The following applies to many (if not most) futures contracts especially those from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT). > Rollover is 8 days before expiration. > Rollover is usually on the second Thursday of the month but will be on the first Thursday if the first day of the month falls on a Friday > Expiration is the third Friday of each quarter month (March, June, September, December) > Rollover is on a Thursday. > New day trading or swing trading positions opened on rollover day should use the new contract month irrespective of when you plan to close it. > Volume shifts to the new contract at market open (09:30 EST) on Rollover day > New swing positions might be better opened using the new contract if opened within a few days of rollover day. > Market myths abound at rollover and expiration. Check the source and confirm the probabilities before believing anything You can find more info here.