Back to School on the Futures

This column was originally published on RealMoney on Jan. 26 at 4:02 p.m. EST. It's being republished as a bonus for TheStreet.com readers. For more information about subscribing to RealMoney, please click here.

In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Bush again admonished his country for its addiction to crude oil, and at the same time touted ethanol as an alternative energy and a substitute for gasoline.

News that the president would mention ethanol sent corn futures prices sharply higher in Tuesday's trading. This is just one of the reasons that commodities are on investors' minds. Many people are able to pick up on the buzz about the sector, few are as familiar with how to profit from it. And while commodities investing is hot, neophytes can easily get their fingers burned. ...