traders from money laundering and fraud. 

You can also open up a new e-mail account to get communications about the demo forex account if you are concerned about getting your personal email address offered to third celebrations like digital email entrepreneurs.The Advantages and Negatives of Forex Demo Trading

 

Pros of Forex Demonstration Trading Demo_trading_advantages

The two beginner and experienced forex investors regularly make use of demo accounts to rehearse trading currencies and check out a fresh broker or trading strategy.

Some of the more common advantages of interesting in forex demo trading consist of the following:

Observe if You Like Trading Foreign currencies

Those fresh to trading foreign currencies or trading generally can use an fx demo accounts to find if they are psychologically and psychologically appropriate to the bustle of trading forex. Everyone is usually different, and some people might actually appreciate trading currencies, as the activity might not match others’ preferences, personas or lifestyles at all.

Operate Forex without Risk Whilst Learning or teaching how to trade

– Beginners who are still learning how to operate foreign currencies frequently experience substantially even more assured putting their real cash in danger in the marketplace if they have an opportunity to try points away from 1st. A demo account allows them to place their training into practice in a near to actual existence environment without placing their genuine money at risk. This enables those to make common beginner’s mistakes while they find out without needing to spend for the effects out with their very own bank.

Practice Great Cash Administration Methods –

One of the secrets to taking pleasure in long-term success when trading forex requires learning to apply well-established cash administration concepts. A demonstration accounts allows a brand-new or skilled trader to practice such methods completely on true exchange rate actions and see on their own how the common benefits accumulate to their demo account in digital money earnings.

Find out to Control Your Feelings When Trading –

Probably the most difficult elements of trading for many people consists of learning how to control their psychological reactions to earning and shedding deals in such a method that it stimulates overall success. Dealing properly with normally regular mental replies to producing and losing cash – such as dread, avarice and wish – can often differentiate the effective fx investor from the loss.

Check a fresh Trading Technique Without Jeopardizing Actual Money –

Smart experienced traders and beginners as well will generally wish to check the achievement of any new trading technique they arrive plan before applying it in a live trading environment. This kind of enables them to accustom themselves to pursuing the program and also to function out any insects in it that may become obvious while using it as real exchange price movements happen.

Try Out a New Broker’s Trading System –

Unless you are utilizing the Mt4 system that a great deal of on-line forex brokers support, you will most likely want to make use of a demonstration accounts to observe whether a fresh fx broker’s private internet or client structured trading platform is usually ideal for your trading requirements.

Examine if a Fresh Broker Offers Useful Features and Solutions –

Fx Brokers keen to possess you open up a live trading account with them will frequently provide demonstration investors gain access to their unique customer features, educational and information services, and customer support departments. This can be a great method to examine your quality of the broker’s general solutions before carrying out any actual trading money to ensure they are the type of trading partner you will need keeping your accounts.

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Broker news

Donald Trump blasts ‘fools’ who oppose good Russian ties

US President-elect Donald Trump has posted a progression of tweets censuring the individuals who contradict great relations with Russia as “‘dumb’ individuals, or nitwits”.

Mr Trump promised to work with Russia “to comprehend a portion of the numerous… squeezing issues and issues of the WORLD!”

His remarks came after an insight report said Russia’s leader had attempted to help a Trump race triumph.

Mr Trump said Democrats were to be faulted for “gross carelessness” in permitting their servers to be hacked.

In a progression of tweets on Saturday, Mr Trump said that having a decent association with Russia was “no terrible thing” and that “lone “idiotic” individuals, or simpletons, would believe that it is awful!”

He included that Russia would regard the US increasingly when he was president

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