Forex basics: make money with money, part 1

October 9, 2005

By: Pankaj andy

FOREX or The Foreign Exchange market refers to an international exchange market where simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another is done. Currencies are traded in pairs, for example Euro/US Dollar (EUR/USD) or US Dollar/Japanese Yen (USD/JPY). It is one of the most unique markets of the world because it is almost free from all the external controls and secondly it has largest liquid financial market, with trade reaching between 1 and 1.5 trillion US dollars a day, that is 30 times larger than the combined volume of all U.S. equity markets.

Buying and selling of currencies is basically for two reasons. About 5% of daily turnover is from companies and governments that buy or sell products and services in a foreign country or must convert profits made in foreign currencies into their domestic currency. The other 95% is trading for profit, or speculation.

The FX market is considered an Over The Counter (OTC) or ‘interbank’ market, due to the fact that transactions are conducted between two counterparts over the telephone or via an electronic network. Trading is not centralized on an exchange, as with the stock and futures markets.

Marginal trading, which is speculating the currency prices by getting a credit line, used for trading with borrowed capital. It is important because of the fact that in FOREX investments can be made without a real money supply. This allows investors to invest much more money with fewer money transfer costs, and open bigger positions with a much smaller amount of actual capital. Thus, one can conduct relatively large transactions, very quickly and cheaply, with a small amount of initial capital.

The two fundamental strategies in investing in FOREX are Technical Analysis or Fundamental Analysis. Technical analysis is basically studying the past performance of a particular currency and investing in that currency hoping that history would repeat itself. Simply Stating, This technique stems from the assumption that all information about the market and a particular currency’s future fluctuations is found in the price chain. That is to say, that all factors that have an effect on the price have already been considered by the market and are thus reflected in the price. A Fundamental Analysis is one that analyzes the current situations in the country of the currency, including such things as its economy, its political situation, and other related rumors. Also, it is important to remember that investors must also keep in mind the expectations and anticipations of market participants and not on the above factors alone.

Some of the benefits of FOREX can be listed are that potential profits are enormous relative to initial capital investments. Another benefit of FOREX is that its size prevents almost all attempts by others to influence the market for their own gain. As compared to investing in Equities or currency futures, FOREX provides 24 hour trading, it has superior liquidity, it has 100:1 Leverage and it provides with lower transaction costs and higher profits.

Pankaj andy writes about forex basics topics.

Example of a Profitable Transaction in FOREX

By: Omar Vargas

There are TWO timeless rules of Investing in FOREX:

RULE #1) ~ Cut your losers; let your winners ride.

YOU WILL HAVE LOSING TRADES.

Every FOREX trader does. The key to being a
consistent, predictable, reliable trader is to, at the end
of the day, add up more wins than losses. And, when you KNOW
(based off your trading rules), without a doubt, that YES,
indeed you are, in a losing trade, don’t keep losing money
(lowering your stop loss) just to *prove you are right* or
your rules are wrong (however you want to look at it).

Let’s face it - you can’t turn a sow’s ear into a silk
purse. You can’t change the spots of a leopard and you can’t
turn chicken poop into chicken salad. The best trades are
usually “right” immediately (the techniques, rules, methods
and strategies you can learn at http://www.1-forex.com
, will be your best indicator for just what a “right” trade really is).

Remember, people have been trading the markets for a hundred
and sixty years. The smart traders know there’s going to be
another trade. Cut your loses short and compound those
winning positions.

RULE #2) ~ Thou Shall Not Trade the FOREX Without the
Placing of a Stop Loss Order.

When you place a STOP order, right along with your ENTRY
order, via your online trade station, you’ve just
automatically prevented a potential loss from “running” too
far.

Before initiating any trade, if you haven’t already figured
out at what point you would be wrong and would want to cut
your loses or, at the very least, reevaluate your position
from the sidelines, then you shouldn’t be putting on the
trade in the first place.

Show me a FOREX trader who doesn’t use stop loss orders and
I’ll show you someone who loses a lot of money.

To make a profit, in the FOREX, a trader (possibly YOU
soon?) can enter the market as a *buy position* (known as
going “long”) or a *sell position* (known as going “short”).

For discussion, let’s assume you’ve been studying the EURO.

Your trading methods, rules, strategies, etc., tell you that
prices will rise during a particular timeframe. So you buy
the EUR/USD pair (or, technically, you will simultaneously
buy euros, the base currency, and sell dollars).

