Single Stock Futures Explained: Benefits & Risks

Security futures trading involves unique and significant risks that are important to understand, and is not suitable for all investors; please review the Risk Disclosure Statement for Security Futures Contracts.

This material is intended for informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. The investment products and investment strategies mentioned are not suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decisions.

Investing involves risk, including loss of principal, and for some products and strategies, loss of more than your initial investment.

Hedging and protective strategies generally involve additional costs and do not assure a profit or guarantee against loss.

Short selling is an advanced trading strategy involving potentially unlimited risks, and must be done in a margin account. Margin trading increases your level of market risk. For more information please refer to your account agreement and the Margin Risk Disclosure Statement.

This information is not a specific recommendation, individualized tax, legal, or investment advice. Tax laws are subject to change, either prospectively or retroactively. Where specific advice is necessary or appropriate, individuals should contact their own professional tax and investment advisors or other professionals (CPA, Financial Planner, Investment Manager, Estate Attorney) to help answer questions about specific situations or needs prior to taking any action based upon this information.

For most taxpayers, security futures contracts are not treated like other futures contracts. Instead, the tax consequences of a security futures transaction depend on the status of the taxpayer and the type of position (e.g., long or short, covered or uncovered). Because of the importance of tax considerations to transactions in security futures, investors should consult their tax advisors as to the tax consequences of these transactions.

Futures and futures options trading involves substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. Please read the Risk Disclosure Statement for Futures and Options prior to trading futures products. Futures accounts are not protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Read additional CFTC and NFA futures and forex public disclosures for Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC. Futures and futures options trading services provided by Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC. Trading privileges subject to review and approval. Not all clients will qualify.

Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC is a CFTC-registered Futures Commission Merchant, a NFA Forex Dealer Member and is notice registered with the SEC as a broker-dealer solely for the purpose of effecting transactions in security futures products.

Charles Schwab Futures and Forex LLC (NFA Member) and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Member SIPC) are separate but affiliated companies and subsidiaries of The Charles Schwab Corporation.

Supporting documentation for any claims or statistical information is available upon request.

The paperMoney^® software application is provided for educational purposes only, and allows users to engage in simulated trading with hypothetical funds using live market data. Market activity, trade executions, transaction costs, and other elements presented in paperMoney are simulations only. Simulated performance does not ensure success in a live environment.