Online trading is great way for serious investors to make money, but inexperienced traders often wind up with big losses. A good set of instructions can minimize the risks and save months of expensive trial-and-error learning.
Day Trading
Day Trading had its heyday during the bull market of the 1990's. All the amateurs have since dropped out, but day trading is still being practiced by professionals. There are fewer opportunities in the current market, but skilled investors can still find them if they know what to look for.
FOREX Trading
The Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX), the world's largest financial exchange market, originated in 1973. It has a daily turnover of currency worth more than $1.2 trillion dollars.
Unlike many other securities, FOREX does not trade on a fixed exchange rate; instead, currencies are traded primarily between central banks, commercial banks, various non-banking international corporations, hedge funds, personal investors and not to forget, speculators. Previously, smaller investors were excluded from FOREX due to the huge amount of deposit involved. This was changed in 1995, and now smaller investors can trade alongside the multi-nationals. As a result, the number of traders within the FOREX market has grown rapidly, and many FOREX courses are appearing to help individual traders increase their skills.
As a matter of fact, it's advisable to take FOREX training even before opening a trading account. It is vital to know the market mechanics of FOREX, leveraging in FOREX, rollovers and the analysis of the FOREX market. Due to this fact, potential FOREX traders would do well to either enroll in a FOREX training courses or even purchase some books regarding FOREX trading.
There are pros and cons to enrolling into a FOREX course. For beginners a FOREX course is a rapid method of learning the basics of FOREX trading. Not much time is spent on history of the market or arcane economic theories. Often, on-line or phone support from a skilled FOREX trader is available to answer any questions. Also, the information is condensed and practical, often with graphs and charts.
The disadvantage is the price, as courses are more expensive than a paperback from the bookstore. Also, the course may just teach the approach of the trader who wrote it, and individuals have different trading strategies. The student may grow accustomed to the logic and focus of the teacher without coming to realise that nothing is predictable in the FOREX market, and many different strategies will bring profits in varying market circumstances. Also, knowledge of practical applications may not be enough, as the FOREX is highly unpredictable and there are many external factors, such as political issues, affecting the flow of finances in the market.
The best advice would be to do some background research on the FOREX market first, and then enroll in a course.
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The world of trading and investment can be as frustrating as it can be rewarding! And FOREX (Foreign Exchange) is no exception - often described as risky, profitable and complicated.
Forex is the largest trading market in the world.
Forex is the worldwide market for buying and selling currencies. These markets were developed to cater for the supply and demand of different currencies by governments, companies and individuals - for international trade and assisting importers and exporters. Therefore those who trade in this market include consumers, businesses, investors, speculators and the banking industry.
Different countries use different currencies - which vary in their values against each other. Forex trading invovles the buying and selling of two currencies - trading pairs - you are selling one and buying another eg you may use the US dollar to purchase British pounds - if the supply of the pound lessens - it will cost more dollars to buy pounds - the Forex trader hopes to sell their pounds at a higher price than the purchase price.
A speculator in Forex is someone who accepts the possibility of adverse exchange-rate movements in the hope of making a profit from favourable movements in currency.
As a speculator you should always start trading with a small amount and have a trading system - which tells you when to get in and out of the market. It is a favourite option for currency traders as you can trade the Forex market 24 hours per day and the transaction costs are minimal.
This market - because of its sheer size - is hard to be manipulated - which stocks can be - it is more likely to be influenced by global news or events. Hence, the opportunity for 'insider trading' is eliminated.
However - beware -Forex brokers estimate that 90% of traders lose their money; 5% break even and only 5% achieve profitable results!
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Forex is an abbreviation for Foreign Exchange. It is similar to the stock trading business except you are trading a different commodity. In the stock market, you trade in the shares of publicly listed companies, while in the Forex, your one and only product or commodity is money.
Of course, there are different kinds of money from the different countries around the world. Usually the kind of money you would trade in would be the top currencies of the world.
