Day trading futures is being more and more common due to the low cost of entry. To start day trading the highly liquid and highly profitable E-mini S&P 500 Futures, you can start with a small recommended account size of at least a minimum of at least $5000.00 to $10,000.00. Compare this to day trading stocks, where you would need at least $25,000.00 to start day trading.

I have day traded both the E-mini Dow Futures and the E-Mini S&P Futures. Both are similar and both track each other as far as daily chart performance/movements/price action. But the key to day trading is getting into a program that teaches you how to day trade.

The best are systems that allow a 1/3 down payment and monthly payments that can be paid with monthly profits; these also offer you the ability to log-in to a trading training room and trade the signals as they are called out in real time to help make those monthly payments. I have only run across two systems that call out signals to follow and subscribe to the only one that offers monthly payments of the membership fee.

Trade management is crucial to any beginner - always start out trading one contract and use stops to limit losses. You can trade with a broker or use what is called Ninja Trader: a trading platform that many traders use after they open a brokerage account with one of the numerous brokerage firms that can be found in a Google search.

With the E-Mini S&P Futures a good stop to start with is 1.5 points below your entry price; with the E-mini-Dow Futures, a 20 point stop is widely acceptable. Some traders like me that trade with a broker will also use the VIX volatility index to help decide whether or not to enter a trade. If you use a Ninja Trading Platform, the TICK or TRIN is useful to some traders. So pick your poison - The E-mini Dow Futures at $5.00 a point or the E-Mini S&P Futures at $50.00 a point.

Start out slow and steady as she goes!