Common use of Futures Clause in Contracts

Futures. A futures contract is a standardised contract to buy or sell a certain underlying instrument at a pre-determined date in the future, at a pre-set price. The price of a futures contract is equal to the price of the underlying asset on the delivery date. Transactions in futures carry a high degree of risk, are subject to margin requirements and bring about financial commitments and liabilities additional to the cost of acquisition. The amount of initial margin required to initiate a futures contract is small relative to the value of the contract so that transactions are “leveraged” or “geared”. A relatively small market movement will have a proportionately larger impact on the funds you have deposited or will have to deposit. This may work against you as well as for you. You may sustain a total loss of initial margin funds as well as any additional funds deposited with the firm to maintain your position. If the market moves against your position or margin levels are increased, you may be called upon to pay substantial additional funds on short notice to maintain your position. If you fail to comply with a request for additional funds within the time prescribed, your position may be liquidated at a loss and you will be liable for any resulting deficit.