Now that you're looking at Forex trading, what are your expectations? It's important that you keep your feet on the ground and don't allow yourself to get swept away by the many wild and overblown promises you can see all around the Internet. Too many people come to the Forex market with misguided expectations of overnight riches.
Unfortunately, this field is riddled with operators who will promise anything just to part inexperienced and naive beginners from their money. The old adage "if it sounds too good to be true it probably is" continues to be wise advice.
Some beginners, however, are willing participants in their own fleecing. They choose to accept glowing promises that "it's going to be effortless with this system / software / secret" or that "you can get rich almost overnight." They don't want to accept the well-demonstrated truth that Forex trading is a complex set of activities requiring time and effort to master.
Fact - nobody should ever sink serious money into Forex trading before they have gained experience by using a free trial account. Such accounts, offered by many reputable brokers, are easy to find on the Internet. In addition, it's a good idea to take a course, talk to more experienced traders, investigate several brokers and read everything you can find on Forex trading. Look for information in newspapers, financial publications, the Internet and even on television programs specializing in financial news. In other words, it's good to take a professional approach and make yourself knowledgeable on the subject before you start risking your money.
We recommend taking the following five points into consideration at the very start:
Point 1. You can expect negative advice.
If you run out and trumpet your intentions to those around you, be prepared to hear a lot of nay saying. Many people have heard how volatile the currency markets can be, and while the excitement may attract you, others may see it differently. All sorts of "advice" will come your way, from "Why not invest in something safer?" to "Why would you just throw your money away like that?รข€ Recommendation number one - don't waste your energy talking with people who know nothing and can't give any useful advice. Recommendation number two - decide in advance that your mind is already made up; that way, you're less likely to be swayed by those who "only want to help you."
Point 2. You really could lose every penny you invest.
If you want to lose a bundle, it's quite easy. Just plunge headfirst into Forex trading without knowing what you're doing. The best way to protect your money is to educate yourself, and to spend significant time practicing with trial accounts before you put in real money. Learn about stops and other methods that will help you control losses before they suck you down the drain. In other words, have a well-tested strategy, and understand exactly how it works.
Point 3. Expect to feel overwhelmed.
Every beginner in any field will always run into feelings of uncertainty and confusion. From the first time you tried to tie your own shoelaces, to the first day of school, to your first day on your first job, everything new is always an intense experience. Forex trading will be exactly the same, and the best - the only - way to get past it is just that. Get past it... start and don't stop. Only with experience will you become more comfortable with currency trading.
Point 4. Trading is not easy.
Sorry, but that's the obvious truth. If Forex trading were easy, everyone with a little spare money would be doing it! There's a great deal to learn because situations can change quickly and endlessly. Without a broad base of knowledge and experience, you'll be left gasping and puzzled. Fortunately, that's exactly what keeps out the lightweights who don't have the commitment and discipline to master their craft. So provided you do have the character traits trading takes, this is all excellent news for you.
Point 5. Trading is not for every personality type.
Directly related to Point 4 is the obvious fact that some character traits are not a good match for this activity. The Forex market is constantly rising and falling, which can deeply unsettle the fainthearted. It's also not a good fit for those with an addictive personality. Currency trading, when it's done right, is a business of money management, not a game of gambling. For those who are too easily carried away by their emotions, it's always a temptation to invest too much on a whim and suffer heavy losses. Forex trading suits the more cautious, thoughtful investor, one who is less likely to act impulsively or recklessly, but always stays focused and aware of what he's doing.
Rather than feeding you the usual hyped up promises of instant success, we would rather tell it to you straight. Here it is:
If you do a personal inventory and decide that you're an overly impulsive or impatient person, then you should either stay away from currency trading, or make a conscious and dedicated effort to retrain yourself to master success-oriented habits. And if you honestly feel you do have the necessary traits, then you can begin moving now toward a steady, solid success in Forex trading.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
What Can a Forex Trading Robot Do for Your Profits?
One requisite of living in today's world is having money. You cannot eat or maintain your life style without it, so that's why we all work, why we start businesses, why we go to such great lengths to earn the money we need for living. So let's talk about currency trading and the Forex trading robot software.
Of course, there are many different ways to bring in money, and no doubt you have looked at a good number of them. Among them all, possibly the most profitable is trading in the world's largest financial market, the Foreign Exchange (or Forex) market. Not only is the Forex the world's largest financial market, it is also the most liquid, and it operates 24 hours a day, five days a week. With trade generating up to 3 trillion dollars a day, what's not to like about this very exciting market?
If you are an ordinary citizen, with an ordinary job and are looking for a way to earn extra money, you might want to look very closely at entering the Forex market.
But of course, the Forex, like any other business venture, involves risks. People who have rushed in unprepared and traded in Forex without the proper knowledge and skill have lost large amounts of money. Some have even suffered extreme financial loss. This is the best argument for gaining enough knowledge and skill before you begin trading in this market.
Today, thanks to new, highly sophisticated computer software, you can enter this high-potential market more safely and more easily than ever before. This kind of software is often called a Forex trading robot.
Normally, a Forex trading robot is accessed via the Internet. Think of it as hiring a Forex broker to advise you on buying and selling, but instead of a live person, your advisor is a computer program. Since trading robots don't ever need sleep, the software can run 24 hours a day, giving you the advantage of keeping an eye on your investments while you get a little much-needed sleep yourself.
As you probably recognize, the two big differences between professional Forex traders and beginners is the level of experience they command and the amount of money they have for investing. Well, what if somebody could bottle experience and sell you a barrel or two? That's exactly what's happening when you begin using a Forex trading robot. And the other difference the money will come with time and patience, especially when you have an expert program keeping you more profitable.
'
That program will watch your money 24 hours a day, meaning you may never miss another potentially profitable day in the Forex market. And if you're still working a day job, it'll be there for you, even when you can't be.
This is now possible with a Forex trading robot. However, before you subscribe to one, you first absolutely must determine if the software can really work to your advantage. You have to decide whether the software can really trade effectively and efficiently enough for your needs.
You should also look for advanced trading features such as:
* 24 hour a day operation
You want this feature in a robot because you can't be awake to watch your account every minute of every day.
* Low investment requirements
A Forex trading robot should be affordable.
* Up-to-date trading automation technology
Since it's your money at risk, make sure you choose software with the latest trading technology available.
With the features listed above, you are more assured of really earning money.
Forex trading robots are perfect for people who are eager to get involved in the Forex market but haven't yet mastered all the knowledge and skills needed to trade currencies.
It is great for people who have, up until now, been afraid to invest in the Forex. You can also benefit from this type of software if you want to concentrate mainly on your day job and still earn cash in the market. Of course, the software is not a total hands-off arrangement. You still must oversee what it's doing, since it will be acting as your advisor, not as an independent agent.
Investing in the Forex market can be a highly profitable way to bring in the extra cash you need. However, you should always remember that in Forex, you need to invest money to earn money. Even more importantly, you should never invest money you can't afford to lose. Never bet your mortgage payment nor the kids' tuition money.
Always remember that although many people have made huge profits in the Forex market, nothing is guaranteed. There are always risks, and you will lose money from time to time. But with a Forex trading robot advising you, it may be possible to minimize the risk of losing money and increase your chances of earning 24 hours a day. With the right software helping out, you may never miss another trading day on the Forex market.
Of course, there are many different ways to bring in money, and no doubt you have looked at a good number of them. Among them all, possibly the most profitable is trading in the world's largest financial market, the Foreign Exchange (or Forex) market. Not only is the Forex the world's largest financial market, it is also the most liquid, and it operates 24 hours a day, five days a week. With trade generating up to 3 trillion dollars a day, what's not to like about this very exciting market?
If you are an ordinary citizen, with an ordinary job and are looking for a way to earn extra money, you might want to look very closely at entering the Forex market.
But of course, the Forex, like any other business venture, involves risks. People who have rushed in unprepared and traded in Forex without the proper knowledge and skill have lost large amounts of money. Some have even suffered extreme financial loss. This is the best argument for gaining enough knowledge and skill before you begin trading in this market.
Today, thanks to new, highly sophisticated computer software, you can enter this high-potential market more safely and more easily than ever before. This kind of software is often called a Forex trading robot.
