Once left for dead, gold speculators can sleep easily in 2025 as the yellow metal sits at all-time highs once again. Despite the shift to Bitcoin and other digital assets, the enduring nature of gold as an inflation hedge continues. What is driving this surge, and will cryptocurrencies still win the battle? Reasons for optimism […]| IASG
New investors to the futures world often ask, “How does opening an account work?” It is a good question. Unlike traditional brokerage accounts, the rules of margin, how trades clear, and the counterparties involved operate differently. A Futures Commission Merchant, typically called by its FCM acronym, is a key player working between all the various […]| IASG
After months of telling the public that “Inflation is transitory,” the Fed finally admitted that it kept policy loose for too long in 2021. Months of rate hikes followed in 2022, dragging the stock market down as assets repriced. Now, the rates in the United States outpace those of major economic zones across the world. […]| IASG
A margin call is one of the phrases that scares a new futures investor the most. Often, they picture life savings getting wiped out in seconds, as it does in movies. The truth is not nearly as intimidating. Margin is simply a tool. One that educated investors often love. After all, if you expected your […]| IASG
What makes a futures program great? Obvious answers include excellent performance, low drawdowns, a high Sharpe ratio, or consistent returns. While everyone searches for those qualities, large money managers know that the secret to producing all of those is to build portfolios that target those goals using multiple strategies. After all, high returns and low […]| IASG
Futures investors often wonder, “If the equity markets are going up, why aren’t we following that trend and making money?” The truth is that many markets can be trending at once or very few at all. Oftentimes, the best trade is in another market completely. One of the best trades recently is long cattle. Yet, […]| IASG
My great-grandfather built a cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan almost 100 years ago. Five generations later, we still spend our summers relaxing on the beach. Some of the best days, however, can take a sharp turn. Despite perfect weather on shore, we sometimes see dark clouds gather and lightning bolts light up the […]| IASG
All traders use rules. Some program it into their systems. Others use guidelines that relate to their profit goals and risk levels and implement them with each new position. While many investors see the danger in futures, the best traders use the market features to their advantage. One thing they all share is a healthy […]| IASG
Politicians like to pick and choose their economic schools of thought to justify their policy and spending decisions. Elected liberals like to point to the Keynesian effects of government spending, whereby each dollar inserted into the economy drives multiples of that value in growth. Conservative officials often use the Austrian theories, which posit that free […]| IASG
It is often said that trend followers provide “crisis alpha.” This means that market stress often benefits their strategies. This follows logically as moves get larger, coordinate together, and run consistently, trading becomes easier. These managers quickly caution that they do not always provide this negative correlation. Price action can swing unpredictably against long-standing trends […]| IASG
