Cheddar launches the first segment in our new series, "Generation Trader," produced in partnership with E*Trade, the original place to invest online. During these segments, we'll help you make sense of options and futures and give viewers tools to stay ahead of market movements. The tools are theirs, but the opinions and statements provided are ours. First off, futures are standardized contracts for the purchase and sale of financial instruments or physical commodities for future delivery on a regulated commodity futures exchange. The derivatives were originally designed to allow farmers to protect themselves against changes in the prices of their crops between planting and when they could be harvested and brought to market. Common terms in the futures market include long, short, hedge, and speculation. During this segment, we define these and show you how E*Trade's OptionsHouse platform works. Visit E*Trade for your trading edge.