Normally, a Forex trading robot is accessed via the Internet. Think of it as hiring a Forex broker to advise you on buying and selling, but instead of a live person, your advisor is a computer program. Since trading robots don't ever need sleep, the software can run 24 hours a day, giving you the advantage of keeping an eye on your investments while you get a little much-needed sleep yourself.
As you probably recognize, the two big differences between professional Forex traders and beginners is the level of experience they command and the amount of money they have for investing. Well, what if somebody could bottle experience and sell you a barrel or two? That's exactly what's happening when you begin using a Forex trading robot. And the other difference the money will come with time and patience, especially when you have an expert program keeping you more profitable.
'
That program will watch your money 24 hours a day, meaning you may never miss another potentially profitable day in the Forex market. And if you're still working a day job, it'll be there for you, even when you can't be.
This is now possible with a Forex trading robot. However, before you subscribe to one, you first absolutely must determine if the software can really work to your advantage. You have to decide whether the software can really trade effectively and efficiently enough for your needs.
You should also look for advanced trading features such as:
* 24 hour a day operation
You want this feature in a robot because you can't be awake to watch your account every minute of every day.
* Low investment requirements
A Forex trading robot should be affordable.
* Up-to-date trading automation technology
Since it's your money at risk, make sure you choose software with the latest trading technology available.
With the features listed above, you are more assured of really earning money.
Forex trading robots are perfect for people who are eager to get involved in the Forex market but haven't yet mastered all the knowledge and skills needed to trade currencies.
It is great for people who have, up until now, been afraid to invest in the Forex. You can also benefit from this type of software if you want to concentrate mainly on your day job and still earn cash in the market. Of course, the software is not a total hands-off arrangement. You still must oversee what it's doing, since it will be acting as your advisor, not as an independent agent.
Investing in the Forex market can be a highly profitable way to bring in the extra cash you need. However, you should always remember that in Forex, you need to invest money to earn money. Even more importantly, you should never invest money you can't afford to lose. Never bet your mortgage payment nor the kids' tuition money.
Always remember that although many people have made huge profits in the Forex market, nothing is guaranteed. There are always risks, and you will lose money from time to time. But with a Forex trading robot advising you, it may be possible to minimize the risk of losing money and increase your chances of earning 24 hours a day. With the right software helping out, you may never miss another trading day on the Forex market.
Knowing the Ins and Outs of Chandelier Exit
Have you ever heard of a stop placement strategy that trails stop based on previous 'high' points? It is called Chandelier exit as it hangs down from the high point or the ceiling of our trade, just as a chandelier hangs from a room ceiling. The distance, which is usually calculated from the high point to the trailing stop; could also be calculated in dollars or in contract based points. However, the value of this trailing stop moves upward very promptly as higher highs is reached.
The Chandelier Exit, which has a trailing stop from either the highest high of the trade or the highest close of the trade, is best measured in units of Average True Range (ATR). One of the many factors leading to use ATR for measuring the distance from the high to our stop is that, it is pertinent across markets and is adaptive to changes in unpredictability.
The essence of this calculative measure is that, even on expansion and contraction of trading ranges, our stop will automatically adjust and move to the apt level, thereby, constantly staying in tune with changing market conditions. Chandelier Exit is one of the most tried exit methodology used across a varied portfolio of futures markets to generate profitable test results.
The Chandelier Exit, which has a trailing stop from either the highest high of the trade or the highest close of the trade, is best measured in units of Average True Range (ATR). One of the many factors leading to use ATR for measuring the distance from the high to our stop is that, it is pertinent across markets and is adaptive to changes in unpredictability.
The essence of this calculative measure is that, even on expansion and contraction of trading ranges, our stop will automatically adjust and move to the apt level, thereby, constantly staying in tune with changing market conditions. Chandelier Exit is one of the most tried exit methodology used across a varied portfolio of futures markets to generate profitable test results.
It is imperative that the changes in unpredictability can curtail or stretch the distance to the actual stop, since the highs used to hang the Chandelier move only upward. However, in order to witness less fluctuation in the stop distance, you can use a longer moving average to calculate Average True Range. In other ways, shorter moving average is required, in case you want the stop placement to be more adaptive to fluctuating market conditions.
When short averages for the ATR is used; brief periods of small ranges can bring the stops too close, abnormally resulting in premature exit. To avoid this, you can have a short and highly adaptive ATR while calculating a short average and a longer average and using the average that produces the widest stop.
Although Chandelier Exit differs from Channel Exit (which trails a stop based on previous 'low' points), the combination of both, where the trade is initialized by the trailing Channel Exit and then adding the Chandelier Exit, after the price has moved away from the entrance point, will help in making the open trade lucrative. Here the Channel Exit is fastened at a low point and does not move up as new profits are accomplished. At the same time, it is necessary to have the Chandelier Exit at the right position so that the exits are never too far away from the high point of the trade.
The fundamentals behind combining the exit techniques, Channel and Chandelier exit is that, while Channel Exit as a suitable stop that very steadily rises at the commencement of the trade, switching over to Chandelier Exit is necessary to ensure better exit that protects more of our profit. This feature makes Chandelier Exit one of the most sought after rational exits from the profitable trades.
The Chandelier Exit, which has a trailing stop from either the highest high of the trade or the highest close of the trade, is best measured in units of Average True Range (ATR). One of the many factors leading to use ATR for measuring the distance from the high to our stop is that, it is pertinent across markets and is adaptive to changes in unpredictability.
The essence of this calculative measure is that, even on expansion and contraction of trading ranges, our stop will automatically adjust and move to the apt level, thereby, constantly staying in tune with changing market conditions. Chandelier Exit is one of the most tried exit methodology used across a varied portfolio of futures markets to generate profitable test results.
The Chandelier Exit, which has a trailing stop from either the highest high of the trade or the highest close of the trade, is best measured in units of Average True Range (ATR). One of the many factors leading to use ATR for measuring the distance from the high to our stop is that, it is pertinent across markets and is adaptive to changes in unpredictability.
The essence of this calculative measure is that, even on expansion and contraction of trading ranges, our stop will automatically adjust and move to the apt level, thereby, constantly staying in tune with changing market conditions. Chandelier Exit is one of the most tried exit methodology used across a varied portfolio of futures markets to generate profitable test results.
It is imperative that the changes in unpredictability can curtail or stretch the distance to the actual stop, since the highs used to hang the Chandelier move only upward. However, in order to witness less fluctuation in the stop distance, you can use a longer moving average to calculate Average True Range. In other ways, shorter moving average is required, in case you want the stop placement to be more adaptive to fluctuating market conditions.
When short averages for the ATR is used; brief periods of small ranges can bring the stops too close, abnormally resulting in premature exit. To avoid this, you can have a short and highly adaptive ATR while calculating a short average and a longer average and using the average that produces the widest stop.
Although Chandelier Exit differs from Channel Exit (which trails a stop based on previous 'low' points), the combination of both, where the trade is initialized by the trailing Channel Exit and then adding the Chandelier Exit, after the price has moved away from the entrance point, will help in making the open trade lucrative. Here the Channel Exit is fastened at a low point and does not move up as new profits are accomplished. At the same time, it is necessary to have the Chandelier Exit at the right position so that the exits are never too far away from the high point of the trade.
The fundamentals behind combining the exit techniques, Channel and Chandelier exit is that, while Channel Exit as a suitable stop that very steadily rises at the commencement of the trade, switching over to Chandelier Exit is necessary to ensure better exit that protects more of our profit. This feature makes Chandelier Exit one of the most sought after rational exits from the profitable trades.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
The Forex Trading Basics
Trading is probably as old as mankind itself. It's been there since man learned that he could trade his extra stone knife and five arrow heads for somebody else's nice warm fur blanket. These days we call it bartering, but it's the same process.
And these days we've gotten more sophisticated with our trading. Now we use something called money to stand in for the blankets and the knives, but we're still trading our ability to work and produce something useful in exchange for somebody else's goods that we want.
But now, trading is not only about goods or services, it has grown into something much more than that.
Now we're trading one region's money for another region's money because we've learned that their relative values can vary, sometimes significantly. The first enterprising souls to notice this were the world's first currency traders, taking their profits from the buying and selling of actual banknotes and coins.
