Why is the Last Trading Day to trade futures contracts as much as a month before the contract expires?

What conclusions can I draw from examining the ^VIX futures before trading?

Where can I view this information? How?

I heard on the radio before the stock market opened, “stock futures trading lower” What does that mean?

What does it mean when they say S&P futures are up, before the market open?

And how do we know that if the s &p futures are up before the market open then stocks should open up too

what does it mean when the S & P futures are up or down before the market opens?

Does that refer to futures contracts? If so, when do they trade? — Obviously before the stock market opens. Rights?

How can one be in a short position in futures market if he doesn’t buy the underlying asset before?

How can one be in a short position in futures market if he doesn’t buy the underlying asset before?

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Drop Before January Payroll Report

U.S. Stock-Index Futures Drop Before January Payroll Report
Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — U.S. stock-index futures dropped, indicating the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index may extend its biggest slump since April, before a report that may show unemployment held near a 26-year high for a third month.
Read more on Bloomberg

Anadarko Put Trading Jumps to Six-Week High Before Earnings

Anadarko Put Trading Jumps to Six-Week High Before Earnings
Trading of bearish Anadarko Petroleum Corp. options jumped to a six-week high before the third-largest U.S. gas producer reports quarterly results Feb. 1 amid slumping prices for the fuel.
Read more on BusinessWeek

Commodities Futures Markets Roar as Never Before

The commodities futures market has been described as continuous auction markets. It is a clearinghouse for information about supply and demand. The futures market reflects the cash market.

The difference between futures prices and cash prices at any moment is called the basis. Compared to the stock market the futures markets are exceptionally prone to [...]