Ben is the former Retirement and Investing Editor for Forbes Advisor. With two decades of business and finance journalism experience, Ben has covered breaking market news, written on equity markets ...

Derivatives allow trading of assets without owning them, useful for hedging or speculation. Leverage in derivatives can control large assets with less cash, but increases risk. Derivatives provide ...

Crypto derivatives were not built for just speculation. In traditional finance, derivatives exist to hedge risk. Farmers lock in crop prices. Corporations manage exposure to commodities or currencies.