But today the whole process has been formalized into what we call the Foreign Exchange (or Forex) market. And it has attracted a lot of action. Up to $3 trillion a day worth of action, in fact.
Forex trading simply involves the buying and/or selling of different foreign currencies in the global market. Many investors today don't consider it enough to have a portfolio stuffed only with bonds, mutual funds and stocks.
One of the strongest appeals of the Forex market is its 24-hour open door. On the world clock, a trading day starts in Sydney, Australia and steps from time zone to time zone around the world until it reaches New York city, the last market to open each day. And it does this five days a week, closing only on the weekend.
Almost every country has its own currency, but on the Forex market, it's mostly the so-called "major" currencies that are traded. These currencies are highly regarded because their issuing countries are politically and economically more stable than most other currencies (most of the time).
The major currencies that are traded in the FX market are the Euro, the British Pound, the Japanese Yen and the Swiss Franc, as well as the dollars of Canada, Australia and the USA.
Most people, when they first learn of Forex trading, find it all a bit strange. Typically, money is used to buy goods and services, not other types of money. However, it's not really all that hard to understand. Just think of traveling to another country. Once you arrive, you go to a currency exchange or a bank and trade your dollars or Euros to buy ringits or yen. Then when you return home, you do the same in reverse. Sometimes the value has changed between the two exchanges, and you make a small profit or lose a bit.
Well, that's exactly what a Forex trader does, but he does it much more often, and usually with much larger sums of money. Also, he's not doing it because of travel but because he believes he foresees a coming shift in the exchange rate. In other words, he sees an opportunity to make a profit and seizes it. If he knows what he's doing, the profits can be both big and consistent.
So how do you get into the Forex market?
It's surprisingly easy to enter, although it's not quite as easy to rack up steady profits.
You'll need a computer and fast Internet connection. You'll also need seed money to cover your first trades. Minimum deposit requirements vary, but considering the opportunities available, even the higher entry fees are surprisingly low.
You can choose from among many software programs available for logging in to your account and placing your trades. The software also allows you to receive alerts on market conditions, rates, and other important information. The more sophisticated software can recommend when to buy or sell.
Forex trading can be an exciting way to make money, but when done in the wrong way, it can get very expensive. Learning what you're doing before you start trading is crucial. Do your research and your due diligence. Learn what the business is about. Set up a dummy account with a broker and do lots of paper trades so that you fully understand the entire process. Stay with this long enough to become comfortable.
In addition, read comments and advice from other traders... many other traders. It's important to have a strong grasp of the strategies you'll need day-in and day-out. This is a business, and it's important that you treat it with the respect that a sophisticated, highly profitable business deserves.
This mindset of professionalism and responsibility are fundamental to any success you expect to build. Without such a mindset, you're nothing but another gambler and you'll lose more than you win.
Forex trading is more risky than stocks and bonds. But it also holds out the promise of much higher returns. Lightning can strike within seconds or minutes sometimes.
Don't ever forget, ordinary mortals can take part in Forex trading. Just because 98% of all trading is done by huge financial institutions and multinationals, don't think there won't be any "left-overs" for you. People from all walks of life are involved in that other 2% of Forex trading. Consider - just 2% of Forex's daily $3 trillion volume leaves some very large chunks of opportunity up for grabs.
When you go looking for a system or strategy to guide your trades, don't just seize the first one you find. Do your homework. Take advantage of free trial versions of software. Look for customer testimonials. And after carefully considering all the factors involved, you can choose a system for your trading.
Another important factor - check out the brokers and choose one who can effectively help you devise a trading strategy that fits your goals and your personality.
If you truly want to make it big in the Forex market, use all available resources to learn your new business well. The average newcomer to Forex trading is impatient and wants to go straight to the "good stuff." Their impatience assures they'll never get to the good stuff and instead suffer mainly losses and disappointment.
Be determined. Be disciplined. Take the long-term view always. This will instantly set you apart from the losers. Once you have a good, solid knowledge of Forex trading basics, coupled with a well-tested strategy, you have a much better than average chance of making consistent profits in currency trading. After all, isn't that exactly what you're aiming for?
And these days we've gotten more sophisticated with our trading. Now we use something called money to stand in for the blankets and the knives, but we're still trading our ability to work and produce something useful in exchange for somebody else's goods that we want.
But now, trading is not only about goods or services, it has grown into something much more than that.
Now we're trading one region's money for another region's money because we've learned that their relative values can vary, sometimes significantly. The first enterprising souls to notice this were the world's first currency traders, taking their profits from the buying and selling of actual banknotes and coins.
But today the whole process has been formalized into what we call the Foreign Exchange (or Forex) market. And it has attracted a lot of action. Up to $3 trillion a day worth of action, in fact.
Forex trading simply involves the buying and/or selling of different foreign currencies in the global market. Many investors today don't consider it enough to have a portfolio stuffed only with bonds, mutual funds and stocks.
One of the strongest appeals of the Forex market is its 24-hour open door. On the world clock, a trading day starts in Sydney, Australia and steps from time zone to time zone around the world until it reaches New York city, the last market to open each day. And it does this five days a week, closing only on the weekend.
Almost every country has its own currency, but on the Forex market, it's mostly the so-called "major" currencies that are traded. These currencies are highly regarded because their issuing countries are politically and economically more stable than most other currencies (most of the time).
The major currencies that are traded in the FX market are the Euro, the British Pound, the Japanese Yen and the Swiss Franc, as well as the dollars of Canada, Australia and the USA.
Most people, when they first learn of Forex trading, find it all a bit strange. Typically, money is used to buy goods and services, not other types of money. However, it's not really all that hard to understand. Just think of traveling to another country. Once you arrive, you go to a currency exchange or a bank and trade your dollars or Euros to buy ringits or yen. Then when you return home, you do the same in reverse. Sometimes the value has changed between the two exchanges, and you make a small profit or lose a bit.
Well, that's exactly what a Forex trader does, but he does it much more often, and usually with much larger sums of money. Also, he's not doing it because of travel but because he believes he foresees a coming shift in the exchange rate. In other words, he sees an opportunity to make a profit and seizes it. If he knows what he's doing, the profits can be both big and consistent.
So how do you get into the Forex market?
It's surprisingly easy to enter, although it's not quite as easy to rack up steady profits.
You'll need a computer and fast Internet connection. You'll also need seed money to cover your first trades. Minimum deposit requirements vary, but considering the opportunities available, even the higher entry fees are surprisingly low.
You can choose from among many software programs available for logging in to your account and placing your trades. The software also allows you to receive alerts on market conditions, rates, and other important information. The more sophisticated software can recommend when to buy or sell.
Forex trading can be an exciting way to make money, but when done in the wrong way, it can get very expensive. Learning what you're doing before you start trading is crucial. Do your research and your due diligence. Learn what the business is about. Set up a dummy account with a broker and do lots of paper trades so that you fully understand the entire process. Stay with this long enough to become comfortable.
In addition, read comments and advice from other traders... many other traders. It's important to have a strong grasp of the strategies you'll need day-in and day-out. This is a business, and it's important that you treat it with the respect that a sophisticated, highly profitable business deserves.
This mindset of professionalism and responsibility are fundamental to any success you expect to build. Without such a mindset, you're nothing but another gambler and you'll lose more than you win.
Forex trading is more risky than stocks and bonds. But it also holds out the promise of much higher returns. Lightning can strike within seconds or minutes sometimes.
Don't ever forget, ordinary mortals can take part in Forex trading. Just because 98% of all trading is done by huge financial institutions and multinationals, don't think there won't be any "left-overs" for you. People from all walks of life are involved in that other 2% of Forex trading. Consider - just 2% of Forex's daily $3 trillion volume leaves some very large chunks of opportunity up for grabs.
When you go looking for a system or strategy to guide your trades, don't just seize the first one you find. Do your homework. Take advantage of free trial versions of software. Look for customer testimonials. And after carefully considering all the factors involved, you can choose a system for your trading.
Another important factor - check out the brokers and choose one who can effectively help you devise a trading strategy that fits your goals and your personality.
