Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Forms and Types of Forex Options

In forex trading as in stocks trading, there are two basic forms of options: the call and the put option. A call option gives the holder (buyer) the right to purchase a certain amount of the underlying currency at a specified price (the strike price) and date. A put option gives the holder the right to sell a certain amount of the underlying currency at the strike price. Forex options are divided into two major categories, both available on the Finotec Trading Platform: vanilla and exotic options. The major difference between those categories lies in the variables that they integrate. Each category contains several Options Types:. Vanilla options: these are the simplest types of options. The origin of the name is not clear. They refer to standard CALL and PUT forex options contracts. Please note that "put" and "call" forex options contracts are note the opposite of the same transaction but two separate transactions. This means that for every forex call option buyer there is a call seller and for every forex put option buyer there is a put seller. Under our platform's Vanilla options, you will also find both straddle and strangle options strategies. These last options types are actually defined as options strategies. Exotic options: Unlike plain vanilla options with single strike prices and standard expiration dates, exotic options are based on more complex conditional time and price scenarios. Exotic options include different types if options including "barrier" options (knock-in, knock-out, reverse knock-in, reverse knock out) and "binary" options (one-touch, no-touch, double one touch, double no touch). In general, options can be either American-style or European-style. American-style options may be exercised at any point until the expiration date. European-style options may only be exercised at the time of the expiration date. Options trading with Finotec is facilitated by a complete set of tools designed to help traders make considered trading decisions.

W.D. Gann Trading Methods - Genius Trader or Overrated Guru

W.D. Gann is one of the most famous traders of all time, and has a huge devoted following - however the fact is, Gann never made the huge profits many of his disciples claim.

He did not have a success rate of 90%, as is often claimed - the logic his methods are based upon are unsound, and his predictive methods don’t predict - they leave everything to subjective opinion!

Let’s examine his theories of investment in more detail and see.

Let’s look at some common myths about how great a trader Gann actually was:

Many sources quote Gann’s trading profits at $50 million dollars, however this is not true.

An interview that Alexander Elder had with his son tells the truth.

Firstly, his son confirmed that when his father died in the 1950s his estate was valued at just $100,000 - and that included his house.

Secondly, his son confirmed that Gann was unable to make enough money from trading, and therefore supplemented his income by writing and selling courses.

W.D. Gann’s Predictions

Many sources quote he had a success rate in all his trades of over 90% - again not true. We can easily deduce this from the value of his estate.

If he could make money trading and had a 90% success rate, he would have made hundreds of millions in his trading career - and he clearly did not - that’s why he had to sell books and courses.

The only evidence of a 90% success rate came from a small number of trades - and was not representative of them all.

Gann’s Methods are Predictive

Gann came to the conclusion that all natural phenomena are cyclical - including financial markets. This is true, but this is an obvious statement - we all know we’re going to die but when exactly?

A predictive theory is not a predictive theory if it can’t predict.

If Gann’s theory really is predictive, then there would be no market - as we would all know the price in advance!

Gann’s theory is subjective - and he really had no way of predicting the future with accuracy. It’s all subjective analysis and this is NOT a predictive theory.

Gann’s Logic

The basis of Gann’s theory is the principle that price and time must balance.

His methods are based on the squaring of price with time - this occurs when a unit of price equals a unit of time.

Gann for example would take a prominent high in the market, convert that dollar unit into a specified period of time and project it forward. When that time is reached, price and time are squared - and a market turn is due.

What? - How can one unit of price equal one unit of time? If you think about and answer this question for yourself, you will see how absurd the connection is.

This isn’t the only inconsistency used in his analysis - we also have the legendary Fibonacci numbers which are supposed to work with stunning accuracy - but they don’t, and neither do all sorts of astrology and geometry, that appeals to the far out investment crowd.

As we have seen, Gann was a trader who had modest success, and claimed to have discovered a predictive theory - which predicts nothing with accuracy.

Finally, we have so many subjective indicators cobbled together, that the theory can prove anything in hindsight, but if you want a tool to trade the markets look elsewhere.

For those of you still not convinced - I recently saw on the Internet, Gann’s trading methods selling for under $1,000!

Sounds like a bargain to get trades with 90% accuracy - I wonder how many serious money managers have it on their bookshelf.