You open up your handy trading station software (provided to
you for free by the online broker), which resides on your
desktop, and you see that the EUR/USD pair is trading at:

< < EUR/USD: 1.3242/45 >>

REMEMBER: the quote to the left of the / (1.3242) refers to
the bid or “sell” price (what you obtain in USD when you
sell EUR). The quote to the right of the / (1.3245) is used
to obtain the ask or “buy” price (what you have to pay in
USD if you buy EUR).

So, since you believe that the market price for the EUR/USD
pair will go higher, you will enter a *buy position* in the
market. For simplicities sake, let’s say you bought one lot
at 1.3245. As long as you sell back the pair at a higher
price, then you make money.

But, no worries. This seemingly elaborate process is
handled, and even calculated for you, via the broker’s
software mentioned above. The chart software and the quote
board are in agreement with all sides of the currencies.

To illustrate a typical FX SELL trade, consider this
scenario involving the USD/JPY currency pair:

REMEMBER ~ Selling (”going short”) the currency pair implies
selling the first, base currency, and buying the second,
quote currency. You sell the currency pair if you believe
the base currency (USD) will go down relative to the quote
currency (JPY), or equivalently, that the quote currency
(JPY) will go up relative to the base currency (USD).

NOTE: while the Profit Calculations, on the Short-sell trade
scenario below, may seem somewhat complicated if you’ve
never been in the FOREX market before, trust us when we say,
“this process is nearly seamless through your broker trade
station (software). We’re just showing you this thought-
process below so you can SEE how a PROFIT occurs even when
SELLING a currency pair.

The current bid/ask price for USD/JPY is 105.26/105.30,
meaning you can buy $1 US for 105.30 Japanese YEN or sell $1
US for 105.26 YEN.

Suppose you decide that the US Dollar (USD) is overvalued
against the YEN (JPY). To execute this strategy, you would
sell Dollars (simultaneously buying YEN), and then wait for
the exchange rate to rise.

So you make the trade: selling US $100,000 and purchasing
10,526,000 YEN. (Remember, at 1% margin, your initial margin deposit would be $1,000.)

As you expected, USD/JPY falls to 104.26/104.30, meaning you
can now buy $1 US for $104.30 Japanese YEN or sell $1 US for
104.26

Since you’re short dollars (and are long YEN), you must now
buy dollars and sell back the YEN to realize any profit.

You buy US $100,000 at the current USD/JPY rate of 104.30,
and receive 10,430,000 YEN. Since you originally bought
(paid for) 10,526,000 YEN, your profit is 96,000 YEN.

To calculate your P&L in terms of US dollars, simply divide
96,000 by the current USD/JPY rate of 104.30.

Total profit = US $920.42

The Margin Advantages of Trading FOREX

By: Omar Vargas

There is one aspect that is considered as one of the best advantages
of FOREX Trading. This is related to the amount of money you need to place a trade, this is known as “margin”, and in short, this is all that can be lost in a the case you had a bad trade.

I state it like this because, even though I know with
proper self-taught education you’re NOT going to lose as
much as you win anyway, I want you to know that despite the
super-high leverage associated with FOREX trading (200:1 is
possible; meaning that if you put up $1 the trading vendor will
allow you to trade like you really have $200), it’s still
arguably less risky than futures (commodities) trading. And, forget stocks, you’ll never get this type of LEVERAGE in the equities market.

Futures markets are often prone to sudden and dramatic
moves, against which you can not protect yourself, even by
trading with protective stops. Your position may be
liquidated at a loss, and you’ll be liable for any resulting
deficit in the account. But because of the FX markets deep
liquidity and 24-hour, continuous trading, dangerous trading
gaps and limit moves are eliminated. Orders are executed
quickly, without slippage or partial fills. And finally,
there are no margin calls — for your protection, All of our
recommended brokers will automatically close out some or
all of your open positions if your account equity falls
below the level required to hold the positions. Think of
this as a final, automatic stop, always working on your
behalf to prevent a debit balance. In fact, if you pick from
our list of recommended brokers (http://www.1-forex.com) ,
we guarantee that you will never lose more than you have in your FOREX account.

Forex Broker Commissions

By: Eddie Tobey

Most forex brokers do not charge commissions. GFT Forex Brokers, like other forex brokers, are compensated by revenues from their activities as currency dealers, including proceeds from buying, selling, converting and holding currencies, interest on deposited funds, and rollover fees.