If you truly want to make it big in the Forex market, use all available resources to learn your new business well. The average newcomer to Forex trading is impatient and wants to go straight to the "good stuff." Their impatience assures they'll never get to the good stuff and instead suffer mainly losses and disappointment.
Be determined. Be disciplined. Take the long-term view always. This will instantly set you apart from the losers. Once you have a good, solid knowledge of Forex trading basics, coupled with a well-tested strategy, you have a much better than average chance of making consistent profits in currency trading. After all, isn't that exactly what you're aiming for?
Reading a Forex Quote
Total newbies to the foreign exchange market can find reading a Forex quite intimidating (even baffling) at first. In fact, this is the most common initial hurdle. The quote is brief, but it packs in a great deal of useful information. And although it doesn't make a lick of sense to a newcomer, here's a quick, simple explanation of what it means.
A Forex quote is always based on a pair of currencies, where you're simultaneously selling one currency and buying another. And there are two prices, one for selling and the other for buying (bid price and ask price). When reading a Forex quote, it might typically look like this: USD/JPY 106.52/56
The first currency is called the base currency and the other is the quote currency. The base currency value is always 1 (in this case 1 US dollar). The number in the quote tells you how many of the quote currency (Japanese yen) you can buy with one US dollar.
And that number - 106.52/56 - is a shortened version of two numbers (106.52 and 106.56). The lower number is the bid price; the other is the ask price. The bid price shows how much a dealer will buy the base currency for. The ask price shows how much a dealer is willing to sell it for.
If you saw 106.52/56 when reading a Forex quote, it would mean that you could sell US dollars and receive 106.52 yen per dollar. On the other hand, if you wanted to buy US dollars, you would have to pay 106.56 yen for each dollar.
The difference between the bid price and the ask price in a Forex quote is called the "spread," and each tiny 0.01 unit is called a "pip." In our example, the spread for our USD/JPY quote is four pips. The spread for the most commonly traded currencies is usually that small. In general, you'll do most of your trading in US dollars, Japanese yen, Great Britain pounds, Euros, Swiss francs or Australian dollars. Also please keep in mind that when the competition really heats up some spreads will be as small as one pip.
On the other hand, for less heavily traded currencies, you may run into much larger spreads. But don't think that a small spread means tiny profits (or losses). When you're trading hundreds of thousands of units, even that one pip spread can mean big money.
Let's say you're dealing with just 100 US dollars. Selling your hundred dollars for 10,652 yen and buying them for 10,656 yen only amounts to a four yen difference. But most Forex traders will be dealing with amounts of 100,000 US dollars (or many multiples). So now we know, when reading a Forex quote, that even such an unimpressive little four-pip spread amounts to considerably more (at 4,000 yen, and probably several multiples of that).
And of course, similar trades may be repeated throughout the day and the week. This means that anytime you're reading a Forex quote, you'll recognize that this tiny little spread is more important than its meager size at first suggests.
A Forex quote is always based on a pair of currencies, where you're simultaneously selling one currency and buying another. And there are two prices, one for selling and the other for buying (bid price and ask price). When reading a Forex quote, it might typically look like this: USD/JPY 106.52/56
The first currency is called the base currency and the other is the quote currency. The base currency value is always 1 (in this case 1 US dollar). The number in the quote tells you how many of the quote currency (Japanese yen) you can buy with one US dollar.
And that number - 106.52/56 - is a shortened version of two numbers (106.52 and 106.56). The lower number is the bid price; the other is the ask price. The bid price shows how much a dealer will buy the base currency for. The ask price shows how much a dealer is willing to sell it for.
If you saw 106.52/56 when reading a Forex quote, it would mean that you could sell US dollars and receive 106.52 yen per dollar. On the other hand, if you wanted to buy US dollars, you would have to pay 106.56 yen for each dollar.
The difference between the bid price and the ask price in a Forex quote is called the "spread," and each tiny 0.01 unit is called a "pip." In our example, the spread for our USD/JPY quote is four pips. The spread for the most commonly traded currencies is usually that small. In general, you'll do most of your trading in US dollars, Japanese yen, Great Britain pounds, Euros, Swiss francs or Australian dollars. Also please keep in mind that when the competition really heats up some spreads will be as small as one pip.
On the other hand, for less heavily traded currencies, you may run into much larger spreads. But don't think that a small spread means tiny profits (or losses). When you're trading hundreds of thousands of units, even that one pip spread can mean big money.
Let's say you're dealing with just 100 US dollars. Selling your hundred dollars for 10,652 yen and buying them for 10,656 yen only amounts to a four yen difference. But most Forex traders will be dealing with amounts of 100,000 US dollars (or many multiples). So now we know, when reading a Forex quote, that even such an unimpressive little four-pip spread amounts to considerably more (at 4,000 yen, and probably several multiples of that).
And of course, similar trades may be repeated throughout the day and the week. This means that anytime you're reading a Forex quote, you'll recognize that this tiny little spread is more important than its meager size at first suggests.
Benefits of Using a Forex Signals Provider
The Forex market can be intimidating and confusing if you are a beginner. Experts and gurus have spent years acquiring experience and knowledge by making expensive mistakes. If you are venturing into forex for the first time, it's almost a guarantee that you will lose money. You may lack the knowledge and skills to make profitable trades.
To overcome the challenges ahead, have two options. The first option is to learn everything on your own. However, as mentioned earlier, be prepared to lose money to pick up the lessons. Also, the learning curve is rather steep. The complex and sophisticated analysis methods can put the most intelligent people off. Not everyone wants to get involved in research and analysis. For sure, it's more fun to be trading and making money in real time.
The second option, is to use a forex signals provider. A forex signals provider is a service provider. To use the service, you will have to join as a member and pay subscription fees. But many service providers claim that the fees are very affordable. That may be true, assuming that you make lots of profits based on the signals that are provided by the service provider.
There are a few special benefits that deserve special mention.
1) Ability to move around while waiting for signal instructions.
You don't have to be hooked to your computer when using a signal service provider. Signal instructions can now be emailed or SMS to you. That means you can be receiving instructions even when you are on the move. You may then execute the trade based on the instructions you receive.
2) Shorten the learning curve.
This is a huge benefit. Instead of spending all your time learning how the forex market works, you can start trading immediately. You can skip right past the complex analysis stage and get involved in the action.
3) Minimize trading risk.
For all new traders, all trades are considered risky due to lack of knowledge and skills. If you don't wish to lose money upfront, then you have to depend on a forex signal provider for reliable instructions. All the decisions are made for you by the service provider - when to buy, when to sell, and what is the stop and loss entry.
4) No need to monitor trades manually.
Sometimes, forex traders get up in the middle of the night just to trade an order. With the instructions given, you don't have to do that anymore. Simply execute the order based on the instructions.
To start trading in the forex market, all you need is an Internet connection, a little money (to start trading), and a forex signals membership. The membership will provide you with signal instructions. You wait for the instructions to arrive, and you execute the order. Once you have done that, all you need to do is to wait for the trade to become profitable.
Before you start investing with real money, you can trade based on the instructions you receive on a hypothetical basis. Once you acquire enough confidence, you may then start trading with real money.
To overcome the challenges ahead, have two options. The first option is to learn everything on your own. However, as mentioned earlier, be prepared to lose money to pick up the lessons. Also, the learning curve is rather steep. The complex and sophisticated analysis methods can put the most intelligent people off. Not everyone wants to get involved in research and analysis. For sure, it's more fun to be trading and making money in real time.
The second option, is to use a forex signals provider. A forex signals provider is a service provider. To use the service, you will have to join as a member and pay subscription fees. But many service providers claim that the fees are very affordable. That may be true, assuming that you make lots of profits based on the signals that are provided by the service provider.
There are a few special benefits that deserve special mention.
1) Ability to move around while waiting for signal instructions.
You don't have to be hooked to your computer when using a signal service provider. Signal instructions can now be emailed or SMS to you. That means you can be receiving instructions even when you are on the move. You may then execute the trade based on the instructions you receive.
2) Shorten the learning curve.
This is a huge benefit. Instead of spending all your time learning how the forex market works, you can start trading immediately. You can skip right past the complex analysis stage and get involved in the action.
3) Minimize trading risk.
