Managed Futures — CTA Programs & Managed Accounts

What Are Managed Futures?

The plain-language definition: what a managed futures account is, how it differs from self-directed trading, and who it suits.

What Is a CTA?

Commodity Trading Advisors explained — registration, disclosure documents, and how to evaluate the person trading your account.

Managed Futures Glossary

The vocabulary: drawdown, margin-to-equity, QEP, disclosure documents, and the rest of the industry's jargon in plain English.

A Word of Honesty About Managed Futures

Managed futures are not a shortcut to easy returns. CTAs have losing months and losing years, fees reduce performance, and past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. What a good CTA program can offer is disciplined, diversified, professionally managed exposure — and what good education can offer is help deciding whether that fits you at all, and which questions separate programs done well from programs done badly.

If you are weighing a managed account against self-directed or advisor-assisted trading, the comparison is worth studying — the guides below are the place to start.

Considering a Managed Account?

An honest evaluation before you commit a dollar: the questions in these guides are the ones registered professionals expect — and respect — when you ask them.