Forex Tips and Advice

Before, the forex market was limited only to long-term investors, banks and people who have greater capitals. The trading occurs via an agent or voice broker who will inform clients on what is going on. Later on, it was been replaced by a computerized automated systems. This was the early form of forex trading strategy.

The trader which is either home-based or office-based or retail investor can possibly trade on real time with different banks with an aid of a broker. The broker then uses the computerized platforms of trading. It contains traders on live desks which places the trades on the broker’s books or on real investors. However, when the trade was placed in the broker’s book, 95% of the money will be lost by the traders. So the brokers take this is an advantage on them.

Forex trading strategy comprises two major components. The first component is technical analysis. The technical area is based from the charts. It uses a mathematical formula to observe the market movements. The traders learn about announcements and news on economics which influences forex markets. Its fundamental side is helpful in proper identification of the do’s and don’ts.

Technical analysis uses chart indicators. It is helpful in determining the areas of resistance and support. The situation where the price reverses, stop or get stuck are revealed. The method that is very accurate and popular in calculations of the levels of resistance and support is the Fibonacci. Seven hundred fifty years ago, Fibonacci discovered a sequential number form. Its proportions are also found in nature such as sunflower seeds, and pineapple rinds. This method is commonly learned in mathematics during your high school days, called as Fibonacci sequence. It says about finding the next number given with a series of numbers.

If Fibonacci numbers are put adjacent to each other, the percentage ratios are obtained. It can then be plotted on the chart. However, you don’t need to become a math wizard just to do this. The charting forex software is able to do the Fibonacci sequence for you. The key areas of resistance and support are potentially revealed to you as you move along the charts. The Fibonacci sequence combined with proper indicators can show the strength and momentum of the latest market condition. It will help you create a strategy that will be most profitable to you just by basing on this mathematical rule. The rules clearly states that history can really be repeated, as what has happened before in the forex market can still happen in the future.

The second component is the fundamental analysis. Each day, there are figures being disseminated to reveal some economic circumstances of a particular country. Take for example, non-farm payrolls that can possibly bring unpredictable effect on the forex markets. The impacts will depend on the previous data and the figures implications. The most important rule for beginners even for veterans is to keep away from the market when important announcements take place.

Forex trading profits are being made almost similar to a traditional business. The procedure is very simple. You are going to buy something at a lower price then sell it at higher prices. The only difference is that in forex trading this can be reversible.

The process is very easy. A trade is being placed either in the sell or buy categories. Then the base currency will automatically buy or sell its opposite currency in pairs. The price will lively change every second. Take for instance; you purchased the GBP/USD pair. It literally means that you have purchased the pound currency and sold the dollar currency. You want a rise on the pound’s value which will later on have a higher price when you resell it in the forex market. That would make a profit on the value difference.

If the brokers allow you to have 200:1 capital leverage, then you can possibly control a lot of money than what you really have. It is because you have bought one currency and sold the other. So, your capital can stay unmoved. The only crucial part which should be considered are the proportions which can be either gained or lost whenever changes in currency pair values occurs. Other than that, the basic forex trading strategies are great.

As the popularity of Forex increases so do the number of scam artists attempting to cash in on the Forex gravy train. Since Forex involves trading money internationally, often over the Internet, a whole new breed of scams have come about. Ironically many of these scam artists are finding their marks through newspaper, television or other print media advertisements.

While these scams are generally easily spotted by experienced traders, new speculators may have problems knowing the difference between what is real and what isn’t. It is absolutely essential to thoroughly research Forex trading, and any potential companies you may trade with before making an initial investment. The last thing you need is to find out that the company you have invested with is under investigation by the SEC for fraud. In this type of circumstance it can often be impossible to retrieve your money as the claims from all fraud of participants will be higher than the total payouts the government can guarantee.

One way to spot a scam on Forex is when someone promoting a Forex system guarantees no risk. It is a fact that there is risk with Forx trading, and generally anyone who claims otherwise is a liar, or more likely a criminal. Trading in Forex successfully requires knowledge, discipline, and a trading strategy. But there is no magic software or no risk way to assure that you will make money.