For all new traders, all trades are considered risky due to lack of knowledge and skills. If you don't wish to lose money upfront, then you have to depend on a forex signal provider for reliable instructions. All the decisions are made for you by the service provider - when to buy, when to sell, and what is the stop and loss entry.
4) No need to monitor trades manually.
Sometimes, forex traders get up in the middle of the night just to trade an order. With the instructions given, you don't have to do that anymore. Simply execute the order based on the instructions.
To start trading in the forex market, all you need is an Internet connection, a little money (to start trading), and a forex signals membership. The membership will provide you with signal instructions. You wait for the instructions to arrive, and you execute the order. Once you have done that, all you need to do is to wait for the trade to become profitable.
Before you start investing with real money, you can trade based on the instructions you receive on a hypothetical basis. Once you acquire enough confidence, you may then start trading with real money.
Online Trading, an Option for Transnational Trade
Global deal is exchange of capital, trade goods, and services across transnational frames or territories. In the most of nations, it acts a significant percentage of gross domestic product (GDP). While transnational switch has been represented throughout lots of history (see Silk Road, Amber Road) the economic, cultural, and policy-making importance has been along the rise in last centuries. Industrialization, manufacturers, advanced transportation, globalization, international corporations, and outsourcing are completely having a major affect on the global trade scheme.
Trading globally makes consumers and nations the chance to be exposed to trade goods and services that are not available in their personal nations. Almost each form of product can be seen on the transnational market: food, dress, spare parts, oil, jewellery, wine, stocks, currencies and water. Services are as well traded: tourism, banking, consulting and transportation. A product that is sold to the transnational market is an export, and a product that is bought from the transnational market is an import. Exports and Imports are calculated for in a country's ongoing account in the balance of payments.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, big companies gain up approximately 4 % of U.S. Exports which signifies that 96% of exporters are small companies. Why is transnational trade so crucial to scratch small businesses? In several cases, the products or services you may care to market are not accessible or created in your domicile area. For good example, consider about selling cashmere sweaters. You may need to turn an importer in order to compete with imported products sold by your competitors.
Online business can frequently start trading internationally with very little effort. The internet has transformed things. Your site can be your shop window in some number of nations. You don't require a physical front in each territory to deal there.
A Study by Georgios Papastamkos, MEP on Worldwide Trade on the cyberspace emphasised that the online circumstances for small and medium-size enterprises are especially good since they give more opportunities to get across conventional commercial schemes rather than they had even a . Enterprises are effective to prepare their internet sale points easily, rapidly and at small cost, thereby reaching a higher stage of competitiveness.
If your business is running in a niche, with a relatively smaller internal market, looking to another nations can help you widen your audience with surprisingly little effort. And if your trade goods or services appeal to a larger audience, moving into outside marketplaces gives you the chance to reach a wide number of potency recent clients. It could actually rise your receipts and profits.
Still, in a bigger market there will be more competitor from local companies. It can be heavy to equal up on price or fulfilment when sending internationally, so you might let to modify your proposition to have an touch.
It's not only for producer but for consumers are also receiving profits by online trading,. Since they enjoy a very large option between commodities and services, competitive pricing, lower living costs and a improve excellent of life, they as well don't require to go out to surf all products and services even from wholesale suppliers. They are now better able to compare merchandises and services since they gain access more data on online trading.
Trading globally makes consumers and nations the chance to be exposed to trade goods and services that are not available in their personal nations. Almost each form of product can be seen on the transnational market: food, dress, spare parts, oil, jewellery, wine, stocks, currencies and water. Services are as well traded: tourism, banking, consulting and transportation. A product that is sold to the transnational market is an export, and a product that is bought from the transnational market is an import. Exports and Imports are calculated for in a country's ongoing account in the balance of payments.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, big companies gain up approximately 4 % of U.S. Exports which signifies that 96% of exporters are small companies. Why is transnational trade so crucial to scratch small businesses? In several cases, the products or services you may care to market are not accessible or created in your domicile area. For good example, consider about selling cashmere sweaters. You may need to turn an importer in order to compete with imported products sold by your competitors.
Online business can frequently start trading internationally with very little effort. The internet has transformed things. Your site can be your shop window in some number of nations. You don't require a physical front in each territory to deal there.
A Study by Georgios Papastamkos, MEP on Worldwide Trade on the cyberspace emphasised that the online circumstances for small and medium-size enterprises are especially good since they give more opportunities to get across conventional commercial schemes rather than they had even a . Enterprises are effective to prepare their internet sale points easily, rapidly and at small cost, thereby reaching a higher stage of competitiveness.
If your business is running in a niche, with a relatively smaller internal market, looking to another nations can help you widen your audience with surprisingly little effort. And if your trade goods or services appeal to a larger audience, moving into outside marketplaces gives you the chance to reach a wide number of potency recent clients. It could actually rise your receipts and profits.
Still, in a bigger market there will be more competitor from local companies. It can be heavy to equal up on price or fulfilment when sending internationally, so you might let to modify your proposition to have an touch.
It's not only for producer but for consumers are also receiving profits by online trading,. Since they enjoy a very large option between commodities and services, competitive pricing, lower living costs and a improve excellent of life, they as well don't require to go out to surf all products and services even from wholesale suppliers. They are now better able to compare merchandises and services since they gain access more data on online trading.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
What is a forex broker?
Have you ever felt intrigued by the many advertisements on high leverage and great profit potential involved in currency trading? The golden gate of the kingdom of money, we are told, is reached by the road of forex. Are forex brokers highway robbers infesting that road, or honest dealers making our journey easier? We'll discuss the brokerage business in this article.
A forex broker is the mediator between the retail and wholesale forex markets The wholesale market is comprised of banks and similar large institutions, and the retail market, of course, includes individual traders who are seeking to acquire speculative gains. Forex brokers are not traders themselves, but occasionally they will have their own staff trading the market on their behalf.
Forex brokers allow retail traders to interact with the markets, and are compensated for their services through the bid-ask spread which is the difference between the price a trader must accept to sell (bid), and the price he must pay to buy(ask) a currency. Since forex traders suffer losses often, brokers make the utmost effort to protect themselves. First, they net out the positions of their clients with entries on the opposite side. Since the vast majority of forex traders lose money, by entering the opposite order they usually make profits. And they also protect themselves by activating margin calls in case that a trader's account value falls below a threshold level (margin requirement).
At the inception of the forex brokerage business, retail trading was largely unregulated as authorities did not possess the expertise and background for effective oversight. Today, however, numerous regulatory bodies which include the CFTC in the U.S., the BaFin in Germany, and the FSA in the U.K. ensure a healthy, legal and competitive environment by maintaining strict regulation of the business. As such, one of the most important considerations for a beginning forex trader is guaranteeing that the broker is regulated by the relevant national authority.
In general, today's laws and regulations do not protect forex traders in the same way that stock traders are protected. Accounts opened with online stock brokers are usually protected against broker insolvency by up to $100000, and yet there is no equivalent protection for forex traders. UK-based brokers are required to segregate client assets from the firm's own capital, and so, creditors cannot press claims against forex traders if an FSA regulated broker goes bankrupt.
Forex trading is a great, profitable career for the committed individual. And a carefully scrutinized, patiently selected broker can be an excellent partner for a successful forex trader. Ultimately, finding the right broker is not just about screening forex broker lists, but improving our own discipline, and analytical skills in determining what we want from trading. Set your goals right, and you can reach them in due time. Vacillate in defining your aims, and success will likewise hesitate to come your path.
A forex broker is the mediator between the retail and wholesale forex markets The wholesale market is comprised of banks and similar large institutions, and the retail market, of course, includes individual traders who are seeking to acquire speculative gains. Forex brokers are not traders themselves, but occasionally they will have their own staff trading the market on their behalf.
Forex brokers allow retail traders to interact with the markets, and are compensated for their services through the bid-ask spread which is the difference between the price a trader must accept to sell (bid), and the price he must pay to buy(ask) a currency. Since forex traders suffer losses often, brokers make the utmost effort to protect themselves. First, they net out the positions of their clients with entries on the opposite side. Since the vast majority of forex traders lose money, by entering the opposite order they usually make profits. And they also protect themselves by activating margin calls in case that a trader's account value falls below a threshold level (margin requirement).