These top currencies are the US Dollar (USD), the Great Britain Pound (GBP), European Euro (Euro), Japanese Yen (JPY), Swiss Franc (CHF), Australian Dollar (AUD), and the Canadian Dollar (CAD). Each currency is given its own distinct code to help distinguish one from the other. The codes are an abbreviation of the country plus the kind of currency they use.
For instance, since the US uses the dollar, its code is USD while the code for Great Britain is GBP which stands for Great Britain pound.
That's not to say that other currencies are not given any importance. It's just that these top currencies are the prime commodities since they come from the highly developed countries of the world. Their currencies are relatively safe to bank on. So much so that traders are willing to invest their funds in the currency and have a bigger chance of making a profit.
More than a decade ago, only the multibillion companies and banks were allowed to do Forex transactions, but all this has changed over the years. Today, even small traders are allowed to handle Forex trading with as small as a $100 investment.
The amount of Forex transactions around the globe reach an average of $1.5 trillion dollars every day which makes Forex the largest financial trading market in the world. Since it is an electronically controlled business with no specific location, operating 24 hours a day for 5 days a week, at any point within a day, there are thousands of Forex transactions being consummated at any one point around the world.
The beauty of a Forex transaction is that it is so vibrant. The market is constantly adjusting and changing.
If an economy halfway around the world suddenly experiences a political crisis, its currency will drop in value, and this will affect Forex trading around the world especially if the country in question is one of high visibility and rank.
Forex trading is always done in pairs. You buy a currency and you sell another currency. Brokers usually are the middlemen in a Forex transaction. There are several advantages of Forex trading over stock market trading. Some of them are:
1. The business hours of Forex is non stop 5 days a week. Since trading is done internationally, time zones are not an issue.
2. The brokers of Forex trading do not receive a commission. What happens is that they earn from the difference between the buying and the selling price, which is normally about 1% of the transaction
3. In Forex trading, there is Margin Trading. This is when you can trade using money that is mostly borrowed. The only requirement is that you upfront at most 4% of the transaction. The rest of the capital can be money from another source. This is a great advantage to have because you don't get to tie up all your funds in one transaction only.
Forex transactions are done in lots. The smaller lots will have to be done through a dealer and they are called micro or mini lots. Otherwise the usual amount of a lot is around $100,000.
4. Corruption in Forex trading is very minimal compared to stock market trading. You would have a very difficult time influencing the rate of a currency since it is not really under one one's control. In addition, the amount of Forex transactions is so large, trying to influence the Forex market would be near impossible.
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Each day, seemingly thousands of would be foreign exchange traders dive into the market head first without knowing a thing about it expecting to come out a mogul within a handful of days. Unfortunately these traders oftentimes lose much or all of their initial investment and quite quickly at that. Don't buy into hype and instead follow these two major steps and you can begin to slowly but realistically build your own considerable amount of forex profit.
First you should begin trading with a demo account. Some traders cast this method of beginning aside and the only reason I can think to offer for this is because someone helped them out when they began. You're investing your own money here when you do begin trading for real, so there is no time for training on the job. Demo trading puts you in a unique position of being able to trade under the real market conditions but with virtual money which you will keep track of the same way. You'll learn the terminology, how to read market graphs, everything you need.
This also encourages you to make the learning mistakes which you would not be willing to had it been your own money. It's recommended typically that you trade within your demo account for at least 2 months before getting into the real thing, and that you also have a line of successful trades under your belt before you even think of transitioning. Now, and this is a major part of this, where should you get your demo account?
Most electronic trading systems come with demo accounts. For those unaware, this refers to sophisticated trading software which you use in conjunction with your forex campaign to trade more efficiently in a number of ways. They primarily both predict trends in the market so that you can trade accurately and accordingly, and also auto trade independently of you if you lead a busy life which doesn't leave much time for you to do it personally. This software is designed to ensure that you land on the winning sides of your trades the vast majority of the time.
