IntermediateMAD Academy0:45Derivatives

An Agreement, Not a Purchase

A futures contract commits both sides to a transaction on a future date, which is why the margin is a performance bond rather than a down payment.

0:45 · 6 scenes

This lesson is part of a MAD Academy plan.

What the Lesson Covers

  1. 0:00A futures contract is not a purchase. It is a binding agreement.
  2. 0:05The obligation. Unlike an option, both sides are obliged. There is no walking away.
  3. 0:14The contract size. Each contract controls a fixed quantity, and it is usually far larger than it looks.
  4. 0:23Margin is not a deposit. It is a good-faith bond against the position, typically a few percent of the value.
  5. 0:32What that leverage means. A two percent move against you can wipe out a large share of the margin posted.
  6. 0:40Size on the contract value, never on the margin.
MAD AcademyYou hold No active plan

This section is part of MAD Academy

The whole course, with live boards to practice on. Learn the market properly.

What Academy includes

  • Every training video the plan opens, all 305 lessons across 20 subjects
  • A Start Here path for newcomers, and every subject's lessons in order from Foundations to Advanced
  • Your progress, your trophies and your next lesson, tracked on your own Academy home
  • Every concept guide, all 24 trading set-ups and the 151-term glossary
  • The real-time Market Dashboard, Premium Scanner and Pro Charting, on the same feed every member plan reads
  • Heatmap and sectors, inside the member platform with your lessons rather than beside it
  • Unlimited watchlists, in the drawer on every tab and on the scanner and chart
  • The real-time Market News Feed, narrowed to your own watchlist in one click

Not included

  • No premium alerts, MAD Setups, alert archive or performance record
  • No personalized dashboard: My Dashboard starts at Analysis Tools Only
  • No research desk: Corporate Events and Institutional Ownership start at Analysis Tools Only
  • No product tutorials or Deep-Dives, which come with Premium Membership
  • No MCP Connector: connecting an AI app starts at Analysis Tools Only

Add MAD Academy

$39per month

or $279 per year (about $23.25 a month)

Start MAD AcademyPay yearly instead

Or get both

Premium Membership

$0for 5 days

then $149 per month, or $1,099 per year. Tools and Alerts together cost $188 a month bought separately.

Start 5 days free

Card required. After 5 days it is $149 per month or $1,099 per year until you cancel. First-time members only.

Compare every plan on the pricing page
Educational content only. MadStockAlerts provides market commentary, research, and educational content. It is not personalized investment advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Trading and investing involve substantial risk, including loss of capital. See the Risk Disclosure and Customer Agreement.
Educational content only. MadStockAlerts provides market commentary, research, and educational content. It is not personalized investment advice, and nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Trading and investing involve substantial risk, including loss of capital. See the Risk Disclosure and Customer Agreement.
An Agreement, Not a Purchase — MAD Academy Training Video · MadStockAlerts