Forex Fundamental Analysis

The two primary approaches of analyzing Forex markets are technical analysis and fundamental analysis. Fundamental analysis comprises the examination of economic indicators, asset markets and political considerations when evaluating a nation’s currency in terms of another. The focus of fundamental analysis lies on the economic, social and political forces that drive supply and demand. There is no single set of beliefs that guide forex fundamental analysis, yet most fundamental analysts look at various macroeconomic indicators such as economic growth rates, interest rates, inflation, and unemployment.

Here we look at some of the major Forex fundamental factors that play a role in the movement of a currency:

Economic IndicatorsJustify Full

Economic indicators are reports released by the government or a private organization that detail a country’s economic performance. These economic indicators can be released on a weekly basis, but the more common report is monthly. Indicators are based around a number of economical situations, of which the two primary factors are that of International trade and Interest. Subsidiary factors also include Consumer Price Index (CPI), Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), Durable goods orders, retail sales and Producer Price Index (PPI).

Currency’s Interest Rates

One of the major indicator factors, Interest rates, are a key economic function of any nation. Generally, when a country raises its interest rates, the country’s currency will strengthen in relation to other currencies as assets are shifted to gain a higher return. Interest rates hikes, however, are usually not good news for stock markets. This is due to the fact that many investors will withdraw money from a country’s stock market when there is a hike of interest rates.

International Trade

The trade balance portrays the net difference (over a period of time) between the imports and exports of a nation. A trade deficit can be an economic disaster for a government and a currency. A deficit may appear when a country is importing more than it is exporting, meaning that more money is leaving and less is coming in. In some ways, however, a trade deficit in and of itself is not necessarily a bad thing. A deficit is only negative if the deficit is greater than market expectations and therefore will trigger a negative price movement.

The Seven Most Traded Currencies in forex

Currencies are traded in dollar amounts called “lots”. One lot is equal to $1,000, which controls $100,000 in currency. This is what is known as the "margin". You can control $100,000 worth of currency for only 1,000 dollars. This is what is called “High Leverage”.

Currencies are always traded in pairs in the FOREX. The pairs have a unique notation that expresses what currencies are being traded. The symbol for a currency pair will always be in the form ABC/DEF. ABC/DEF is not a real currency pair, it is an example of a symbol for a currency pair. In this example ABC is the symbol for one countries currency and DEF is the symbol for another countries currency.

Here are some of the common symbols used in the Forex:

USD - The US Dollar EUR - The currency of the European Union "EURO" GBP - The British Pound JPN - The Japanese Yen CHF - The Swiss Franc AUD - The Australian Dollar CAD - The Canadian Dollar

There are symbols for other currencies as well, but these are the most commonly traded ones.

A currency can never be traded by itself. So you can not ever trade a EUR by itself. You always need to compare one currency with another currency to make a trade possible.

Some of the common PAIRS are:

EUR/USD Euro / US Dollar "Euro"

USD/JPY US Dollar / Japanese Yen "Dollar Yen"

GBP/USD British Pound / US Dollar "Cable"

USD/CAD US Dollar / Canadian Dollar "Dollar Canada"

AUD/USD Australian Dollar/US Dollar "Aussie Dollar"

USD/CHF US Dollar / Swiss Franc "Swissy"

EUR/JPY Euro / Japanese Yen "Euro Yen"

The listed currency pairs above look like a fraction. The numerator (top of the fraction or "left" of the / however you want to SEE it) is called the base currency. The denominator (bottom of the fraction or "right" of the /however you want to SEE it) is called the counter currency. When you place an order to buy the EUR/USD, for instance, you are actually buying the EUR and selling the USD. If you were to sell the pair, you would be selling the EUR and buying the USD. So if you buy or sell a currency PAIR, you are buying/selling the base currency. You are always doing the opposite of what you did with to base currency with the counter currency.

If this seems confusing then you’re in luck. You can always get by with just thinking of the entire pair as one item. Then you are just buying or selling that one item. Thinking like this will still enable you to place trades. You only need to be aware of the base/counter concept for Fundamental Analysis issues.

So why is it important to know about the base/counter currency? The base/counter currency concept illustrates what is actually taking place in a Forex transaction. Some of you reading this, know that short-selling was restricted in the stock market *(Short-selling is where you sell a stock/currency/option/commodity first and then try to buy it back at a lower price later). But in the FOREX you are always buying one currency (base) and selling another (counter). If you sell the pair you are simply flipping which one you buy and which one you sell. The transaction is essentially the same. This allows you to short-sell with no restrictions.