Traders using electronic trading systems account for over 25% of the market for a reason. Many who first learn about this electronic trading tactic towards better forex trading immediately switch to trading exclusively by this means and this means only.
Using a demo account which comes provided with the program allows you to simultaneously and effectively learn both the market as well as the program at the same time. This puts you leaps and bounds ahead of your competition and on the ground and running faster and closer to the pros than any other means. If you want the most precise and accurate information affecting your trades day in and day out, there is honestly no substitute for electronic trading systems.
Start building your forex trading profit immediately. Earn yourself considerable, reliable, and guaranteed income each month by visiting http://www.forexautotradingreviewed.com There you'll find in depth and frequently updated comparison reviews on the leading forex software. Don't wait, start down your path to financial independence once and for all.
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After having accounts at several online brokerages, I've found myself maintaining one at Oanda for the last several months. There are many reasons for this (I will discuss them later), but the reality is that it comes down to service and dependability. At least, it does for me.
Many brokerages offer very high leverage amounts, such as 100:1. I've even seen as high as 500:1, which can get anyone into a whole pile of trouble if they don't know what they're doing. Oanda is quite honest in this respect, and their support desk is unlikely to recommend that you utilize such a high leverage amount. They recognize that if you're in this game long term, you won't be using it anyway.
They may sometimes have a large spread than most when the news hits (20 pip), and though many people may see this as a disadvantage, I am happy to live with it as Oanda really comes through when it counts. Their tight spreads (1.5 pip) on every transaction (regardless of size) helps regulate the cost of doing business, and if you're to become a successful trader, you'll need to monitor your expenses. I am quite happy that Oanda is as honest and as regulated as they are, for it gives me a stable and reliable trading platform to use.
They offer free practice accounts to anyone that wants to dip their hand into the Forex "game", but doesn't actually want to get it wet. For a new user, this feature alone is worth whatever cost of membership they may incur when they become a live trader with Oanda. I wish that I had the ability to try live trades with real market conditions, one with fake money, when I was first beginning to trade. Only God knows how much money I would have saved during those first frightful trades.
The Technology and The Company
The biggest praise that I have for Oanda, by far, is their Java-based trading platform. Because of how it is run (Java), I am able to access it from nearly any computer. This means that, no matter where I am or where my home computer is, I am able to access my account and make trades as I need to. This has been a terrific way for me to monetize on several of my hunches.
Their trading platform is 100% automated, allowing for instantaneous trades and minimal loss as a result. They claim the fastest execution at the best price, and this has certainly been the case in my experience.
Oanda was incorporated in 1996, and has steadily grown from offering a simple currency converter to offering their own trading platform, live market analysis, economic forecasts, and more. Oanda prides themselves on the level of dependability and trust they have developed, both with small-time traders and large Fortune 500 companies.
Oanda in a Nutshell
I recommend Oanda to any trader due to their continued dependability. In this business, a reliable, stable platform is just as important as tight spreads or low commission rates. Oanda, though not perfect, is just better than the rest.
Learn more about Oanda and find real testimonials froml traders who use it at BrokerJam, the daily updated forex broker ratings database.
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It is amazing how far technology has progressed in just a few years. Looking back 10 years, I don't think anyone would have put so much money on the line when dealing with an online Forex brokerage. Now, with the encryption and security as high as they are, hundreds of millions of dollars are traded every day from online brokerage accounts. Some brokerages have hundreds or thousands of accounts, and yet they operate quickly and without mistake.
Forex.com is one such brokerage, offering competitive trading conditions and low trading rates. For a new trader, Forex.com offers a wealth of information to help jump start their trades. And, with no deal desk trading against the investor, a new trader can feel a bit better about those first few trades.
