Want to play in the future market? Mutual fund innovator Rydex is going to launch an open-end managed futures fund next month, enabling anyone with at least $2,500 to have access to the future market.

A fast-growing but risky investment strategy is opening up to small investors: managed-futures funds.

These funds, which typically invest in futures contracts tied to currencies, bonds, commodities and other investments, have traditionally come with high fees and minimum net-worth requirements that kept them off limits to many investors. Now, fund companies are planning new products that will give small investors relatively low-cost, easy access to the strategy. And some financial advisers say they're increasingly recommending managed-futures funds to individual investors.

Rydex Investments, Rockville, Md., is set to launch a retail, open-end managed-futures mutual fund in March. With a minimum investment of $2,500 and no income or net-worth requirements, the Rydex Managed Futures Fund is more accessible than most traditional funds of its kind. The fund will allow investors to trade shares daily, whereas many managed-futures funds allow trades only once a month. And while managed-futures funds often charge management fees of 2% of assets as well as hefty performance-based fees, the Rydex fund will charge annual expenses of 1.65%.