You want to be able to short-sell with no restrictions so you can make money when the market drops as well as when it rises. The problem with traditional stock market trading is that the market has to go up for you to make money. With FOREX trading you can make money in all directions.

Forex Rebates

What are Forex Rebates? FX Rebates are a payout for the volume of trading you run through your Forex Broker. These rebates can add up to a significant amount capital if you are trading in the Forex Market. If you are going to trade, you might as well get paid to trade. You are going to pay a spread or commission either way you look at it, so it only makes sense to earn Forex Rebates as you continue your trading.

Forex Signals

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned trader, we have a service to fit your needs. Do you have a hard time understanding when to get in the market, or is your exit points that need help? There are hundreds of forex signals services on the market, but most are not worth a dime. We only work with the best. We screen them with the strictest parameters - ensuring their performance is real.

These signal providers may send signals by e-mail, voice, cell phone, or a live trading room. We will provide you with a list of the best Forex services available to best suit your trading needs.

Some traders prefer an auto trade type of system which does the trading for you, like FX-System Center, an excellent way to go. We work with a number of providers of auto-trade services which include state of the art software that will execute trades in the Forex market for you. You can learn to trade many different styles throughout the trading day. You can join live chat sessions with live calls in voice chat rooms with professional traders and learn how to trade the Forex market yourself. The options are all available, and now you know where to look.

Forex The Future Investment

There are many many advantages over the various other ways of investing. First of all it is a 24 hr market, except for weekends of course. You have the US market then the european and then the Asian. One of the great times to trade is during the over lapping periods. The USA and european overlap between 5am & 9am eastern and the Euro & Asian between 11pm & 1am eastern. Usually the busiest time and best to trade. The is also the risk factor for the accounts. With futures and options you can get margin calls that can wipe you out. If you get caught in a bad trade not only do you lose the money in the account but you may have to come up with alot more from your pocket. It can be very risking. But not in Forex. Worst case senerio you could lose whats in you account. But you would have to do something really stupid. Like making a big trade on a Fundamental day and leave it alone. If market takes a bad move and you weren't there. OOOPS. But That wouldn't happen with a smarth trader. Then there are the demo accounts which is an account where you can trade using all the right things, platform,charts,and information. But you are using play money, or what we call paper trading too. Plus with Forex you have a mini account. Instead of needing thousands of dollars to get into it. You can open an account with as little as $300.00. Now of course you will be trading at 1 tenth of a trade. IN other words you controling 10,000 instead of 100,000.00 These are call lots. Which also means you will only risk 1 tenth too! So if you would love to learn to do investing and not have near the risk you really need to take a closer look at Forex trading.

Tips to Make Money Fast in Forex

This is all about making a fortune with Forex. Most traders just go with the flow and make average gains, with this article you will learn what makes some traders stand out and a lot richer than others!We are going to assume that you know how to trade, and has quite an experience in trading.With simple changes in your trade selection, money and risk management, and mindset, you can change that average gains into larger ones!Fast money is in Forex, it is a lifestyle. here is it how its done.Tip 1 . Embrace Changeability and Risk With a SmileForex systems have instability.If you cannot manage and calculate your risk, then don't ever think about trading in Forex. Many traders back away from forex because of this ( why do you even traded in the first place?). But taking manageable risks has its rewards. It's just simple, you know what your losing if ever it doesn't work out, yet what you gain is unpredictable but sure is high! That is what I call excitement, my friend. To a well-educated Forex trader, this is something you shouldn't be afraid of, might as well embrace it.Tip 2. Trade Less, gain moreMost traders think that if they don't trade, another door has closed, or miss some move. The tendency, they trade frequently. Most of the trades that come big come a few times in a year. Focus on the trades that make the really big gains. Be alert, and informed.Tip 3. Diversify is a no-noMost Investors accept the fact that diversification can make money fast - in reality it does exactly the opposite.Tip 4. Money and Risk ManagementThis article has been concentrating on the Big gains, because this is your money, so every penny should be controlled, this is where money management kicks in.Control your risks, but increase your chances of success:- Give yourself staying power by buying options at or in the money, this prevents you from getting stopped out. Many traders lose not by the market direction, but because they were stopped out by a instable move, and options will give you staying power.- Keep your stop in its original position - until the move is well in profit, before moving it up.- Trading fast and selectively - have the courage to trade when you feel it is good. and enjoy the cash.Tip 5. Compound growth has its benefitsThe way to make money fast in forex, is to understand the power of compound growth. For example, if you target 50% a year in your trading, you can grow an initial $20,000 account, to over a million dollars, in under 10 years.Break the norm, and gain more. Follow some of these tips and make your way into the big gains!