At the inception of the forex brokerage business, retail trading was largely unregulated as authorities did not possess the expertise and background for effective oversight. Today, however, numerous regulatory bodies which include the CFTC in the U.S., the BaFin in Germany, and the FSA in the U.K. ensure a healthy, legal and competitive environment by maintaining strict regulation of the business. As such, one of the most important considerations for a beginning forex trader is guaranteeing that the broker is regulated by the relevant national authority.
In general, today's laws and regulations do not protect forex traders in the same way that stock traders are protected. Accounts opened with online stock brokers are usually protected against broker insolvency by up to $100000, and yet there is no equivalent protection for forex traders. UK-based brokers are required to segregate client assets from the firm's own capital, and so, creditors cannot press claims against forex traders if an FSA regulated broker goes bankrupt.
Forex trading is a great, profitable career for the committed individual. And a carefully scrutinized, patiently selected broker can be an excellent partner for a successful forex trader. Ultimately, finding the right broker is not just about screening forex broker lists, but improving our own discipline, and analytical skills in determining what we want from trading. Set your goals right, and you can reach them in due time. Vacillate in defining your aims, and success will likewise hesitate to come your path.
Learn How To Make Money On The Forex Market
Forex trading is trading the currency of a country for the currency of a different country at their current exchange rate. Futures trading, which is based on a currency's future value is different all together but many people get the two confused. You may also see Forex referred to as FORX, FourX, or even 4X when you perform a search on the internet. All Forex trading is conducted through brokers or market makers so it is important to do your research before funding a margin account which is required for trading.
If you are interested in trading on the Forex, it is important that you do your research. Read what others are saying and if they have made or lost money trading on the Forex. Learn the language of trading on the Forex. You need to know the language that is used so that you won't be confused by the information that you read. Traders try to capture points or pips. A pip is a point in the currency trading community. Forex trading is also called Spot trading or trading on the Spot market.
Don't invest more than you can afford to risk! Funding your margin account should only be done with funds that, if lost, will not significantly impact your financial well being. Trading on the Forex involves a certain amount of risk as does investing in the stock market. Don't invest your life savings on the Forex, especially if you are a beginner to currency trading. A good rule for beginners is to only invest an amount that you can afford to and then build upon that as you make successful trades. You should not invest money that you must have to live on in either the stock market or Forex.
You finance your trading with your margin account which guarantees other traders that you can pay them if you lose on the Forex. A margin account is a bond account, a place to deposit your money and an account to withdraw money from when necessary. Forex trading is performed in lots and you use your margin account to buy the right to trade lots of currency on the foreign exchange. These lots of currency are equal to differing amounts of USD which depends on their trading value versus the dollar. You purchase the right to trade lots of currency with the funds held in your margin account.
Choose your trading firm sensibly when you decide to invest in currency trading on the Foreign Exchange Market. Current Federal regulations don't allow Forex trading firms to guarantee the performance of any Forex currency trading system. Look for a reputable Forex trader that has the credentials to back up their claims of performance. A professional Forex trader is educated and disciplined to follow their method of trading using good judgment to lessen the risk of currency trading. Don't let greed get in the way of good sense when considering an investment in Forex although there is money to be made trading currency.
If you are interested in trading on the Forex, it is important that you do your research. Read what others are saying and if they have made or lost money trading on the Forex. Learn the language of trading on the Forex. You need to know the language that is used so that you won't be confused by the information that you read. Traders try to capture points or pips. A pip is a point in the currency trading community. Forex trading is also called Spot trading or trading on the Spot market.
Don't invest more than you can afford to risk! Funding your margin account should only be done with funds that, if lost, will not significantly impact your financial well being. Trading on the Forex involves a certain amount of risk as does investing in the stock market. Don't invest your life savings on the Forex, especially if you are a beginner to currency trading. A good rule for beginners is to only invest an amount that you can afford to and then build upon that as you make successful trades. You should not invest money that you must have to live on in either the stock market or Forex.
You finance your trading with your margin account which guarantees other traders that you can pay them if you lose on the Forex. A margin account is a bond account, a place to deposit your money and an account to withdraw money from when necessary. Forex trading is performed in lots and you use your margin account to buy the right to trade lots of currency on the foreign exchange. These lots of currency are equal to differing amounts of USD which depends on their trading value versus the dollar. You purchase the right to trade lots of currency with the funds held in your margin account.
Choose your trading firm sensibly when you decide to invest in currency trading on the Foreign Exchange Market. Current Federal regulations don't allow Forex trading firms to guarantee the performance of any Forex currency trading system. Look for a reputable Forex trader that has the credentials to back up their claims of performance. A professional Forex trader is educated and disciplined to follow their method of trading using good judgment to lessen the risk of currency trading. Don't let greed get in the way of good sense when considering an investment in Forex although there is money to be made trading currency.
The Forex Trading Basics
Trading is probably as old as mankind itself. It's been there since man learned that he could trade his extra stone knife and five arrow heads for somebody else's nice warm fur blanket. These days we call it bartering, but it's the same process.
And these days we've gotten more sophisticated with our trading. Now we use something called money to stand in for the blankets and the knives, but we're still trading our ability to work and produce something useful in exchange for somebody else's goods that we want.
But now, trading is not only about goods or services, it has grown into something much more than that.
Now we're trading one region's money for another region's money because we've learned that their relative values can vary, sometimes significantly. The first enterprising souls to notice this were the world's first currency traders, taking their profits from the buying and selling of actual banknotes and coins.
But today the whole process has been formalized into what we call the Foreign Exchange (or Forex) market. And it has attracted a lot of action. Up to $3 trillion a day worth of action, in fact.
Forex trading simply involves the buying and/or selling of different foreign currencies in the global market. Many investors today don't consider it enough to have a portfolio stuffed only with bonds, mutual funds and stocks.
One of the strongest appeals of the Forex market is its 24-hour open door. On the world clock, a trading day starts in Sydney, Australia and steps from time zone to time zone around the world until it reaches New York city, the last market to open each day. And it does this five days a week, closing only on the weekend.
Almost every country has its own currency, but on the Forex market, it's mostly the so-called "major" currencies that are traded. These currencies are highly regarded because their issuing countries are politically and economically more stable than most other currencies (most of the time).
The major currencies that are traded in the FX market are the Euro, the British Pound, the Japanese Yen and the Swiss Franc, as well as the dollars of Canada, Australia and the USA.
Most people, when they first learn of Forex trading, find it all a bit strange. Typically, money is used to buy goods and services, not other types of money. However, it's not really all that hard to understand. Just think of traveling to another country. Once you arrive, you go to a currency exchange or a bank and trade your dollars or Euros to buy ringits or yen. Then when you return home, you do the same in reverse. Sometimes the value has changed between the two exchanges, and you make a small profit or lose a bit.
Well, that's exactly what a Forex trader does, but he does it much more often, and usually with much larger sums of money. Also, he's not doing it because of travel but because he believes he foresees a coming shift in the exchange rate. In other words, he sees an opportunity to make a profit and seizes it. If he knows what he's doing, the profits can be both big and consistent.
So how do you get into the Forex market?
It's surprisingly easy to enter, although it's not quite as easy to rack up steady profits.
You'll need a computer and fast Internet connection. You'll also need seed money to cover your first trades. Minimum deposit requirements vary, but considering the opportunities available, even the higher entry fees are surprisingly low.
You can choose from among many software programs available for logging in to your account and placing your trades. The software also allows you to receive alerts on market conditions, rates, and other important information. The more sophisticated software can recommend when to buy or sell.
Forex trading can be an exciting way to make money, but when done in the wrong way, it can get very expensive. Learning what you're doing before you start trading is crucial. Do your research and your due diligence. Learn what the business is about. Set up a dummy account with a broker and do lots of paper trades so that you fully understand the entire process. Stay with this long enough to become comfortable.
In addition, read comments and advice from other traders... many other traders. It's important to have a strong grasp of the strategies you'll need day-in and day-out. This is a business, and it's important that you treat it with the respect that a sophisticated, highly profitable business deserves.
