The futures markets typically use high leverage. Leverage means that the trader does not need to put up 100% of the contract's value amount when entering into a trade. Instead, the broker would require an initial margin amount, which consists of a fraction of the total contract value. The amount held by the broker can vary depending on the size of the contract, the creditworthiness of the investor, and the broker's terms and conditions.

The exchange where the future trades will determine if the contract is for physical delivery or if it can be cash settled. A corporation may enter into a physical delivery contract to lock in—hedge—the price of a commodity they need for production. However, most futures contracts are from traders who speculate on the trade. These contracts are closed out or netted—the difference in the original trade and closing trade price—and are cash settled.