CFD is an acronym for a Contract for Differences. This can be described as an arrangement or an agreement in a futures contract where differences in settlement of CFD stocks are done via cash payments instead of the physical delivery of securities which can quickly become complicated.

This is typically a far easier method of settling the differences because any losses or gains are settled rapidly in cash. For investors, CFD stocks provide all the risks and benefits of owning a security but without actually owning it.

Contract for Differences Explained
The CFD is basically a tradable contract between an investor and a broker. In this scenario, they’re exchanging the difference between the current value of a commodity, currency, index, or stock and its value at the end of the contract.

When compared to traditional trading, CFD stocks usually provide a higher leverage. The standard leverage in the market can be as high as 20% or as low as 2% margin requirement. When the margin requirement is low, it means that the trader will have to outlay less capital.

The CFD market is also not bound by a limited number of trades per day or minimum amounts of capital. As CFD stocks mirror corporate actions, the owner will also benefit from dividend payments and will be allowed to participate in stock splits.

CFD brokers often enable access to all major global markets, so traders can engage in any market around the world from the broker’s platform.

Key Characteristics of the CFD Market
When beginners engage in the CFD market, they have to be aware that it doesn’t typically have any short-selling rules. This means that your instrument can be shortened at will because there’s no ownership of the underlying asset.

When it comes to CFD stocks, there’s also no borrowing costs, shorting costs, and few or no fees are charged for trading. However, when the trader pays the spread, brokers make some money.

This is because the trader pays the asking price when purchasing and takes the bid price when shorting or selling. So, depending on the volatility of the underlying asset, the spread is often dynamic and in some cases can be fixed to a certain value.

Novices entering the industry need to pay close attention to the broker’s credibility and reputation and make sure they are working with a regulated broker.