This mindset of professionalism and responsibility are fundamental to any success you expect to build. Without such a mindset, you're nothing but another gambler and you'll lose more than you win.
Forex trading is more risky than stocks and bonds. But it also holds out the promise of much higher returns. Lightning can strike within seconds or minutes sometimes.
Don't ever forget, ordinary mortals can take part in Forex trading. Just because 98% of all trading is done by huge financial institutions and multinationals, don't think there won't be any "left-overs" for you. People from all walks of life are involved in that other 2% of Forex trading. Consider - just 2% of Forex's daily $3 trillion volume leaves some very large chunks of opportunity up for grabs.
When you go looking for a system or strategy to guide your trades, don't just seize the first one you find. Do your homework. Take advantage of free trial versions of software. Look for customer testimonials. And after carefully considering all the factors involved, you can choose a system for your trading.
Another important factor - check out the brokers and choose one who can effectively help you devise a trading strategy that fits your goals and your personality.
If you truly want to make it big in the Forex market, use all available resources to learn your new business well. The average newcomer to Forex trading is impatient and wants to go straight to the "good stuff." Their impatience assures they'll never get to the good stuff and instead suffer mainly losses and disappointment.
Be determined. Be disciplined. Take the long-term view always. This will instantly set you apart from the losers. Once you have a good, solid knowledge of Forex trading basics, coupled with a well-tested strategy, you have a much better than average chance of making consistent profits in currency trading. After all, isn't that exactly what you're aiming for?
And these days we've gotten more sophisticated with our trading. Now we use something called money to stand in for the blankets and the knives, but we're still trading our ability to work and produce something useful in exchange for somebody else's goods that we want.
But now, trading is not only about goods or services, it has grown into something much more than that.
Now we're trading one region's money for another region's money because we've learned that their relative values can vary, sometimes significantly. The first enterprising souls to notice this were the world's first currency traders, taking their profits from the buying and selling of actual banknotes and coins.
But today the whole process has been formalized into what we call the Foreign Exchange (or Forex) market. And it has attracted a lot of action. Up to $3 trillion a day worth of action, in fact.
Forex trading simply involves the buying and/or selling of different foreign currencies in the global market. Many investors today don't consider it enough to have a portfolio stuffed only with bonds, mutual funds and stocks.
One of the strongest appeals of the Forex market is its 24-hour open door. On the world clock, a trading day starts in Sydney, Australia and steps from time zone to time zone around the world until it reaches New York city, the last market to open each day. And it does this five days a week, closing only on the weekend.
Almost every country has its own currency, but on the Forex market, it's mostly the so-called "major" currencies that are traded. These currencies are highly regarded because their issuing countries are politically and economically more stable than most other currencies (most of the time).
The major currencies that are traded in the FX market are the Euro, the British Pound, the Japanese Yen and the Swiss Franc, as well as the dollars of Canada, Australia and the USA.
Most people, when they first learn of Forex trading, find it all a bit strange. Typically, money is used to buy goods and services, not other types of money. However, it's not really all that hard to understand. Just think of traveling to another country. Once you arrive, you go to a currency exchange or a bank and trade your dollars or Euros to buy ringits or yen. Then when you return home, you do the same in reverse. Sometimes the value has changed between the two exchanges, and you make a small profit or lose a bit.
Well, that's exactly what a Forex trader does, but he does it much more often, and usually with much larger sums of money. Also, he's not doing it because of travel but because he believes he foresees a coming shift in the exchange rate. In other words, he sees an opportunity to make a profit and seizes it. If he knows what he's doing, the profits can be both big and consistent.
So how do you get into the Forex market?
It's surprisingly easy to enter, although it's not quite as easy to rack up steady profits.
You'll need a computer and fast Internet connection. You'll also need seed money to cover your first trades. Minimum deposit requirements vary, but considering the opportunities available, even the higher entry fees are surprisingly low.
You can choose from among many software programs available for logging in to your account and placing your trades. The software also allows you to receive alerts on market conditions, rates, and other important information. The more sophisticated software can recommend when to buy or sell.
Forex trading can be an exciting way to make money, but when done in the wrong way, it can get very expensive. Learning what you're doing before you start trading is crucial. Do your research and your due diligence. Learn what the business is about. Set up a dummy account with a broker and do lots of paper trades so that you fully understand the entire process. Stay with this long enough to become comfortable.
In addition, read comments and advice from other traders... many other traders. It's important to have a strong grasp of the strategies you'll need day-in and day-out. This is a business, and it's important that you treat it with the respect that a sophisticated, highly profitable business deserves.
This mindset of professionalism and responsibility are fundamental to any success you expect to build. Without such a mindset, you're nothing but another gambler and you'll lose more than you win.
Forex trading is more risky than stocks and bonds. But it also holds out the promise of much higher returns. Lightning can strike within seconds or minutes sometimes.
Don't ever forget, ordinary mortals can take part in Forex trading. Just because 98% of all trading is done by huge financial institutions and multinationals, don't think there won't be any "left-overs" for you. People from all walks of life are involved in that other 2% of Forex trading. Consider - just 2% of Forex's daily $3 trillion volume leaves some very large chunks of opportunity up for grabs.
When you go looking for a system or strategy to guide your trades, don't just seize the first one you find. Do your homework. Take advantage of free trial versions of software. Look for customer testimonials. And after carefully considering all the factors involved, you can choose a system for your trading.
Another important factor - check out the brokers and choose one who can effectively help you devise a trading strategy that fits your goals and your personality.
If you truly want to make it big in the Forex market, use all available resources to learn your new business well. The average newcomer to Forex trading is impatient and wants to go straight to the "good stuff." Their impatience assures they'll never get to the good stuff and instead suffer mainly losses and disappointment.
Be determined. Be disciplined. Take the long-term view always. This will instantly set you apart from the losers. Once you have a good, solid knowledge of Forex trading basics, coupled with a well-tested strategy, you have a much better than average chance of making consistent profits in currency trading. After all, isn't that exactly what you're aiming for?
Reading a Forex Quote
Total newbies to the foreign exchange market can find reading a Forex quite intimidating (even baffling) at first. In fact, this is the most common initial hurdle. The quote is brief, but it packs in a great deal of useful information. And although it doesn't make a lick of sense to a newcomer, here's a quick, simple explanation of what it means.
A Forex quote is always based on a pair of currencies, where you're simultaneously selling one currency and buying another. And there are two prices, one for selling and the other for buying (bid price and ask price). When reading a Forex quote, it might typically look like this: USD/JPY 106.52/56
The first currency is called the base currency and the other is the quote currency. The base currency value is always 1 (in this case 1 US dollar). The number in the quote tells you how many of the quote currency (Japanese yen) you can buy with one US dollar.
And that number - 106.52/56 - is a shortened version of two numbers (106.52 and 106.56). The lower number is the bid price; the other is the ask price. The bid price shows how much a dealer will buy the base currency for. The ask price shows how much a dealer is willing to sell it for.
If you saw 106.52/56 when reading a Forex quote, it would mean that you could sell US dollars and receive 106.52 yen per dollar. On the other hand, if you wanted to buy US dollars, you would have to pay 106.56 yen for each dollar.
The difference between the bid price and the ask price in a Forex quote is called the "spread," and each tiny 0.01 unit is called a "pip." In our example, the spread for our USD/JPY quote is four pips. The spread for the most commonly traded currencies is usually that small. In general, you'll do most of your trading in US dollars, Japanese yen, Great Britain pounds, Euros, Swiss francs or Australian dollars. Also please keep in mind that when the competition really heats up some spreads will be as small as one pip.
On the other hand, for less heavily traded currencies, you may run into much larger spreads. But don't think that a small spread means tiny profits (or losses). When you're trading hundreds of thousands of units, even that one pip spread can mean big money.
Let's say you're dealing with just 100 US dollars. Selling your hundred dollars for 10,652 yen and buying them for 10,656 yen only amounts to a four yen difference. But most Forex traders will be dealing with amounts of 100,000 US dollars (or many multiples). So now we know, when reading a Forex quote, that even such an unimpressive little four-pip spread amounts to considerably more (at 4,000 yen, and probably several multiples of that).