Another red flag indicating a sure sign of a Forex scam is a web site that guarantees profits. Nobody can guarantee profits and Forex trading. It is up to you as an investor to perform. If it were possible to guarantee profits in Forex trading then nobody would need to start a business showing others how to make guaranteed profits. The profit potential for anyone who could guarantee profits would be so enormous in Forex trading, that they would quickly become a billionaire by trades. So why would they waste time teaching others?

Another common tactic of Forex scam artists is to promise employment opportunities for people using their system. This is usually a trick to get you to spend your money with them. They are fishing for people with capital who can fund their enterprise. They typically promise to offer firm money to people using their system. But why would they do this? Instead what happens is they lure people into their training systems and convince people that they have done so well in the training session that they should start using their real money in order to make a fortune.

All reputable Forex trading web sites will be a member of the CFTC or the NFA. Make sure to check the company’s claims out and assure that they are members of one of these organizations before dealing with them.

Keep in mind that Forex is a relatively unregulated system of exchanging money. In many cases Forex scams can become highly technical, involving brokers manipulating prices in ways that cannot be tracked by the average trader. Because of this is essential that you not become a mark for such brokers.

In the United States the CFTC is the federal agency responsible for regulating the trade of Forex currency. If you suspect that you have been a victim of some type of fraud contact the CFTC. They have jurisdiction for investigating and enforcing the laws.

Learning the basic skills in forex, such as how to read forex charts, is really important.

This is because once you have this vital skill under your belt, it will be a lot easier and quicker when the time comes for you to learn and practice an actual forex trading system.

By the time you finish this article, you’ll learn how to read forex charts, as well as know the pitfalls that can occur when reading them, especially if you haven’t traded forex before.

Firstly, let’s revise the basics of a forex trading as this relates directly to how to reade forex charts.

Each currency pair is always quoted in the same way. For example, the EURUSD currency pair is always as EURUSD, with the EUR being the base currency, and the USD being the terms currency, not the other way round with the USD first. Therefore if the chart of the EURUSD shows that the current price is fluctuating around 1.2155, this means that 1 EURO will buy around 1.2155 US dollars.

And your trade size (face value) is the amount of base currency that you’re trading. In this example, if you want to buy 100 000 EURUSD, you’re buying 100 000 EUROs.

Now let’s have a look at the 5 important steps on how to read a forex chart:

1. If you buy the currency pair, that is, you’re long the position, realise that you’re looking for the chart of that currency pair to go up, to make a profit on the trade. That is, you want the base currency to strengthen against the terms currency.

On the other hand if you sell the currency pair to short the position, then you’re looking for the chart of that currency pair to go down, to make a profit. That is, you want the base currency to weaken against the terms currency.

Pretty simple so far.

2. Always check the time frame displayed. Many trading systems will use multiple time frames to determine the entry of a trade. For example, a system may use a 4 hour and a 30 minute chart to determine the overall trend of the currency pair by using indicators such as MACD, momentum, or support and resistance lines, and then a 5 minute chart to look for a rise from a temporary dip to determine the actual entry.

So ensure that the chart you’re looking at has the correct time frame for your analysis. The best way to do this is to set up your charts with the correct time frames and indicators on them for the system you’re trading, and to save and reuse this layout.

3. On most forex charts, it is the BID price rather than the ask price that’s displayed on the chart. Remember that a price is always quoted with a bid and an ask (or offer). For example, the current price of EURUSD may be 1.2055 bid and 1.2058 ask (or offer). When you buy, you buy at the ask, which is the higher of the 2 prices in the spread, and when you sell, you sell at the bid, which is the lower of the two prices.

If you use the chart price to determine an entry or exit, realise that when you place an order to sell when the chart price is say 1.330, then this is the price that you’ll sell at assuming no slippage.

If on the other hand, you place an order to buy when the chart price is the same price, then you’ll actually buy at 1.3333. A forex system will often determine whether your orders will be placed simply according to the chart price or whether you need to add a buffer when buying or selling.

Also note that on many platforms, when you’re placing stop orders (to buy if the price rises above a certain price, or sell when the price falls below a certain price) you can select either “stop if bid” or “stop if offered”.

4. Realise that the times shown on the bottom of forex charts are set to the particular time zone that the forex provider’s charts are set to, be it GMT, New York time, or other time zones.