Forex Great Trading

Provided you decide to start trading it would be a great idea to invest in some software to help you keep up with your investments. The CMS Forex website recommends the VT Trader 2.0 Some of it’s key features are chart based trading, customizable interface, 100+ technical indicators, custom indicators, risk management tools, pattern recognition technology, customer alerts, Forex autopilot, stability and Dow Jones News. They also suggest the VT Trader Mobile device which can be taken wherever you go so you can trade anywhere.

Benifits of Forex Trading


The only market that is world’s largest and most liquid is forex trading market. This is also recognized as one and only absolute home busiess. But this would confusing for a layman that is new to the market. Many questions that arises – Why do people go for online trading and how do they buck up their bank account? Every day more number of investors and traders are moving in to forex trading market because of several advantages available in the market. It is just that there are few things you need to know and learn appropriately. Most traders keep their trading simple. Just little bit of market information and research helps them. But when looking high and high achievement, you need to work hard and smart.Following are advantage of forex trading.• The margin requirement to trade in forex is just 5% of total value of holding. So you can keep your margin as low as possible to trade risk free. You get the ability to manage large amount with lower margin.• Forex trading market is commission fee. If you act as an individual trader then you do not pay any commission fee. However, if you trade with forex broker he might charge you a low value share from the trade.• Bid and ask rates are very flexible. Most of the online forex trading brokers provide a spread of 4 pips on USD/EUR as it is the most traded currency pair. It may fluctuate between 4 to 9 pips. • Considered the largest and most flexible market in the world. • Trade execution is almost instant, enabling traders and investors to respond to rising or falling situations or trends rapidly.• This market is usually known as a free market even though the dealings of major dealers, such as commercial banks in money centers, are controlled under certain banking laws.• It is a 24 hour seamless market and can trade any time except the weekends. So it becomes comfortable for all types of trader and investors to deal with forex trading.• The standard forex trading volume is huge, and inclinations could be simple to spot. • No various exchange listings to the same currency and no average size to trade.• Forex trading brokers provide very limiting short selling margin needs to trader and investors. That simply means a customer do not have the liquidity to be capable to sell stock before he buys.• Forex trading is done “OTC” (Over the Counter). So there is no clearing house or central exchange to match the orders. Deal takes place on the reputation basis of the participants.• Widen options available of small traders as well. Lately forex trading is becoming increasingly popular among small brokers and traders.

Forex Home Business

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of forex home business is certainly no exception.When running a forex home business, a person quickly gains knowledge of how the business world works. Whether it be selling crafts, doing a home delivery business, or selling real-estate, after investing a lot of time and effort into a home or small business, a person quickly becomes aware of the few basic business truths that govern business.One of those truths is that you have to have time and money to start a small business or any business for that matter. More often than not, the people that have the time dont have the money to invest in a home-based business and the people that have the money dont have the time. With Forex home business, it is quite possible to generate an income with a small time investment per day, after studying FOREX for a few months, and a very small investment as little as $50 in some cases.The second truth, and these are probably quite obvious to most people, is that in order to make money a business has to have some sort of product to sell or perform some type of service. In the FOREX world, nothing is being sold and no service is being performed, but rather money is being exchanged. You are making a profit based on the actual exchange value of one currency against another currency. This eliminates the need for employees, such as customer service personnel and human resource people if your company were to become that big.Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.Also, because of the huge size of the FOREX market, trading nearly $1.5 trillion dollars a day, such things as social events, bad publicity, and changes in political climate will have no effect on your business. In fact, after studying FOREX, you will be able to see how these things will actually benefit your FOREX home business.The third and last classical business truth is that most people are prevented from starting a home-based business because they dont feel good enough about themselves. They dont feel like theyre educated enough. I read stories all of the time about people that feel passionate about something or they just pick something that they are relatively good at or have done before and start a business. They just take a chance. If you want to do it, step out. Take that first step. Dont drop any huge sums of money, of course, but do a little research, make a small investment and start your adventure down to the road to FOREX trading.You dont need a doctorite degree to get involved with FOREX trading, but after a couple of months of good study, its quite possible to generate a significant source of cash from FOREX trading. Forex traders study the political and economic trends in the economically important countries, including USA, Japan, England or the European Union, and make an assessment of the present or future purchase values of these currencies in comparison with each other. Again, the process of sale and purchase is like any other market activity, except that the time period varies. Blindly trade. Forex home business is not about gambling. Consider a situation where you think that the price of a given commodity, say, silver, gold, or wheat, will increase in the near future.You can’t predict when knowing something extra about forex home business will come in handy. If you learned anything new about forex home business in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

