CFDs - or Contracts For Difference, are derivatives which allow you to speculate on whether certain financial markets or instruments rise or fall. This may include shares (equities), foreign exchange (Forex, or FX), commodities (such as Gold, or Oil), or indices, such as the FTSE 100. CFDs can be traded on 'margin' - which means your trade will rise or fall at a multiple of the original investment. This means you can benefit from a small rise in a price - but equally, you can lose your investment faster as well if a price drops. CFDs are suitable for more advanced traders - as part of the risk is that you can lose more than the amount you have invested.