Various laws and rules are in place regarding people who provide financial advice on investments and trading to customers, or, who actually purchase investments and futures on behalf of customers. Many of these laws deal with the trading of commodity futures (aka futures contracts), which is a high risk area for investors who aren't fully educated about the futures market. Under the laws regarding commodities futures, if you intend to publish a newspaper on trading futures and you are going to receive compensation, either directly or indirectly, for publishing such a newsletter, you meet the definition of a Commodity Trading Advisor or CTA. Those who are defined as a CTA are required to register with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CTFC).
The CFTC was created by the Commodity Exchange Act in 1974 in order to help avoid fraud or misrepresentations in commodities and futures trading. The Commodity Futures Trading Association is a government agency that regulates the trading of commodities and futures, just as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulates the trading of stocks and bonds.
Under the rules set forth by the Commodity Exchange Act, anyone who is to profit from providing commodities or futures trading information to customers must be registered as an advisor. However, CTAs who solely publish newsletters generally don't need to register with the National Futures Association. If you do not manage or guide customer accounts, you will not be required to deliver a disclosure document.
The rules and requirements regarding compliance with the Commodity Exchange Act can be complex, and there can be major consequences associated with a violation of the rules and registration requirements. As such, given the complexity of this area, it is wise to consult with an attorney experienced in commodities law and regulation before taking any action in order to determine if you meet compliance requirements under commodity futures law.