Many may wonder how brokers work without commissions. The forex dealer is like a middleman. Let’s consider the case of a bread middleman. He buys bread at a “wholesale” price and he sells it at a “retail” price. So if one is a baker, he can ask the middleman how much he would buy his bread for. Let’s say the middleman quotes $1, so he’s willing to pay $1 per loaf.

On the other side of the equation, let’s say you just finished his last slice of bread, and you needs a new loaf. So you call up the local middleman, and ask him how much he’s willing to sell you (a customer) a loaf of bread for. And he quotes the baker $1.25. That sounds reasonable, so you tell him to drop one off for you.

In this example, the bread middleman didn’t charge you a commission to either the baker or you, the customer. Instead he bought at one price and sold at another. He will let you buy from him at $1.25, and let you sell to him at $1. So every time the baker has bread to sell, he checks the middleman’s sell price. And when you want to buy a loaf of bread, you check the buy price.
In trading, this is known as the “bid” and “ask”. The bid is the price you can sell at, and the ask is the price you can buy at.

Considering forex broker commissions, the forex dealer will let the trader buy from him at 1.1971 and will let the trader sell to him at 1.1967. The difference 0.0004 is known as the spread. And this spread is where the forex “middleman” makes his money.

If the trader were to buy at 1.1971, then the instant the trader buys, he is “down” 0.0004, because if the trader wanted out of the trade, the best price he could sell it for is 1.1967. So as the forex dealer takes varying trades from people, each buying or selling, he can make money from this price gap. Each minimum increment, 0.0001 is referred to as a “pip”. So the spread in this example is 4 pips. In terms of dollars, for a forex contract of $100,000, this transaction would cost you $40 ($100,000 x 0.0004) or 4 pips. So the trader will find that some companies will advertise a spread of 3 pips on some currencies, usually ranging up to five on others. In forex trading, the tighter the spread is, the better.

Forex Broker Info provides detailed information on forex brokers, forex trading and market makers, and other forex-related topics. Forex Broker Info is the sister site of Incorporating in Florida Web.

Forex trading can be like day-trading

By: jay moncliff

Forex trading, or foreign currency trading, has become a bit of a craze of late, especially since it is something available to anyone who owns a computer. And anyone who is willing to put in some training time can profit from forex trading.

The forex market finds traders from all around the globe monitoring currency fluctuations, not unlike the way a day trader may monitor a stock’s fluctuation on the Dow Jones.

In forex trading, a trader will pair two types of currency, for example the U.S. dollar and the British pound. As it requires more of one currency to purchase another, that currency loses value. Not unlike, stock trading, forex traders try to accumulate currency when it weakens in hopes of selling it when it goes up in value. Forex trading is not unlike the buy low, sell high approach found in stock trading.

The way a trader on the forex market exchange goes about acquiring currency is by giving a bid/ask quote, saying he is willing to buy, for example 1.6 marks per dollar and sell them at 1.625 per dollar. One must be a market trader to have access to this process. So most people who are forex trading on line buy the currency through a bank, where they’ll pay a commission, then have to figure the commission paid to the bank into the calculation of their spread, or profit margin, when they sell it.

Forex trading is not an easy path to riches. And some people have lost considerable money in miscalculating the market. With its increased popularity, on some days the forex market exchange can see more than one trillion dollars exchanged. Packages for teaching a new forex trader how to invest in the market can range in price.

Where to Get Forex Training

By: jay moncliff

Some of you may not even know what forex trading is. If you don’t know this, you defiantly need some forex training. Forex stands for foreign exchange. Forex trading is basically the exchange of one countries currency for another countries currency. This is done simultaneously in hopes of gaining a profit.

You can get forex training from several different places. The first place you should get forex training from is online. There are many websites that offer free forex training. The forex training these websites offer is both reliable and accurate. The forex training on these websites often offers a free demo account to teach you how to trade without actually using any real money.

A second place to get Forex training is at your local college campus. Forex training courses at college are usually inexpensive and very thorough. The forex training courses offered should also include hands on experience with trading, to help you get the edge. You can also get some books on forex training or research forex training at your local library. The best place to get forex training is from someone who is already involved in forex trading. The forex training these individuals provide will be more realistic for you and give you different aspects of the forex trading game.

The forex training you get should first start with learning how the foreign trade market works. The trade market is always changing, so you need to understand it first. The second part of your forex training should be about risk control. You never want to invest more than you can afford. The right forex training should teach you how to cut your losses and have less risks of failure. Next, your forex training should teach you how to open and manage a forex trading account. But this should be done with a demo account. All forex training should be done this way first, before you try the real thing.

