It's a tremendously exciting business to be involved in. Actually, when I first started.... I opened my margin account with a measly 2,500. Today, I'm doing extremely well.

I don't touch the financials. They're too radical for me. I lost money with the Canadian dollar a few years back, and that was enough for me. These days I trade mainly the grains. Right now, I have call options on Cocoa May 2001 and Canola.

Options are a much safer way of trading futures. Especially when you don't have enough cash to re-enter the market after you're "stopped out."

I realize that this isn't a financial discussion board and the terms I'm using may be totally foreign to some or most. To simplify it; suppose you wanted to purchase a piece of property TODAY, because you anticipate its value going up tomorrow.

You're purchasing something at TODAYS PRICES hoping you'll be able to sell it at a profit TOMORROW.

Let's say you plunk down $20,000 on a piece of property that's worth $100,000. In essence, $20,000 allows you to control $100,000 of a particular commodity.

Trading with options reduces the overall risk greatly. They are cheaper to buy and have the same dynamic potential as a futures contract does. The most you can lose with options is the cost of the option itself.

Not so with futures. With a futures contract, things can get ugly fast.

From experience I'll tell you - papertrade first. Don't jump in with real money. Learn the market, learn how to read charts, learn how to work with a broker.

Be sure to ask LOTS of questions.

I love the commodities market! It's exciting, fast-paced and.... with the right approach, you won't have to worry about losing your shirt.

Jim G.