And of course, similar trades may be repeated throughout the day and the week. This means that anytime you're reading a Forex quote, you'll recognize that this tiny little spread is more important than its meager size at first suggests.
A Forex quote is always based on a pair of currencies, where you're simultaneously selling one currency and buying another. And there are two prices, one for selling and the other for buying (bid price and ask price). When reading a Forex quote, it might typically look like this: USD/JPY 106.52/56
The first currency is called the base currency and the other is the quote currency. The base currency value is always 1 (in this case 1 US dollar). The number in the quote tells you how many of the quote currency (Japanese yen) you can buy with one US dollar.
And that number - 106.52/56 - is a shortened version of two numbers (106.52 and 106.56). The lower number is the bid price; the other is the ask price. The bid price shows how much a dealer will buy the base currency for. The ask price shows how much a dealer is willing to sell it for.
If you saw 106.52/56 when reading a Forex quote, it would mean that you could sell US dollars and receive 106.52 yen per dollar. On the other hand, if you wanted to buy US dollars, you would have to pay 106.56 yen for each dollar.
The difference between the bid price and the ask price in a Forex quote is called the "spread," and each tiny 0.01 unit is called a "pip." In our example, the spread for our USD/JPY quote is four pips. The spread for the most commonly traded currencies is usually that small. In general, you'll do most of your trading in US dollars, Japanese yen, Great Britain pounds, Euros, Swiss francs or Australian dollars. Also please keep in mind that when the competition really heats up some spreads will be as small as one pip.
On the other hand, for less heavily traded currencies, you may run into much larger spreads. But don't think that a small spread means tiny profits (or losses). When you're trading hundreds of thousands of units, even that one pip spread can mean big money.
Let's say you're dealing with just 100 US dollars. Selling your hundred dollars for 10,652 yen and buying them for 10,656 yen only amounts to a four yen difference. But most Forex traders will be dealing with amounts of 100,000 US dollars (or many multiples). So now we know, when reading a Forex quote, that even such an unimpressive little four-pip spread amounts to considerably more (at 4,000 yen, and probably several multiples of that).
And of course, similar trades may be repeated throughout the day and the week. This means that anytime you're reading a Forex quote, you'll recognize that this tiny little spread is more important than its meager size at first suggests.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Advantages of the Forex Market
What are the advantages of the Forex Market over other types of investments?
When thinking about various investments, there is one investment vehicle that comes to mind. The Forex or Foreign Currency Market has many advantages over other types of investments. The Forex market is open 24 hrs a day, unlike the regular stock markets. Most investments require a substantial amount of capital before you can take advantage of an investment opportunity. To trade Forex, you only need a small amount of capital. Anyone can enter the market with as little as $300 USD to trade a "mini account", which allows you to trade lots of 10,000 units. One lot of 10,000 units of currency is equal to 1 contract. Each "pip" or move up or down in the currency pair is worth a $1 gain or loss, depending on which side of the market you are on. A standard account gives you control over 100,000 units of currency and a pip is worth $10.
The Forex market is also very liquid. When trading Forex you have full control of your capital.
Many other types of investments require holding your money up for long periods of time. This is a disadvantage because if you need to use the capital it can be difficult to access to it without taking a huge loss. Also, with a small amount of money, you can control
Forex traders can be profitable in bullish or bearish market conditions. Stock market traders need stock prices to rise in order to take a profit. Forex traders can make a profit during up trends and downtrends. Forex Trading can be risky, but with having the ability to have a good system to follow, good money management skills, and possessing self discipline, Forex trading can be a relatively low risk investment.
The Forex market can be traded anytime, anywhere. As long as you have access to a computer, you have the ability to trade the Forex market. An important thing to remember is before jumping into trading currencies, is it wise to practice with "paper money", or "fake money." Most brokers have demo accounts where you can download their trading station and practice real time with fake money. While this is no guarantee of your performance with real money, practicing can give you a huge advantage to become better prepared when you trade with your real, hard earned money. There are also many Forex courses on the internet, just be careful when choosing which ones to purchase.
What is Forex
The Foreign Exchange market, also referred to as the "Forex" or "FX" market, is the largest financial market in the world, with a daily average turnover of approximately US$1.5 trillion. Foreign Exchange is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another. The world’s currencies are on a floating exchange rate and are always traded in pairs, for example Euro/Dollar or Dollar/Yen.
Essential Elements of a Successful Trader
Courage Under Stressful Conditions When the Outcome is Uncertain
All the foreign exchange trading knowledge in the world is not going to help, unless you have the nerve to buy and sell currencies and put your money at risk. As with the lottery “You gotta be in it to win it”. Trust me when I say that the simple task of hitting the buy or sell key is extremely difficult to do when your own real money is put at risk.
You will feel anxiety, even fear. Here lies the moment of truth. Do you have the courage to be afraid and act anyway? When a fireman runs into a burning building I assume he is afraid but he does it anyway and achieves the desired result. Unless you can overcome or accept your fear and do it anyway, you will not be a successful trader.
However, once you learn to control your fear, it gets easier and easier and in time there is no fear. The opposite reaction can become an issue – you’re overconfident and not focused enough on the risk you're taking.
Both the inability to initiate a trade, or close a losing trade can create serious psychological issues for a trader going forward. By calling attention to these potential stumbling blocks beforehand, you can properly prepare prior to your first real trade and develop good trading habits from day one.
Start by analyzing yourself. Are you the type of person that can control their emotions and flawlessly execute trades, oftentimes under extremely stressful conditions? Are you the type of person who’s overconfident and prone to take more risk than they should? Before your first real trade you need to look inside yourself and get the answers. We can correct any deficiencies before they result in paralysis (not pulling the trigger) or a huge loss (overconfidence). A huge loss can prematurely end your trading career, or prolong your success until you can raise additional capital.
The difficulty doesn’t end with “pulling the trigger”. In fact what comes next is equally or perhaps more difficult. Once you are in the trade the next hurdle is staying in the trade. When trading foreign exchange you exit the trade as soon as possible after entry when it is not working. Most people who have been successful in non-trading ventures find this concept difficult to implement.
For example, real estate tycoons make their fortune riding out the bad times and selling during the boom periods. The problem with trying to adapt a 'hold on until it comes back' strategy in foreign exchange is that most of the time the currencies are in long-term persistent, directional trends and your equity will be wiped out before the currency comes back.
The other side of the coin is staying in a trade that is working. The most common pitfall is closing out a winning position without a valid reason. Once again, fear is the culprit. Your subconscious demons will be scaring you non-stop with questions like “what if news comes out and you wind up with a loss”. The reality is if news comes out in a currency that is going up, the news has a higher probability of being positive than negative (more on why that is so in a later article).
So your fear is just a baseless annoyance. Don’t try and fight the fear. Accept it. Have a laugh about it and then move on to the task at hand, which is determining an exit strategy based on actual price movement. As Garth says in Waynesworld “Live in the now man”. Worrying about what could be is irrational. Studying your chart and determining an objective exit point is reality based and rational.
Another common pitfall is closing a winning position because you are bored with it; its not moving. In Football, after a star running back breaks free for a 50-yard gain, he comes out of the game temporarily for a breather. When he reenters the game he is a serious threat to gain more yards – this is indisputable. So when your position takes a breather after a winning move, the next likely event is further gains – so why close it?
If you can be courageous under fire and strategically patient, foreign exchange trading may be for you. If you’re a natural gunslinger and reckless you will need to tone your act down a notch or two and we can help you make the necessary adjustments. If putting your money at risk makes you a nervous wreck its because you lack the knowledge base to be confident in your decision making.
Patience to Gain Knowledge through Study and Focus
Many new traders believe all you need to profitably trade foreign currencies are charts, technical indicators and a small bankroll. Most of them blow up (lose all their money) within a few weeks or months; some are initially successful and it takes as long as a year before they blow up. A tiny minority with good money management skills, patience, and a market niche go on to be successful traders. Armed with charts, technical indicators, and a small bankroll, the chance of succeeding is probably 500 to 1.
To increase your chances of success to near certainty requires knowledge; acquiring knowledge takes hard work, study, dedication and focus. Compile your knowledge base without taking any shortcuts, thereby assuring a solid foundation to build upon.
Jimmy Young
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