Difference Between Forex and Stock

The Forex market has a lot of advantages compare to stock market: A Forex trader could make profit through the market no matter if it is bearish and bullish which is different from the capital market, Forex has no strict regulation in speculation, no matter whether it is a long-term or a short-term transaction there is still a hidden profit, moreover, Forex market is a double-transaction market which means Forex traders could make profit through both upward and downward trend.2. Forex traders could obtain a much larger transaction compared to the stock market, through the Forex trading, Forex traders could obtain 100 times larger transaction compared to the stock market. According to the present US situation, if a Forex trader invests $1,000 in the stock market, the trader may obtain $2,000 of stock domination property with a proportion of 2:1, but through Forex trading, a Forex trader can do transaction with a proportion up to 100:1.Forex trader may make profit from the ordinary news, like the interest rate change, Forex market is closely related to various countries' politic, economy and culture, Forex traders could also obtain profit from other kinds of news, for example interest rate level change, will influence the interest of the Forex deposit.3. Forex traders could do 24 hours trading. The stock market can only be traded during daytime at a specific time, generally from 9:30a.m. to 4:00p.m.. If you too have your own full time job, then you will face the dilemma - either to give up your full time job or forgo the trading opportunity. But Forex market can be traded 5 days a week and 24 hours a day, Forex traders can trade during their free time which is normally at night after working hour.4. If a trader analyze based on technical analysis, Forex trading would be much more suitable for such traders because the Forex market has a very large trading volume. Currently the Forex market has daily trading volume of 190 billion Dollar, such giant market will completely digest a fore trader's transaction cash, under such situation the accuracy of the technical analysis would be much higher then any financial market, the chances of using technical analysis to make profit would be much more higher.5. In the stock market there are hundred and thousand kinds of stocks, then choosing stock will be a very difficult matter. But in the Forex market, the currency combination is extremely limited, this may enable Forex traders to concentrate on these currencies combination, and could follow the trend quickly.

Forex Trading- Are You Gaining Or Losing?

Did you know that you can find a market that is open 24 hours a day? The market is called Forex market and if you go there, you can’t find services, commodities and goods. The Forex market is the place where different kinds of currencies are traded. In every trade, two currencies are involved. For instance, you can sell your Canadian dollars for Euros; or you can pay Japanese Yen for US dollars. Forex rates or exchange rates can change unexpectedly. You need to monitor these exchange rates in order to determine if the price of a certain currency increased or decreased.Changes in the Forex market usually occur quickly and so it is important for traders to keep track of the market. Political and economic events can influence the changes in the Forex market. If you want to determine whether you’re gaining or losing in Forex trading, this article can help you with the calculations.The Forex investment is greatly affected by the exchange rate and in order to understand the relationship between the two, you should also be familiar with Forex quotes. Like the currency pairs, Forex quotes can be found in pairs as well. Here is a very good example:1.Suppose the currency pair is USD (US dollar) and CAD (Canadian dollar)The Forex quote for this pair is USD/CAD=170.50; this is interpreted as ‘every one US dollar is equivalent to 170.50 CAD. The currency found at the left side is known as the base currency and it is always equivalent to 1. The currency found at the right side is called counter currency. The stronger currency is always the base currency and in this case, the USD. The Forex quote’s central currency is USD and so you can find it in most Forex quotes.How can you determine if you’re earning profits or not? You can use another example.2.This time use EUR to USD. Assuming that the Forex rate is 1.0857; in this example, the USD is the weaker currency. If you bought 1,000 Euros, you will need to pay $1,085.70. After a year, the Forex rate was at 1.2083 and this means that the Euro’s value increased. If you decide to sell the 1,000 Euros now, you will get $1,208.30; now, in this transaction, you gained $122.60. What if the Forex rate a year after was 1.0576? This means that the Euro’s value weakened. If you still decide to sell the 1,000 Euros, you will only receive $1,057.60 which means that you lost $28.10; did you get it?Forex trading involves a lot of risks just like mutual funds and stocks. The fluctuations in the exchange market are responsible for such risks. Low level risks like government bonds in the long-term can give returns but are quite low. If you want to get higher returns, you need to invest in Forex trading but you need to face higher level risks.You must set financial goals for the short term, as well as for the long term. By doing so, it will be much easier to balance the risks involved and the security. You will be able to conduct your trades with ease and comfort. Make use of all the available Forex trading tools so that you can make wise and profitable trades. After reading this article, you can already calculate if you’re gaining profits or not

