Advanced investment strategies and alternative assets

Managed futures and trend-following

Systematic strategies take long and short futures positions across equity indexes, rates, currencies and commodities based on price trends or other rules.

Request a private strategy reviewUnderstand the strategy

Strategy Overview

The decision at a glance.

The right question is not whether a strategy sounds attractive. It is whether its benefits, costs and obligations improve your complete plan versus practical alternatives.

When it may be worth considering
You seek a potential diversifier with daily or periodic liquidity and can tolerate extended periods of weak performance and unfamiliar tax reporting.
Things to consider
Futures use leverage and may experience rapid losses. Whipsaw, model, roll, collateral, counterparty, fee and tax risks mean performance may differ sharply from spot markets.
How Helix can help
We examine the rules, leverage, crisis behavior, collateral, vehicle structure and overlap with other diversifiers before determining an allocation.

A Closer Look

How this strategy works in practice.

These are the mechanics and decisions worth understanding before you spend time or money pursuing a detailed design.

01

How it generally works

  1. A rules-based manager identifies price trends and takes long or short positions in futures markets.
  2. Cash collateral is maintained while futures create notional exposure across rates, currencies, commodities and equity indexes.
  3. Positions are resized and rolled as signals, volatility and contract expirations change.
02

Questions worth answering

  • How much leverage and volatility can the program create in normal and stressed markets?
  • How do fees, collateral yield, roll costs and tax reporting affect the published return?
  • Can you remain invested through years when choppy markets repeatedly reverse the signals?

Prepare For A Useful Conversation

Information worth gathering.

You do not need every item before starting. These materials help replace generic assumptions with facts from your financial life.

  • 01A complete investment inventory including private holdings, derivatives and unfunded commitments
  • 02Tax basis, realized gains and losses, and recent federal and state tax returns
  • 03Offering documents, fee schedules, liquidity terms and manager performance records
  • 04A cash-flow stress test covering capital calls, margin demands and restricted redemptions

From Interest To Informed Action

A disciplined path from education to implementation.

  1. 01

    Explain

    Clarify what managed futures and trend-following is designed to accomplish and where it may not fit.

  2. 02

    Consider

    Share your goal, timing, decision-makers and relevant assets through a brief, private planning form.

  3. 03

    Discover

    Meet privately so we can understand your broader family, business, tax, estate and investment picture.

  4. 04

    Analyze

    Compare the strategy with simpler alternatives using consistent assumptions and downside scenarios.

  5. 05

    Coordinate

    Work with your attorney, CPA, insurance professional or other specialist before implementation.

  6. 06

    Monitor

    Review assumptions, documents, funding and results as laws, markets and your circumstances change.

Common Questions

Things to consider before you decide.

What is Managed futures and trend-following?

Systematic strategies take long and short futures positions across equity indexes, rates, currencies and commodities based on price trends or other rules.

Who might consider this strategy?

You seek a potential diversifier with daily or periodic liquidity and can tolerate extended periods of weak performance and unfamiliar tax reporting.

What are the key risks and tradeoffs?

Futures use leverage and may experience rapid losses. Whipsaw, model, roll, collateral, counterparty, fee and tax risks mean performance may differ sharply from spot markets.

What role does Helix Wealth play?

We examine the rules, leverage, crisis behavior, collateral, vehicle structure and overlap with other diversifiers before determining an allocation.

Your Next Step

Could managed futures and trend-following improve your plan?

Tell us what you are considering through a brief, private planning form. If deeper analysis could be useful, the next step is a private discovery meeting focused on your circumstances.

Tell us what you are consideringNo recommendation is made until Helix understands your circumstances.

Primary Sources

Read the rules behind the strategy.

These government and regulatory resources are the starting point for this guide. They are not a substitute for advice based on your circumstances.

Source review completed August 2026.
CFTC — Seeing commodity pools more clearlyCustomer guidance on futures pools, leverage, operator diligence, fees, performance and redemption terms.Visit source ↗IRS — Form 6781 for Section 1256 contracts and straddlesCurrent federal reporting resource for Section 1256 gains and losses and Section 1092 straddles.Visit source ↗Investor.gov — Alternative mutual fundsSEC overview of registered funds using nontraditional assets and complex trading strategies.Visit source ↗

Related Planning Decisions

Exchange-listed box spread financing

Uses four exchange-listed index options with the same expiration to create a fixed future payment. Selling the box can produce cash today against eligible brokerage collateral, with the difference between proceeds and the fixed settlement functioning economically like financing cost.

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Synthetic prepaid variable forward and collar

Combines an exchange-listed collar on concentrated stock with separate box-spread financing to create upfront liquidity, a downside floor and a capped upside range without using a single over-the-counter bank forward.

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Exchange fund diversification

Eligible investors contribute concentrated stock to a private partnership in exchange for an interest in a diversified pool, generally accepting a long holding period, partnership taxation and exposure to the pool’s other assets.

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Important planning information

This page is educational and is not individualized investment, legal, tax, accounting or insurance advice. Strategy availability and results depend on your circumstances, current law, underwriting, product terms and professional implementation. No strategy eliminates risk, and tax outcomes are not guaranteed. Insurance services are offered only where appropriately licensed. Separately licensed representatives may receive insurance commissions, which creates a conflict of interest described in the firm's disclosures. Options, derivatives, margin and private investments can involve leverage, forced liquidation, limited liquidity, uncertain valuation and loss of the entire investment. Eligibility requirements and offering terms may limit availability.

Begin

Explore whether managed futures and trend-following fits your plan.

Start with a private conversation about the goal, timing and decisions already in motion. Helix will help determine whether deeper analysis is appropriate.

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Strategy of interestManaged futures and trend-following
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