It’s handy to have a world clock available on your computer desktop in order to convert the different time zones. This is important when you’re trading major economic announcements.

You’ll need to convert the time of an announcement to your local time, and the chart time, so you’ll know when the announcement is going to happen, and therefore when you need to trade.

5. Finally, check whether the times on your forex charts corresponds to when the candle opens or when the candle closes. Your charting software may be different to someone else’s in this way.

The reason I mention this, is that if you need to trade major economic announcements, either by entering a trade based on the movements that happen after the announcement, or to exit a trade before the announcement in avoid getting stopped out during it, then you need to be precise (to the minute!) as these trades are performed according to what happens at the 1 minute immediately after the announcement, not the candle afterwards!

So there you have it.

You now have the 5 essential keys to how to properly read forex charts, which will help you to avoid the common mistakes which many forex beginners make when looking at charts, and which will speed up your progress when you’re looking at forex charting packages, and forex trading systems that you want to trade!

Now that you know this, practice looking at forex charts with each of these 5 points in mind.

So get to it!

To a newbie learning Online Forex Trading, it looks very simple in the beginning. Take currency pair EURUSD for instance, if you bullish on Euro, simply place a Buy order. Bearish on EUR, just short it. So easy, you may ask? The truth about Forex Trading is that it is a professional activity that not many traders will succeed.

I will just go through a few very straight forward pointers on how to consistently generate Forex pips.

In the world of Forex currency trading, many newbie traders believe that Forex trading software or system that contains rocket science is more likely able to make money. It may be true, but how many of us will be able to find such a system or methodology? Why not just spend time and money to learn systems or trading methods that are simple but works?

In the Forex currency trading, the fact is simple systems just work best. Simple systems are more robust and easier to trade as you understand the logic and can therefore follow it with confidence when you are in a losing streak.

I personally feel that it is much simpler to trade with the trends rather than the ranging market.

For many successful traders, once they are happy with a system or methodology, they stick with it. Remember, you only make money trading Forex, and not having 100 systems or trading methodologies but trading none of them.

In Forex trading, most traders succeeded primarily due to good money management. So long as your system or trading methodologies has a positive profit factor coupled with proper money management, you will succeed in the long run.

However, for many Forex Trading beginners, after many days and nights of learning and digesting Forex Trading courses, purchasing of various Forex Trading Software and Forex Trading System, you still find yourself with a huge hole in your initial capital.

As times go by, slowly, your dreams of financial freedom and success begin to fade. You will begin to ask yourself, are you a failure? Are you not intelligent enough to become a profitable Forex trader? After all, there are many successful Forex Trading experts out there who are living their Online Money Making dreams….

So the Money Making Online million dollar question – Are you cut out to be a profitable Forex Currency Trading trader? Yes, you can become a profitable Forex Trading Trader! You just need to treat Online Forex Trading like running a Successful Online Money Making Business.

Forex Trading Style

Similar to Stock Trading or any form Investment Trading. You must ask yourself – what is your Online Forex Trading style – news Forex Trading, swing Forex Trading, momentum Forex Trading, pattern Forex Trading and intraday or longer term Forex Trading? It is alright to have a “library” of Forex Trading style or setups, but most Money Making Foreign Currency trader does is to concentrate on a niche or particular Forex Trading style. Learn to do one thing consistently well instead of trying to master too many trading methodologies. You have to pick a style that suits you.

Online Forex Trading Plan

What is your Foreign Currency Trading plan? Before any trade entry, you have to ask yourself it this the right Set Up entry for your Forex Trading style? Where is your exact Forex Currency trade entry point? What are you Forex Trading Stop Loss target? What is your Forex Trading profit target?

Anyone involves in Foreign Currency Trading and not having a well defined stop loss is going to have their entire Online Forex Trading account wipe out before they even realized it. I knew someone did just that recently. A US$10,000 account was wiped out within a week without Stop Loss trading a few currency pairs. You also need to know what your Forex Trading profit target point is. What is the point of having an Online Money Making Forex Trading trade but your Forex Trading Account does not Make Money. For one simple reason, you didn’t take the money from your Forex trade and market reversal against you.

Forex Trading Profit & Loss Plan

Lots of Online Forex Trading beginners don’t realized the important of reward to risk factor for every Forex Trading trade. You will never Make Money Online if you risk $500 but make $100.

