Glossary

National Futures Association (NFA)

See Also:

Futures: Futures (also called Futures Contract) is a legally binding agreement to buy or sell a commodity or financial instrument at a later date. Futures contracts are normally standardized according to the quality, quantity, delivery time and location for each commodity, with price as the only variable.

Arbitration: Arbitration is the process of resolving disputes between parties by a person or persons (arbitrators) chosen or agreed to by them. The National Futures Association (NFA) arbitration program provides a forum for resolving futures-related disputes between NFA members or between NFA members and customers. Other forums for customer complaints include the American Arbitration Association.

Broker: Broker is a company or individual that executes futures and options orders on behalf of financial and commercial institutions and/or the general public. A broker charges a fee or commission for executing buy or sell orders for a customer. In commodity futures trading, the term may refer to:
a) a Floor broker, a person who actually executes orders on the trading floor of an exchange;
b) an Account executive or associated person, the person who deals with customers in the offices of futures commission merchants;
c) the futures commission merchant.

CFTC: CFTC abbreviation stands for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission which is the federal regulatory agency established in 1974 that administers the Commodity Exchange Act. The CFTC monitors the futures and options on futures markets in the United States.

Commercial: Commercial is an entity that is involved in the production, processing, or merchandising of a commodity.

Commission: Commission is a fee charged by a broker or brokerage house (company) to a customer (trader) for executing a transaction. In the future market commission is
1) The charge made by a futures commission merchant for buying and selling futures contracts;
2) the fee charged by a futures broker for the execution of an order. Note: when capitalized, the word Commission usually refers to the CFTC.

Commodity: A commodity, as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act, includes the agricultural commodities enumerated in Section 1a(4) of the Commodity Exchange Act, 7 USC 1a(4), and all other goods and articles, except onions as provided in Public Law 85-839 (7 USC 13-1), a 1958 law that banned futures trading in onions, and all services, rights, and interests in which contracts for future delivery are presently or in the future dealt in.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is the federal regulatory agency established in 1974 that administers the Commodity Exchange Act. The CFTC monitors the futures and options on futures markets in the United States.

Commodity Pool: Commodity Pool (also referred to as a Pool) is an enterprise, investment trust, syndicate, or similar form of enterprise in which funds contributed by a number of persons are combined for the purpose of trading futures or options contracts. The Commodity Pool concept is similar to a mutual fund in the securities industry. Typically thought of as an enterprise engaged in the business of investing the collective or "pooled" funds of multiple participants in trading commodity futures or options, where participants share in profits and losses on a pro rata basis.

Commodity Pool Operator: Commodity Pool Operator (CPO) is a person engaged in a business similar to an investment trust or a syndicate and who solicits or accepts funds, securities, or property for the purpose of trading commodity futures contracts or commodity options. The commodity pool operator either itself makes trading decisions on behalf of the pool or engages a commodity trading advisor to do so.

Commodity Trading Advisor: Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA) is a person who, for compensation (for pay) or profit, directly or indirectly advises others as to the value of commodity futures or the advisability of buying or selling futures or commodity options, or issues analyses or reports concerning commodity futures or options. Providing advice by Commodity Trading Advisor includes exercising trading authority over a customer's account. A Commodity Trading Advisor may be required to be registered with the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission).

Exchange: A central marketplace with established rules and regulations where buyers and sellers meet to trade futures and options contracts or securities. Exchanges include designated contract markets and derivatives transaction execution facilities.

Par: Par refers to the standard delivery point(s) and/or quality of a commodity that is deliverable on a futures contract at contract price. Serves as a benchmark upon which to base discounts or premiums for varying quality and delivery locations. Par in bond markets refers to an index (usually 100) representing the face value of a bond.

Put: Put is an option contract that gives the holder the right but not the obligation to sell a specified quantity of a particular commodity or other interest at a given price (the "strike price") prior to or on a future date. Call options is another type of options.

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