With all of this in mind, you should be able to find some good forex training. Learn the ropes of forex trading and take the time to learn it well. Be sure to try a demo forex trading account before you start a real account. With the right forex training, you will soon be on your way to a profitable way to supplement your income.

About The Author:

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.forex-center.info a blog focusing on the forex training, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on forex training. For more info on forex training visit:http://www.forex-center.info

Getting a Forex Trading Education

By: jay moncliff

First you need to understand what forex trading is. Forex is short for foreign exchange. Forex trading is the simultaneous exchange of one countries currency for another countries currency. By doing so at the right times, you can gain a profit. A forex trading education can teach you how to do this.

The first part of a forex trading education is to learn the market background. The foreign exchange market is always changing. With forex trading education, you will learn how to monitor these changes to be beneficial for you.

The next part of your forex trading education is to learn about risk control and risk management. You learn to control yourself and not over invest at the thrill of the chance of making money. You will also learn how to cut your losses (how to exit losing trades before your losses exceed your limits). You will always lose money when you first begin forex trading. This part of your forex trading education is absolutely crucial to whether you will make it big or end up in a hole.

Another important part of your forex trading education is to learn how to open and manage your forex trading account. Your forex trading education should first have you practice with a demo account. This way you learn the ropes by practicing forex trades with play money. There is no risk involved, but it is just as realistic as the real thing. Your forex trading education should also let you know when you are ready for the real thing. You should then, and only then, open up a live forex trading account.

There are many ways to get a forex trading education. The best place to get a forex trading education is online. There are many free websites available that let you open free demo accounts to practice your forex trading. There are also free seminars that are avaiable at random times. The best thing to do is to get some advice from someone who is a current forex trader. They can give you some down to earth insight on the subject of forex trading.

Now that you know a little bit about forex trading it is time for you to go out and get a good forex trading education. Don’t rush into it and take your time. There is a lot of money involved with forex trading. It is best not to get ahead of yourself.

About The Author:

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.forexreviews.info a blog focusing on the forex, resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on forex. For more info on forex visit: http://www.forexreviews.info

Forex broker involvement optional

By: jay moncliff

To trade on the forex market, the largest financial market on the planet, one must use a forex broker. Not unlike a stock broker, a forex broker can also makes suggestions about which moves to make when exchanging foreign currency. Some forex brokers even supply technical analysis to some of their clients and offer tips on research to improve their success as forex traders.

Typically in the forex market a forex broker is a banking institution who may buy up large amounts of a certain currency. For years, banks were the only ones who had access to the forex markets. But today with the Internet, any forex trader, who subscribes with a forex broker, can access the market 24 hours a day.

Today, as with stock brokers, the brick and mortar institutions, such as banks, are less of an option for the individual forex trader who works from home, monitoring the news and gaining insight into certain technical information to help with his or her trading decisions.

Choosing a forex broker may depend on your needs. If you are new to the field, there are houses, or online forex brokers who may cater to your needs, providing in-depth research, ample time to demo their product and so on. Other forex brokers are geared toward the experienced online forex trader. They too offer advice, but may be less likely to offer instructional help with the information, assuming that you may already know how it may or may not benefit you when you read it. It is advisable to read about and even run a demo on several different online forex brokers before going with one.

About The Author:

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.goforexonline.info a blog focusing
on the latest Forex news, resources and articles. This site provides detailed
information on forex trading.

Forex market offers opportunity and information

By: jay moncliff

The forex market is what is called an international exchange currency market, where currencies are exchanged on a daily basis. There are five forex market centers around the world – New York, London, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Zurich. One does not need to be on the trading floor, so to speak to be involved in the forex market. Today, forex trading can be done from home on a computer.

The forex market itself is basically a worldwide connection of traders, who make investment moves based on the price of currencies, or their values relative to other currencies. These traders constantly negotiate prices with other traders resulting in the fluctuation or movement of a currency’s value. The value of a currency on the forex market also corresponds with supply. If there is greater demand for the Euro, let’s say, then there will be less supply of it on the forex market, which means, in time, it will make a Euro more valuable compared to let’s say the dollar. In short, in this forex market situation, one Euro would yield more dollars, subsequently weakening the dollar as well. Analyzing the forex market’s fluctuations allows investors to make predictions on how a currency will move in relation to another currency. They then can make predictions and buy and sell currency accordingly.

While some people view the forex market as a place to see what their exchange rate will be when they travel abroad, others view it as an opportunity to make great gains in their financial planning and future.

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