Follow your Well-Defined Forex Trading Plan

Once you have written down a well-defined Online Forex Trading, you must have the Discipline to stick to it. All Forex Trading beginners must remember that Discipline and Money Management are the two most import aspects of Forex Trading. Even the greatest Forex Trading System or methodologies will fail if you can’t stick to it.

The reason that you entered Forex currency trading is to make very good money, right? First thing you must do is to have a clear and written Forex currency trading system, preferably a proven one.

It is best if the decision points are defined in purely technical manner by your system, as any judgment calls (discretion) allow for errors that cost money through losses.

A Forex currency trading system is a fully developed process that is repeated over and over again.

In trading, your goal is make consistent profits, so the more consistent you do what you do, the more consistent your results. Consistency is on of the greatest benefits of having a Forex currency trading system, but you must take it one step further to really get the most out of it.

Many traders over the years that have developed and published very profitable Forex currency trading systems. Hundreds of traders have taken those same systems and not even come close to the creator’s success. There are specific reasons for this incongruence.

First of all, the creator back tested and refined the system during its development. That back testing built a level of confidence in the system so that when it came time to put money on the line, they could have the discipline to follow the Forex currency trading system, particularly during drawdown spells.

Secondly, the backtesting allowed the trader to practice with the Forex currency trading system that they had developed, thus improving their competence with it and the efficiency.

Thirdly, many “followers” only concentrate on making money, so they miss the critical metrics that make the bottom line what it is. Every Forex currency trading system has certain performance aspects to it. These aspects that have direct impact on its profitability, and most of all predictability.

The system creators kept their primary focus on the metrics, While the followers that don’t make money with the system may not even know that these metrics exist, let alone what to look for.

Fourthly the creators make money with their Forex currency trading system because they back test and analyze their system’s performance regularly, plus they track specific metrics over time. The goals of consistency and continuous improvement necessitate this practice.

While better than doing nothing at all, some traders will occasionally back test their Forex currency trading system. Most however only look at profit for the period back tested and miss out on the valuable information found in the proper metrics.

Recording and tracking the performance of your Forex currency trading system is absolutely essential to truly maximizing your profits.

For those wishing to truly make the most money possible with their system, tracking your equity balance is important, but regularly analyzing your system’s metrics is what will allow you to really get the most out of it.

Are you constantly surfing the internet looking for a forex trading strategy?  Are you confused as to what course to start with?  When you want to get involved with Forex trading, you have to figure out approximately how much money you would like to commit to trading, and then find a low cost course which will educate you to get started.

If you want to get started in trading really soon, one way is to buy a course online that teaches a specific method of trading, such as using Fibonacci ratios, Elliot waves, or other indicators that gives you a high probability of placing a successful trade.  Then, you need to study and test the method on a demo trading account until you are profitable.

Here are two rules to always follow:

Rule #1:  Paper trade, Paper trade, Paper trade.  Please don’t jump into the market with real money until you are confident and totally comfortable using the trading method.   One surefire way of losing all of your money is to jump into the market too soon, before really testing a trading method.

Rule #2:  Plan your trades, and trade your plans.  As traders, the only way to test a trading method is to stick to it religiously.  Therefore, it’s imperative to write down your plan or method for finding a trade, and stick to it.  Just like anything we do in life, proper practice through paper trading will make you able to enter the markets with confidence and will ensure you don’t lose your trading account.

Things to look for in a Forex Training Course:

When purchasing a course, check to make sure that it doesn’t cost more than you have to invest in the market.  If you have $1000.00 to invest, then spending $800.00 on a forex course isn’t such a good idea, because you need $300 to open an account.  Try to spend less than half of the money you want to start investing with on a Forex course.

Next, make sure that the course teaches you to trade independently without the need to subscribe to a service.  Some courses just teach you how to use their trading system, which requires a paid subscription.  Many times, the subscription trading systems don’t reveal the method that they use to determine when to enter and exit a trade.  So, if this subscription service goes out of business or their system stops working, then you are back to square one, without the knowledge of how to enter or exit a trade.  As a trader, it’s important to know the method you are trading with.  As my mentor told me, “It’s never a good idea to put your fate in someone else’s hands.”

