The term CFDs simply stands for contracts for difference. The ‘difference’ referred to means that between the buying price, the ‘offer price’ and the selling price or ‘bid price’ of a particular contract.

The value of the contract is based directly on the value of the underlying asset. You are, however, not buying the actual asset. If you buy a CFD on gold, for example, you are not actually buying gold, instead, you are speculating on the price of gold.

A CFD broker will pay you the difference between the price you bought the market at, the ‘offer price’ and the price you eventually sell the market, the bid price. If you should buy a CFD based on the price of one ounce of gold and sell it again immediately, you will lose the difference between the offer price and the bid price, which is part of the broker’s commission. Also be aware that some brokers will add fees each time you buy or sell a trade.

As the day goes by, the bid price might exceed the original offer price you paid, in which case the difference will be your profit. The reverse is true if the price moves against you; you will lose the initial difference between the offer price and the bid price plus the amount by which the price of the asset dropped.

Only buy a CFD if you are convinced the price of the commodity, equity or currency will increase. Since interest must be paid on your open position at the end of the day, many traders prefer to terminate all their trades before the market closes.

Since you are trading on the price of the underlying asset, you can use both technical and fundamental analysis to try and determine whether the price will move up or down. If you believe it will increase, enter into a long position; if you believe it will fall, take a short position.

There are some differences between long and short positions with CFDs. On long positions, you pay interest and receive any declared dividends, every day. On short positions, you must pay any declared dividends, but you receive interest on your open balance.

Since the value of a CFD closely reflects the value of the underlying share, commodity or currency, you can treat it in much the same way as if trading in the actual underlying asset.

The difference is that CFDs are leveraged instruments. You could trade with much more money than you actually possess, since you only have to pay a deposit, usually between 14% and 35% of the total. For example, with a deposit of 14,000 you could expose yourself to profits and losses on a total amount of 100,000.

Purchasing CFDs worth 100,000 would mean a deposit of 14,000 and you could potentially double your initial ‘investment’ if the price of the asset increased by 14%. You would make 14% profit, which equals 100% on the amount you actually invested.

The reverse is also true; if the price dropped by 14%, you would lose your entire 14,000 investment. To protect yourself against such a scenario, decide how much you are prepared to lose and set a stop loss at that level. Never put all your eggs in one basket, have a diverse portfolio and never risk more than what you can afford to lose on a single trade.

Like the risk warnings tell you CFDs trading is a leveraged investment product, it involves a high degree of risk to your capital and you can incur losses that exceed your investment. Please ensure that it matches your trading objectives as it may not be appropriate for all classes of investor. Ensure that you only trade CFDs with capital that you can afford to lose. Before trading, ensure that you are fully aware of the risks involved and obtain independent financial advice if appropriate.