Compare features before providers.
Our comparison covers index futures, index perpetuals, fully paid cash shares, and stock perpetuals. It focuses on ownership, expiry, costs, market access, and risk. It is an introduction rather than a recommendation for an individual reader.
Keep the scope visible.
A futures contract is not always an index future. Shares bought with borrowed money are not the same scenario as fully paid cash shares. A stock perp is a type of perpetual, not a share. We name these boundaries rather than merge them into a single category.
Use primary sources.
We use CME educational material for futures basics, Investor.gov for share ownership, and official provider documents for provider-specific mechanisms. Vest examples describe Vest, not every perpetual venue. Published statements do not independently verify execution or payouts.
Explain a term before using it.
The first guide defines exposure, margin, leverage, liquidation, and funding. Worked arithmetic is labeled illustrative. It is not a historical observation, forecast, or personal trade recommendation.
Disclose the commercial relationship.
Affiliate links and the reader discount are labeled. Commission and discount values come from the site owner’s program dashboard confirmation and can change. They do not determine which product is presented as objectively best.
Update and correct.
Sources carry review dates. Before public launch, review consequential claims and the actual provider terms again. Log corrections with the affected page, evidence, and change date. The source page records scope and uncertainties.
Earlier research and archive notes remain internal background. This beginner edition publishes no original market-data study and does not depend on the local research collection being complete.