If you find a course that meets the above criteria, then go for it, start your education today.  Lastly, take your time.  The market is always there.  The more you practice, and educate yourself, the more profitable you will become.

When you start to look around, for a viable Forex trading system, you quickly become aware, of so many options out there that you may not be sure where to begin.

In order to pick the right trading system, you will need to establish some basic criteria that you can use to evaluate any possible candidates. Here are some suggestions to help you make your choice.

One of the first things you need to check into is what type of commitment you have to make in order to use the system.

Will you need to commit a minimum amount of resources to the system in order to be able to participate? If so, what is that minimum amount?

Set aside any trading system, which insists that you have to set aside an amount of funds, that you are not comfortable with or are unable to reasonably commit and still maintain your current standard of living.

Next, look into support resources that are available to you as a user of the system.

You want to know that you have access to up to the minute information, as currency exchange rates can and often do change several times a day.

You may also want to look for a comprehensive tutorial that helps you understand the way the system works at each juncture. Another aspect in regard to resources has to do with the ability to communicate with another human being.

Can this be accomplished with emails, direct chats or even by placing a toll free phone call? Pass on any system that seems to leave you hanging out there on your own, even if you consider yourself too savvy to ask for help.

The fact is that you will need assistance at some point and it would be nice to know it is there when that day comes.

You may also want to look closely at what type of claims for success are made for the system in question.

While you do want to get involved with a system that has a proven track record, there is no need to waste your time with any trading system that promises overnight wealth.

While people can and do make impressive livings involved in currency trading, the fact is that they tend to make them over time, not overnight.

Avoid any system that makes what seem to be grandiose claims for success. Focus your attention more on trading systems that will be able to support you for the long term, as you incrementally grow your revenue stream.

Finding a Forex trading system that is reputable, reliable, and will provide you with the support you need can be done.

If you take a little time to evaluate each possibility and make sure the trading system provides everything you need to grow your own success.

It can be helpful to find out what others think of a system before you purchase one.

If you search for Forex forums in search engines, then join a few of these forums, you will soon get an idea of Forex trading systems that have a good reputation, this will help give you confidence before you purchase one.

It should be noted Forex trading involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for all investors.

For those that are looking for an exciting way to invest – Forex definitely delivers.  Forex stands for foreign exchange and it is the world’s largest financial market.

Forex is quite different from investing in the NYSE or NASDAQ because Forex takes place at dozens of locations all over the world.  In fact, most traders are day traders that trade from home.  While this form of investing can be risky, it can be extremely profitable.  Forex trading occurs 24 hours per day (except on weekends).  One of the things that make Forex unique is that you aren’t buying a currency or selling a currency, you are actually trading one currency for another.

While Forex seems very easy at first, it can be extremely complicated and risky.  There are tons of tools online that can help you climb the steep learning curve and for those that do, it is possible to make a very, very good living.

Forex is an interesting investment for some because of the amount of leverage one can have.  Some Forex trading brokerages allow their member accounts to leverage the amount of currencies they purchase by 10, 25, 50 times or more.  This means with an initial investment of $1K, you can theoretically control over 50K of currencies in some situations.  While this can lead to large profits, it can also lead to financial ruin if you make the wrong decision on a trade.  One of the ways that many investors learn to trade Forex without risk is to use the systems simulation platform.  Many Forex brokerages have a simulation platform that is identical to the normal platform and uses current, real world data.  This way, if you are just starting out and make a mistake on the simulation, it won’t cost you a dime.

Forex can be extremely fast paced.  While many investors are those that are day traders looking to make a quick buck each day, others trade for the long term, looking for long term trends that are much less riskier and can return much more than a day trade.  Whatever your strategy, Forex can be an excellent way to invest.  It should be noted that almost anyone can trade from their computer and with a limited amount of investment, however before you trade, get to know the system you trade on and the dynamics of the foreign currency market.

Before venturing into your trading journey there are some things you need to be aware of, otherwise you could succeed on your trading adventure, and we don’t want that to happen, do we? This Forex training guide will help you track the most costly mistakes Forex traders do.

