About Futures Fundamentals

Futures Fundamentals is an independent, nonprofit educational foundation that provide free online futures education to a global audience. Created as an industry-wide educational portal, it is supported by the IFM, CME Group, CME Foundation, FIA, ICE, and National Futures Association, among others.

The IFM has made a three-year commitment of $600,000 to help fund the initiative. Our support of Futures Fundamentals embodies the IFM's mission to increase the awareness and understanding of financial markets and the financial service industry to the global economy. IFM’s donation will support ongoing content development, promotion and operation of this independent, informational resource used by market users, policymakers, educators and students, as well as the general public.

Futures Fundamentals has already partnered with Discovery Education to provide K-12 school teachers grade-appropriate curriculum and educational about futures markets so that young people gain a basic understanding.  In addition, Futures Fundamentals also is midst of developing course curriculum for universities that may help nurture the next generation of market participants and finance professionals.

Futuresfundamentals.org is available now and provides the following tools:

Get the Basics: An introductory unit that helps professionals and students learn Futures 101 – how the marketplace, futures and options work.  This covers topics such as the relationship between supply and demand and the concept of risk.
 
See the Impact: Tools to discover how familiar tasks like buying food or gas, or obtaining a mortgage, are affected by futures markets. The section also provides a brief introduction of hedging and speculating.
 
Explore the Marketplace: A closer look at what makes futures markets tick – from participants and key processes to policies and protections facilitated through clearing houses. 
 
EconEssentials: A resource for educators that provides free materials that integrate seamlessly into the classroom, including online modules and coursework to understand managing risk when buying a car, getting a student loan or starting a part-time job.