Learn Forex Trading / Currency Trading Tips |
> What Is The Foreign Exchange (FOREX) Market? There is a lot to discover about the foreign exchange (forex) market and you will need to understand how it works if you plan to take practical steps towards becoming a successful forex trader. You will come across several different terms for the forex market. Forex and fx are both short ways of saying 'foreign exchange'. It may also be called the currency market, the foreign currency market, the currency trading market, etc. All of these terms refer to the same international market on which the currencies of the world are exchanged and traded. The forex market is not situated in one particular place. Practically every country is involved so there is a possibility of trading currencies in most countries. Because of this, the market runs 24 hours a day, five days a week. The week starts on Monday morning in Sydney, Australia (that is, 5 pm Sunday EST in the USA) and ends at 4 pm EST on Friday in New York. During that time it is always possible to trade currencies somewhere in the world. The forex market is a surprisingly recent phenomenon. Up until the 1970s, currencies had been stable relative to one another since the second world war. What was called the 'gold standard' gave every currency a value in relation to the US dollar. This system was introduced in order to maintain a stable world economy. However, in the early 70s the USA abandoned the gold standard and the values of the different currencies began to change. Banks immediately began to exchange currencies for profit, buying low and selling high, instead of only making exchanges when they needed to transfer money from one country to another. In effect, each currency became a tradeable commodity. This was the beginning of forex trading. The value of a currency is, in a sense, the value of the nation whose currency it is, so just like companies on the stock exchange, if a nation is successful the value of its currency increases and if it is going though a crisis the value drops. These fluctuations can be great and can happen very fast. The sums involved can be huge too. The total value of transactions on the forex market now averages almost $2 trillion dollars a day. The market is still dominated by international and investment banks, major corporations and other large financial institutions. However, it is possible to trade as a private individual through a broker and with the rise of the internet this has become much more popular. There are now a large number of people involved in forex trading through their home computers, although because they trade much smaller amounts than the institutions, they only account for around 2% of the total forex market. The most common exchanges involve the US dollar against other currencies (especially the euro, British pound, Japanese yen, Swiss franc and Australian dollar) but it is possible to trade any one currency against another. Many of the automated forex robots used by individual traders concentrate on lesser pairs such as the pound against the euro. The foreign exchange market is huge and an individual trader can feel like a tiny ant dodging around the feet of elephants. But anyone can get into it if they have a little capital that they are willing to risk. Some brokers will let you start with as little as $250. Before investing any real money, however, it is best to practice with a forex demo account while you learn the foreign exchange basics. |
> What Is Currency Trading (FOREX Market)? What is currency trading? Well, at its simplest it is exchanging one currency for another, just as you might do when going on vacation to another country. You trade your own currency for the currency of the country you are visiting. However, when people talk about forex (foreign exchange) trading or currency trading on the forex market, they generally mean something very different. In this case traders are constantly exchanging one currency for another (buying currencies and selling others) with the aim of making a profit when the exchange rates change. It is a little like trading in stocks on the stock market. Stock traders usually buy and sell stocks very quickly compared with the average personal investor who will take the advice of a broker but often keep stocks for years or even decades. How Does Currency Trading Work? The best way to demonstrate how currency trading makes money for the traders is to use an example. Let's say the current rate on the British pound to euro forex market is this: GBP/EUR 1.1200. That means that to buy one British pound you will need 1.12 euros. If you believed that the value of the euro was going to rise compared to the value of the pound, you might sell 100,000 pounds, buy 100,000 euros, and wait. Then let's say a few days later, the exchange rate has moved to: GBP/EUR 1.0600. Sure enough, the pound is now worth only 1.06 euros. Now if you sell your euros and buy back 100,000 pounds, you will have made a profit of 6% of your investment, less any fees. This sounds like a huge amount of money. Who has 100,000 pounds or even dollars lying around in the bank to trade with? Not me, and I guess not you either. But fortunately, you do not have to have all that money for real. You are buying and selling at the same time, so all you need to have is enough to cover any loss that might be made before you could exit the market if your prediction was wrong and the currency that you bought started to fall. Your broker loans you the rest. This is called trading margins. On a $100,000 trade the margin is usually 1% or 2%, i.e. $1,000 or $2,000. This is the money that you must have in your forex brokerage account. The amount you trade is determined by 'lots'. A lot may be worth $10,000 or more depending on the currency and the broker. So if you want to trade $20,000 you would trade 2 lots and so on. There are now limited risk accounts, where you can only risk the amount of cash you have on account with the broker, thus avoiding margin calls. This is done by allowing smaller players to trade forex using 'mini lots' or fractions of a lot. So you can trade $1,000 by trading 0.10 of a lot. This reduces risk but may cost more to trade. More and more ordinary people are getting into currency trading these days. It has certain advantages over the stock market and even if you know nothing about valuation of the different currencies you can set up a forex robot, a complex software program that will trade for you according to the settings you choose. Keep in mind that it is a risky business and money can be lost as well as gained. Knowing what is currency trading gives you an idea of whether you want to take the next step towards becoming a currency trader. |
