2.4.0.81080 - Disclosure - Trading Activities and Related Riskstruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000845698duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1gpff_TradingActivitiesAndRelatedRisksDisclosureAbstractgpff_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Trading Activities and Related Risks2false 2gpff_TradingActivitiesAndRelatedRisksDisclosureTextBlockgpff_falsenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Times New Roman;"> Note 8. Trading Activities and Related Risks   The Partnership, through its Advisors, engages in the speculative trading of a variety of instruments, including U.S. and foreign futures contracts, options on U.S. and foreign futures contracts and forward contracts (collectively, derivatives; see Note 10). These derivatives include both financial and nonfinancial contracts held as part of a diversified trading strategy. Additionally, the Partnership’s speculative trading includes equities and exchange-traded funds. The Partnership is exposed to both market risk, the risk arising from changes in the market value of the contracts, and credit risk, the risk of failure by another party to perform according to the terms of a contract.   The purchase and sale of futures and options on futures contracts require margin deposits with FCMs. Additional deposits may be necessary for any loss on contract value. The Commodity Exchange Act requires an FCM to segregate all customer transactions and assets from the FCM’s proprietary activities. A customer’s cash and other property (for example, U.S. Treasury bills) deposited with an FCM are considered commingled with all other customer funds subject to the FCM’s segregation requirements. In the event of an FCM’s insolvency, recovery may be limited to a pro rata share of segregated funds available. It is possible that the recovered amount could be less than the total of cash and other property deposited. The Partnership utilizes Jefferies Bache, LLC, R.J. O’Brien & Associates, LLC, UBS Securities LLC and Newedge USA LLC as its clearing brokers.   The amount of required margin and good faith deposits with the FCMs and interbank market makers usually ranges from 5% to 35% of the Partnership’s net asset value. The cash deposited with the FCMs and interbank market makers at June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 was $61,602,299 and $94,093,764, respectively, which was 11.3% and 14.8% of the net asset value, respectively.   For derivatives, risks arise from changes in the fair value of the contracts. Theoretically, the Partnership is exposed to a market risk equal to the value of futures and forward contracts purchased and unlimited liability on such contracts sold short. As both a buyer and seller of options, the Partnership pays or receives a premium at the outset and then bears the risk of unfavorable changes in the price of the contract underlying the option. Written options expose the Partnership to potentially unlimited liability; for purchased options the risk of loss is limited to the premiums paid.   In addition to market risk, in entering into commodity interest contracts there is a credit risk that a counterparty will not be able to meet its obligations to the Partnership. The counterparty for futures and options on futures contracts traded in the United States and on most non-U.S. futures exchanges is the clearinghouse associated with such exchange. In general, clearinghouses are backed by the corporate members of the clearinghouse who are required to share any financial burden resulting from the nonperformance by one of their members and, as such, should significantly reduce this credit risk. In cases in which the clearinghouse is not backed by the clearing members, like some non-U.S. exchanges, it is normally backed by a consortium of banks or other financial institutions.   In the case of forward contracts, over-the-counter options contracts or swap contracts, which are traded on the interbank or other institutional markets rather than on exchanges, the counterparty is generally a single bank or other financial institution, rather than a clearinghouse backed by a group of financial institutions; thus, there likely will be greater counterparty credit risk. The Partnership trades only with those counterparties that it believes to be creditworthy. All positions of the Partnership are valued each day on a mark-to-market basis. There can be no assurance that any clearing member, clearinghouse or other counterparty will be able to meet its obligations to the Partnership.   Securities sold short represent obligations of the Partnership to deliver specific securities and thereby create a liability to purchase these instruments in the open market at prevailing prices. These transactions may result in market risk not reflected in the consolidated statement of financial condition as the Partnership’s ultimate obligation to satisfy its obligation for trading liabilities may exceed the amount reflected in the consolidated statement of financial condition.   The Partnership maintains deposits with high quality financial institutions in amounts that are in excess of federally insured limits; however, the Partnership does not believe it is exposed to any significant credit risk.   The General Partner has established procedures to actively monitor and minimize market and credit risks. The limited partners bear the risk of loss only to the extent of the fair value of their respective investments and, in certain specific circumstances, distributions and redemptions received. </div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for nature of trading activities of partnership business, services it offers and any risks existing at the date of financial statements that make an entity vulnerable to a reasonably possible, near term, severe impact.No definition available.false0Trading Activities and Related RisksfalseTrading Activities and Related RisksUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.grantparkfunds.com/role/DisclosureTradingActivitiesAndRelatedRisks12