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Understand how ownership, leverage, settlement, and risk differ across three of the world’s most common trading instruments. Spot trading, futures contracts, and contracts for difference (CFDs) all provide exposure to financial markets — but they operate in very different ways. Although each can track the same underlying asset, differences in ownership, settlement, leverage, expiry, and trading venue can significantly affect risk and suitability. Understanding these distincti

Learn how CFDs work, why they are popular with active traders, and the key risks, costs, and opportunities involved. A Contract for Difference (CFD) is a financial derivative that allows traders to speculate on price movements without owning the underlying asset. CFDs are commonly used across markets including: Indices Forex Gold and silver Commodities Equities Cryptocurrencies (where available) Instead of buying the asset itself, traders enter a contract based on the differe