> Forex, Foreign Exchange & Currency Trading Tutorials There is a big market for currency trading tutorial material. The forex (foreign exchange) trading market is huge, and many experienced traders are now offering training to hopeful beginners or intermediate level traders who want to improve their profits. But can you expect to find good training for free, and if so, what is the best place to go to find it? There are more and more people pouring into the forex trading sector every day. There is always money to be made and this is certain to attract large numbers. At the same time, the market is not likely to become saturated. There are so many possible trades to make between all the different currencies and banks and private individuals will always need to make currency exchanges. So why is the forex market so profitable? The answer is that fluctuations in the exchange rates can be intense and very quick, especially in times when the world economy or the economy of a particular country is unsettled. When a country's currency is constantly changing in value, fortunes can be made in a very short time. That is, if you are lucky - or if you know what you are doing. This means that people are constantly hungry for training materials that will help to give them an edge. They want to discover how to predict the rise and fall of the market. That is how money is made and it is a skill that can be acquired. So why would a high earning forex trader want to spill his secrets in a currency trading tutorial? Skilled, experienced forex traders are used to responding to a market. So when they see a demand for teaching their skills, they respond to that market too. Traders want to make money in all possible ways and those ways includes teaching others. Often when a person sets out to teach something, they end up discovering new things about the subject themselves. Or sometimes they are tired of just working with numbers all day and want to work with real people for a change! Nevertheless, a good trader who is investing his time in providing training material will generally expect to get something back. This means that any free forex tutorial, if it is worth investing your time, will have some payback for the trader providing it somewhere down the line. Probably they will send you promotions for other products that they offer. This is not a problem of course, you will not be obligated and you can just ignore these. This does mean that although the free tutorial may be very useful for you, it will not contain everything that the trader has to teach. He will often be holding back many secrets for his paying members or buyers. Because of this, free forex tutorials are usually best for beginners. At that level you can learn a lot from somebody just showing you the basics. If you are new to forex it will be much better for you this way and you will be grateful that he does not confuse the issue by throwing in all his advanced strategies into the free currency trading tutorial! |
> What To Look For In A Forex Book There is no doubt about it, forex books are very useful for the new currency trader and equally for traders who want to improve their skills with new strategies. There is a very wide variety of currency trading training resources available both online and offline these days including members-only websites, forums, online courses, seminars, conferences and even one-on-one tutoring from an experienced mentor. But there are times when a good old fashioned book is just the thing that you need. No matter whether your currency trading book is published on paper or downloaded as an ebook, it can be the best way to learn in many circumstances. It wins over other options on both convenience and price. You can open it up whenever you need it. You can re-read it whenever you want, repeating the more advanced passages and exercises as many times as you need to before everything is fully absorbed so that it becomes like second nature. You can also schedule your training sessions for times to suit your life. Another advantage of forex books is that you save time by skipping over the things you already know. If you have any experience at all, going over the basics can waste a lot of your time in training that is based around seminars or even audio or video sessions online while you wait for everyone else to be shown the techniques that you have already mastered. There are new books on forex being published almost every week, so it is useful to know what to look for and how to pick out the best. Just as with any other market where money is involved, you need to know how to identify and stay clear of any scams that you might come across. The old rule is very valid here and you may want to post it up on the side of your computer as you browse for books online: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!" Having said that, the currency trading market is a place where you can expect to find a certain amount of hype. Do not be too quick to make negative judgments just because a book or ebook is advertised with a fair amount of hard sell. Remember the advertising copy is probably written by a professional copywriter, not the author of the book. So you can safely ignore most of the hype in the promotional advertisements and look for the things that you really need to know. These are:
The first of these should be very clear from the advertising. If it is not, try asking to view the contents index of the book. The other two points will require a closer reading of the promotional material keeping your own individual situation in mind. If you can take a look inside the book you will soon see whether it is well written. You are looking for something that is down to earth, logical and practical. Professional presentation and editing is a good sign of a reputable and successful author or publisher. If you are a beginner you will want step by step information. In any case, hyped up language inside the book itself is definitely a warning signal. Another thing that you should do before getting a book or ebook, even if you plan to buy in a book store, is to do internet searches on the book title and author name. Look for any news stories about the author. Is he or she a successful real life trader, or just someone hoping to make money from a lucrative trend? You need to be sure that the information in a currency trading book is good before you risk real money on the strategies it suggests. You can also look for reviews written by buyers who are actually using the information they have learned successfully. It is true that some of these may earn a commission on sales of the book but a good review will help you figure out whether the book is right for beginner, intermediate or advanced traders, and how it fits your idea of what you need to know from forex books. |
