Why Zacks? Learn to Be a Better Investor. Forgot Password. Trading futures is a form of investing that can provide diversification to a portfolio and help you manage risk. Futures contracts apply to agricultural commodities, rising and falling as futrues supply and demand of items such as corn, conhracts, cotton and oil change. You can make money trading futures if you follow trends, cut your losses and watch your expenses. Futures markets have trends, just like other securities markets .