Forex.com Spread Review
I have traded with many brokerages that claim to be "commission free". At first, this was a welcome sight and I jumped on it. As I began to become more experienced, however, I realized a very simple truth that I should have known all along: no one, regardless of their intentions, can work for free. Somewhere along the line, these "commission free" brokerages have to be making money.
For many brokerages that operate without commissions, they are able to do this by simply including their cost in the quoted price. This results in a high level of markup, and it is misleading to the trader. Forex.com does not make any such claims, and they are actually proud to display all of the costs associated with doing business with them.
A new trader may feel wary about this, as there are other brokerages that operate without commissions, but they are probably not realizing the reality of the situation either. By disclosing all of the expenses, Forex.com makes it easier for a trader to know what their costs are (and aren't).
Trading with Forex.com
I found their trading software (ForexTrader) to be easy to use, and all relevant information is displayed clearly and accurately. Forex.com claims that they do not requote, meaning that the price quotes that you see on the screen are the prices that you will be paying.
Though lacking some of the more advanced features offered by MetaTrader 4, ForexTrader is easily supplemented by "Forex Pro", increasing the versatility of ForexTrader.
Conclusion
My experience with Forex.com has been overwhelmingly positive, and though Forex.com certainly isn't perfect, their service and support are some of the industry's best. They meet their claims quite well, and the tight spreads that they advertise are actually the spreads that you will receive (that's a rarity).
I do wish that their trading platform was slightly less complicated, though it only takes a few days to figure out. As well, I would like to see a more eSignal-quality charting system included in the program (it isn't yet), but I am content to use independent charting services until Forex.com includes it.
Alexander Fedorov invites you to discover the truth about trading with Forex.com. We reveal testimonials and ratings from real traders who share their experiences with Forex.com at BrokerJam, a site offering forex broker ratings updated every day.
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When it comes to trading Forex, a new trader has a lot of choice. They can choose to go with a recommended broker from a friend or family member, or they can choose to go with a broker offering great leverage or trading software. The problem is that neither one of these paths will net them at a broker that is honest and fair, as the recommendation from the friend may not be accurate, and a lot of leverage is not a good thing for a new trader.
I have traded at many, many different Forex brokers. Some have been great for trading, yet brutal on the service end of things. Others have had great service, but may have had high commission rates as a result. One common theme that I noticed, however, was the desperate attempt to build trust: plainly said, there are not a lot of brokerages that a trader can actually trust.
Why? It comes down to disclosure: what are their commission rates, what are the spreads like, and is there a deal desk trading against you? Many brokerages don't tell you either way, leaving you to wonder if the trading that you are doing is bringing the highest return for your dollar. In my experience, it usually isn't.
FXDD for New Traders
I started using FXDD several months ago after being disappointed by the customer service of several other brokers. As always, I gave FXDD the benefit of the doubt when I began trading. To my surprise, there were no complications or mistakes. The trading was smooth, and dare I say it, relaxed. The ease at which I was trading amazed me.
FXDD offers daily reports and in-depth analysis, as well as education and support for a new investor. This, combined with a solid trading platform, creates a great environment for a new trader to get their start with Forex.
If you are curious about starting Forex trading, but you don't want to put any cash on the line, FXDD offeres a free demo account.
FXDD for Established Traders
FXDD overs a few solutions for tax-free trading, as well as advanced charting and tools. Their software is top notch, and it only took me a matter of minutes to figure everything out.
Advanced traders will feel right at home with FXDD, and should any problems arise (for whatever reason), their support desk is always ready to answer your call.
Conclusion
Though there are more efficient or more aesthetically pleasing brokerages, FXDD is a dependable, solid brokerage that offers feature-rich trading at a low cost. The value that they build for their clients is quite obvious, and I expect nothing but growth for this company. I would place more of a recommendation for them, but their information for new traders is somewhat lacking in depth.
Discover the truth about trading with FXDD, and see experienced forex traders reveal their opinions about FXDD at BrokerJam, a site for traders who share forex broker ratings every day.
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