First of all, make sure you don’t have a trading system. Having a trading system might increase the odds of your success. If you have a system, you will have an objective way to get in and out the market. When traders create their trading systems they think objectively since there is no position to be taken at the moment. If there is no position to be taken, there is also no money at risk, if there is no money at risk, we do think objectively and are open to every possibility, thus we are able to find low risk trading opportunities. So make sure you don’t have a system and trade based on a randomly approach.

If you have already created your system, then don’t follow it, be undisciplined. If you follow your system, there is a possibility that you can profit from the Forex market based on the trading opportunities you have found. If you want to fail on your trading, be sure to be undisciplined.

Don’t get educated. Most successful traders are very well educated in the market they trade (stocks, Forex, futures, etc.) If you get educated, you might acquire the knowledge and experience you require to master the Forex market. Don’t read about the Forex market, don’t enroll into Forex training programs and don’t even look at historical charts.

Don’t use any money management technique. The purpose of money management is to avoid the risk of ruin, but at the same time it helps you boost your profits, allowing them to grow geometrically. For instance, by using no money management techniques, there is a possibility that in loosing 10 trades in a row you could empty your trading account. On the other hand, by applying simple money management techniques you can avoid it. So make sure, if you want to fail, don’t even consider money management.

Forget about psychological issues. You need to get every trade to win. Successful traders know that they don’t need to win every trade in order to profit from the market. This is one characteristic that is hard to understand and really apply. Why? Because we are taught, since kids, that any number below 70% is a bad number. In the Forex trading environment, this is not true.

Don’t even consider using a Risk-reward (RR) ratio greater than 1-1. If you use a RR ratio of 1-2 (willing to make twice the amount risked in one trade) then you only need a system that is right around 50% to make money. If you use a RR ratio of 1-3 (willing to make three times the amount risked in one trade) then you will need a system that is right around 40% of the time to make money. So make sure to use a RR ratio below 1-1.

By applying every point outlined in this Forex training guide, you will almost assure your failure in your Forex trading journey. Do the opposite, and you will have the possibility to achieve what every trader is looking for: consistent profitable results.

In the FOREX market, you can use two distinct types of trading systems. The first type is the mechanical trading system. The mechanical trading system is relatively easy to use because an automated process makes all trade decisions for you. This trading system is based on technical and systematic analysis. Traders call it mechanical trading because they use computers to get trading signals.

At the other side of the spectrum, the discretionary trading system uses gut instincts. It is based on an investor’s experience, knowledge, and intuition. Some investors choose to use mechanical systems to understand current market conditions, and then analyze the details on their own before trading.

Mechanical Trading System
Of course, most FOREX traders use the mechanical trading system, simply because it automates the process and you can set it up with little effort. It is the easiest way to become a FOREX trader because it requires less training and education than discretionary trading. Mechanical trading systems are widely available online and some software is available in stores.

Mechanical trading systems take the human element out of FOREX trading. Through such a system, you have no opportunity to make trading decisions based on greed, gut feel, or bad judgment. Because a wise investor always invests with his head and not with his heart, mechanical trading can help those investors who often base his or her decisions on emotions.

In recent years, the internet has made FOREX trading much easier by providing online trading platforms. The brokerage firm you use will provide one for you. Some brokers have also developed mechanical trading systems that their clients can use to trade. You can buy this separately, or have one provided for you. Your broker may also provide valuable tools like economic calendars, detailed analyses, and current currency charts. If your broker does not provide these to you, you can buy them on your own or find a different brokerage firm to work with.

Discretionary Trading Systems
Even when you opt to use the FOREX mechanical trading system, you should still understand the basics of the FOREX market to become an informed investor. There are various courses and books on becoming a FOREX trader and you should take full advantage of them.

Those with limited knowledge in this area can gain just from testing a broker’s trading software. The trading software can easily teach you terms, how to read charts, and some basic trading theories. Used with a book or online course, you can quickly grasp the principles behind FOREX. An informed trader can therefore use both discretionary and mechanical trading systems to achieve maximum profits.

If you’re interested in entering the FOREX market, carefully consider your choices. It may be best to start off by using mechanical trading systems before deciding of your own. In this way, you can minimize losses and lessen the risk of betting over your head. Once you are familiar and learned, you can start setting up the discretionary system of trading. Stay educated; it will pay off!