ForecastEx
CFTC-regulated event contracts embedded in major brokerages. No separate account required.
- ✓ Existing Interactive Brokers or Robinhood users who want zero extra friction
- ✓ US traders who want CFTC-regulated event contracts inside their brokerage
- ✓ Political and economic market traders comfortable with a broker interface
- ✗ Anyone without an existing US brokerage account
- ✗ Traders looking for sports contracts
- ✗ Casual users put off by a professional-grade broker interface
About this operator
ForecastEx is a CFTC-regulated designated contract market (DCM) that distributes its event contracts through broker integrations rather than a standalone platform. US investors access ForecastEx markets directly inside Interactive Brokers or Robinhood without opening a new account or going through a second KYC process. Coverage focuses on political outcomes (US elections, congressional votes), economic data releases (CPI, Fed rate decisions), and financial market thresholds. Because it runs inside established brokerages, ForecastEx markets benefit from the compliance infrastructure and client protections those brokers already provide.
Quick facts
| Founded | 2023 |
| Headquarters | Wilmington, Delaware, USA |
| Type | CFTC-Regulated Exchange |
| Settlement | USD |
| Fees | None (bid-ask spread only) |
| Min deposit | $0 (accessed via broker) |
| KYC | Via broker (IB, Robinhood) |
| Volume | Growing |
| ✓ Data verified April 2026 | |
ForecastEx — Scorecard
Editorial ratings based on publicly available data. Your experience may vary.
ForecastEx — strengths and weaknesses
- ✓ Access via existing brokerage
- ✓ Fully CFTC-regulated
- ✓ No extra KYC step
- ✗ No standalone app: only accessible inside Interactive Brokers or Robinhood
- ✗ Narrow market selection: no sports contracts
- ✗ Only available to US residents through a US brokerage account
- ✗ Platform complexity (especially IBKR) is high for casual traders
What does it actually cost to trade on ForecastEx?
ForecastEx charges no explicit commission. The cost is the bid-ask spread: a $1,000 position in a liquid political market typically costs $2–5 in spread on entry. In thin markets the spread can be wider. Robinhood adds a $0.01/contract fee on top.
How to start trading on ForecastEx
- 1 Open an Interactive Brokers or Robinhood account if you do not have one (both are free)
- 2 Complete identity verification on the broker platform (typically 1–2 business days)
- 3 Fund your brokerage account via bank transfer
- 4 In the app, search "event contracts" or navigate to the predictions section to find ForecastEx markets
Frequently asked questions — ForecastEx
What is ForecastEx? +
ForecastEx is a CFTC-licensed Designated Contract Market (DCM) that provides event contracts to US users through embedded integrations with Interactive Brokers and Robinhood. It is a standalone exchange; you do not access it directly at forecastex.com. Instead you trade ForecastEx contracts inside your existing brokerage account.
How do I access ForecastEx markets? +
You access ForecastEx through Interactive Brokers or Robinhood. No separate account or deposit is needed. In Interactive Brokers, event contracts appear alongside equities and futures in the same trading interface. In Robinhood, they appear under the "Politics & Economics" event contracts section. Both platforms show ForecastEx contracts for political and economic markets.
Does ForecastEx charge fees? +
ForecastEx itself charges no commission. Revenue comes from the bid-ask spread in the orderbook. Your broker (Interactive Brokers or Robinhood) also does not charge additional commissions on ForecastEx event contracts specifically, though Robinhood charges a $0.01 base fee per contract on top of the exchange spread.
What markets does ForecastEx offer? +
ForecastEx focuses on political, economic, and financial market contracts: US elections and congressional outcomes, Federal Reserve rate decisions, economic indicators (CPI, unemployment), and financial market thresholds (S&P 500 levels, treasury yields). It does not offer sports event contracts. The market selection is narrower than Kalshi but covers the most liquid political and economic categories.
Is ForecastEx regulated? +
Yes. ForecastEx is a fully CFTC-licensed DCM, the same regulatory status as Kalshi. It is one of only two standalone CFTC-regulated event-contract exchanges in the US alongside Kalshi. Customer funds are protected under CFTC rules, and contracts are legally designated financial instruments.