Futures Trade Plans FAQ

Q: What are the CME micro futures specs?

Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) — 1/10 the size of the E-mini ES. Worth $5 per index point . Minimum tick is 0.25 index points, so one tick = $1.25, and a full one-point move (four ticks) = $5. For reference, the full-size ES is $50 per point. Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 (MNQ) — 1/10 the size of the NQ. Worth $2 per index point . Same 0.25 tick, so one tick = $0.50 and a one-point move = $2. The full-size NQ is $20 per point. Trading hours — micros trade nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week: Sunday evening through Friday afternoon (roughly 6 p.m.–5 p.m. ET) with a daily halt around 5 p.m. ET. That means the level a report flags can be tested in the overnight session hours before the U.S. cash open. Margin — because a micro carries one-tenth the notional value, it needs far less margin than a full-size contract. Intraday margins on a micro are commonly in the tens of dollars per contract, which is exactly why micros suit small accounts and traders still building a track record.

Q: How do I actually use the report's levels?

Treat the lean as directional context , not a standalone order trigger. The report tells you which way price is leaning and which levels matter for the next session; it does not tell you the exact bar to enter on. A practical sequence: Read the lean first — is the market showing tailwinds, headwinds, or perched? This frames which scenarios you prioritize. Mark the day- and swing-trade levels on your chart (the MyLinedChart lean lines do this automatically). Wait for the market to reach a level and show you something — confirmation at the level, not a blind entry the instant price touches it. Convert the level to dollars using the point values above; traders size contracts so the distance to their invalidation fits their risk budget. For the deeper mechanics of reading tailwinds, headwinds, and the perch, see how to read the weather signals .

Q: Where do futures traders most often go wrong with it?

Treating context as certainty. A lean is a probabilistic read, not a guarantee. Trade it as one scenario among a few, not a lock. Trading every cue. Not every level is your level. The report gives you more setups than you should take; selectivity is the edge. Ignoring contract mechanics in fast markets. During event windows and high-volatility opens, slippage widens and a "small" tick move is a bigger dollar move than the chart suggests. Micros give you room to keep position size honest here. Using one fixed contract count. Volatility changes; your size should too. The same stop distance implies different realized risk depending on the session.

The futures Trade Plans is the paid-tier read on where index futures are leaning before the next session opens — headwinds, tailwinds, or perched at a level that could break either way. It ships with day- and swing-trade levels for ES and NQ (plus the micros that track them) and the MyLinedChart lean lines that draw those levels onto your chart. This FAQ starts with the contract mechanics that decide how much a single point actually costs you.

What contracts does the futures Trade Plans cover?

The report is built around the two most-traded equity index futures — the E-mini S&P 500 (ES) and E-mini Nasdaq-100 (NQ) — and the micro versions that track the same index at one-tenth the size. The levels are identical whether you trade full-size or micro; only the dollars-per-point change, so a small account can trade the exact same plan at a fraction of the risk.

What are the CME micro futures specs?

Micro E-mini S&P 500 (MES) — 1/10 the size of the E-mini ES. Worth $5 per index point. Minimum tick is 0.25 index points, so one tick = $1.25, and a full one-point move (four ticks) = $5. For reference, the full-size ES is $50 per point.
Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 (MNQ) — 1/10 the size of the NQ. Worth $2 per index point. Same 0.25 tick, so one tick = $0.50 and a one-point move = $2. The full-size NQ is $20 per point.
Trading hours — micros trade nearly 24 hours a day, five days a week: Sunday evening through Friday afternoon (roughly 6 p.m.–5 p.m. ET) with a daily halt around 5 p.m. ET. That means the level a report flags can be tested in the overnight session hours before the U.S. cash open.
Margin — because a micro carries one-tenth the notional value, it needs far less margin than a full-size contract. Intraday margins on a micro are commonly in the tens of dollars per contract, which is exactly why micros suit small accounts and traders still building a track record.

Why does the point value matter for reading the report?

Because a "small" level on the chart is not a small number in your account. If a report level sits 20 points away and your stop is on the other side of it, that is $100 of risk on one MES ($5 × 20) or $1,000 on one full-size ES ($50 × 20). The same 20-point distance on MNQ is $40; on the full-size NQ it is $400. Knowing the per-point value turns a level on the report into a concrete dollar figure before you ever click buy or sell.

How do I actually use the report's levels?

Treat the lean as directional context, not a standalone order trigger. The report tells you which way price is leaning and which levels matter for the next session; it does not tell you the exact bar to enter on. A practical sequence:

Read the lean first — is the market showing tailwinds, headwinds, or perched? This frames which scenarios you prioritize.
Mark the day- and swing-trade levels on your chart (the MyLinedChart lean lines do this automatically).
Wait for the market to reach a level and show you something — confirmation at the level, not a blind entry the instant price touches it.
Convert the level to dollars using the point values above; traders size contracts so the distance to their invalidation fits their risk budget.

For the deeper mechanics of reading tailwinds, headwinds, and the perch, see how to read the weather signals.

Can the report be right and my trade still lose?

Yes — and it is the most useful thing to internalize. The lean can be directionally correct while a specific entry is poor, because fills, slippage, and timing live at the execution level, not the context level; a tailwind read does not promise a clean move from the first touch. The report narrows the field of scenarios. Your execution protocol — defined invalidation, adaptive sizing, preplanned behavior after entry — is where capital actually gets deployed.

Where do futures traders most often go wrong with it?

Treating context as certainty. A lean is a probabilistic read, not a guarantee. Trade it as one scenario among a few, not a lock.
Trading every cue. Not every level is your level. The report gives you more setups than you should take; selectivity is the edge.
Ignoring contract mechanics in fast markets. During event windows and high-volatility opens, slippage widens and a "small" tick move is a bigger dollar move than the chart suggests. Micros give you room to keep position size honest here.
Using one fixed contract count. Volatility changes; your size should too. The same stop distance implies different realized risk depending on the session.

Do I need a big account to trade the futures report?

No. The whole reason the report covers micros is that a small account can trade the identical plan the full-size traders use, just scaled down 10-to-1. A single MES or MNQ lets you learn with real risk without a full-size contract eating your account on one stop. If you want the account-math walkthrough, see the pillar guide on how to day trade futures with $500.

How is the futures report different from the free tier?

The free tier is the S&P Sectors Trade Plans. The futures levels and bias for ES, NQ, and the micros are part of the paid Trade Plans, alongside the full stock-market read. You can see the exact levels and format on the daily levels page. Reports are sent after the market closes, built for the next day's session — so the plan is set before the overnight tape ever touches a level.

Sources

Educational content only. Not investment advice.