> How Much Forex Trading Training Do I Need? IDoes everybody need forex trading training or do some people have a natural talent for trading currency on the forex market? You will not be surprised to hear that nobody is born understanding all of the ins and outs of foreign exchange trading. While it is true that some kinds of experience or personality traits can be useful and can mean that you will pick it up more quickly, everybody needs some kind of training if they plan to make a profit. But there are many kinds of training available these days and it may be hard to judge what is the best. With so many websites, blogs, articles and ebooks available on the internet, often low priced or even free, it is tempting to think that we may be able to pick up all we need to know for dirt cheap. However, it can be a big mistake to limit yourself to this kind of piecemeal training. There are some great ebooks and free systems out there but others are outdated or never had any success at all. As a beginner you will find it hard to know which ones to trust. Even the best ebooks generally do not cover everything you need to know. They may focus on one or two strategies that are not necessarily the best fit for your situation. The money saved on training may be lost several times over once you start currency trading for real. In most cases you will be better advised if you sign up for formal training through a membership site. This is likely to be run by a trading group or an experienced forex trader. They will have set up a step by step process that you can work through from complete beginner to knowledgeable trader. Beginners are usually attracted to forex by the lure of quick and easy money and most know nothing about it when they start. It is great to have a system that covers pretty much everything and someone who can answer your questions. Many formal forex training programs have a forum where you can discuss your strategies and results with others. Sharing information in this way can be a great way to learn. In fact, in many cases the forum itself is worth the cost of membership and many people remain members after completing the program just to have this exposure to the knowledge and experience of their fellow traders. Solid forex training is unlikely to be free except at the most basic level. If you just want to dabble in the forex market as an experiment, without caring too much whether you win or lose, you may be satisfied with free training. The best type of free training is often given a way as a teaser or taster by sites or brokers who hope you will then join them as a paying member. In fact, you can often pick up top level tips this way and a free report from a reputable trader will often be more useful and valuable than a $20 ebook. Whatever type of training you choose, be sure to follow it exactly. Don't skip over the first steps hoping to get straight into making money - that would be a fast route to disaster. Test out the system you are being taught, either with small trades or in a demo account. Ask questions. Make sure you get every drop of wisdom from the training you have chosen so that you put yourself in the best position to turn a profit on completion of the forex trading training program. |
> If You Are New To Forex, Choose Mini Forex Trading If you are new to forex or have only a small amount of capital available right now, mini forex trading could be the way to go for you. It allows you to trade with real money while limiting your risk to a relatively small amount. Generally the lot size of trades for a mini account is only one-tenth of the lot size for a standard account with the same broker Mini Forex Trading Or Demo? Somebody starting out in forex has several options: 1. Start out right away with live trading in a standard brokerage account, investing from $1,000 to $5,000. This is very risky for a beginner and is not recommended. 2. Begin with live trading in a mini forex account. Generally you need $250 for these accounts but you may be able to find brokers who will let you start with even less. 3. Start out with a demo account where you are picking up trading skills without investing any real money at all, then when you are consistently making profits, switch over to either a mini account or full brokerage account depending on your capital and your strategy. Advantages Of A Mini Forex Trading Account Most people choose option 3, the demo account. They feel much safer using 'toy money' online for several days, weeks or months. A demo account also gives you the opportunity to try out the various different strategies that you are probably reading about. However there can be problems with running a demo account for too long. Some forex traders and trainers say that it lulls you into a false sense of security. It is much easier to take risks when there is no real cash involved, and you will be practicing with strategies that you may be uncomfortable using in real life trading. So what can happen is that the demo account teaches you to make profits using medium to high risk strategies, but when you are faced with a real money situation you may lose your nerve. This usually results in poor decisions made on the spur of the moment and 'strategy hopping' where you are constantly switching from one plan to another. Losses are almost inevitable in this situation. For this reason, some experts recommend starting with a mini account and using real money almost from the get-go. You would only use a demo account for a small number of trades to familiarize yourself with the technical side of operating your account and making trades. In this way you are likely to learn strategies that can work for you in the long term. Disadvantages Of A Mini Trading Account When you are trading small amounts, you must expect to pay more in percentage terms to the broker. This eats into your gains. In the long term this can have a massive effect on your results and can make the all-important difference between profit and loss. Therefore, most people operating a mini account will be aiming to switch to higher value trades as soon as they have the capital to do so. However you choose to start, you will need to accept that forex trading is high risk by its very nature, like all forms of investment that offer the possibility of large gains in a short time. You should only invest money that you are prepared to lose if things go against you. Starting out with a mini account can be a great way for someone who is new to forex to pick up the techniques for real. Mini forex trading could be the best way to find out for sure whether foreign exchange trading is right for you. |
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Learn Forex Trading / Currency Trading Tips
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