1) Derivatives such as financial futures contracts, options, swaps, caps, floors and collars are used to manage interest rate risk.
2) Financial futures contracts work by establishing an agreement between a buyer and seller to deliver an underlying asset at a future date at a set price, allowing investors to hedge against interest rate fluctuations.
3) The basis risk of hedging with futures is the difference between the cash price of the underlying asset and the futures price, which can vary over time and impact hedging effectiveness. Managing the basis is important for successful hedging.