Forex Brokers of Pakistan

H & H EXCHANGE CO. (PVT) LTD.

(KARACHI)H & H - Pakistan's first Exchange Company. Granted license by the State Bank of Pakistan to carry out foreign exchange business. We also deal in cash currencies, foreign remittance

DOLLAR EAST EXCHANGE COMPANY(LAHORE)Dollar East Exchange Company (Pvt.) Limited is a leading exchange company in Pakistan. The company is one of the pioneers to start currency exchange business in the country. It was

EMIRATES GLOBAL ISLAMIC BANK LIMITED (EGIBL) (KARACHI)

Alhamdolillah, Emirates Global Islamic Bank Limited, a dedicated Islamic Commercial Bank, commenced operations in February 2007. Presently the Bank has ten branches in Pakistan .

GLAXY EXCHANGE (PVT.) LTD (KARACHI)

ZARCO EXCHANGE COMPANY (PVT) LTD(LAHORE)

The ZARCO Exchange Company is a respected financial institution that provides dependable Exchange and Transfer services to satisfied customers throughout Pakistan.

A KHANANI AND KALIA MONEY EXCHANGE(ISLAMABAD)

Since a last decade, Khanani & Kalia International (Pvt) Ltd. has been known by its customers for its best quality services at the national level.

A TO Z MONEY CHANGER (KARACHI)

A.R.K. EXCHANGE (KARACHI)

AA EXCHANGE COMPANY (PVT) LTD(ISLAMABAD)

AAKRA MONEY EXCHANGE (KARACHI)

ABID CURRENCY (PESHAWAR)

AHMAD MONEY CHANGER (LAHORE)

AJMAIR INTERNATIONAL (ISLAMABAD)

AL-ABBAS ENTERPRISES (RAWALPINDI)

AL-MUZHER MONEY CHANGER (LAHORE)

AL-RAHIM INTERNATIONAL (KARACHI)

ALI HAIDER MONEY EXCHANGE (LAHORE)

ALI INTERNATIONAL (KARACHI)

ALLIED GROUP OF BUSINESS (ISLAMABAD)

ARY INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE (KARACHI)

ASMA MONEY EXCHANGER'S (LAHORE)

AYLIA FINANCIAL SERVICE (ISLAMABAD)

BANK OF PUNJAB (KARACHI)

BIG BOARD ADVISORY SERVICE (KARACHI)

CAPITAL EXCHANGE CO. LTD (KARACHI)

CASH CORNER CURRENCY EXCHANGE(RAWALPINDI)

CHANDA & CO (KARACHI)

CHANDA E.C (B) PVT. LTD. (KARACHI)

CHANDA MONEY CHANGERS (KARACHI)

Forex Trading System

The point of this article is to help you to the next level and show you what this amazing subject has to offer.You can find heaps of websites online which recommend counsel on the newest and the best trading systems that you can use in the Forex promote. New traders are regularly fooled into purchasing these trading systems in the chance of earning more profits. Don?t make the same confound. You have to curb these trading systems before you lastly influence to employ them.The internet is full of scammers and some of the trading systems don’t really work or are fraudulent. You have to choose only the best and reliable systems. Reliable trading systems can bring in more profits if you use them consistently and in a disciplined manner.Most Forex traders are looking for the best trading systems presented online and perhaps you?re looking for it too. You have to be reallyistic when looking for an useful system and so you will ought to believe numerous factors. Some systems are very hard to understand. You must contract that you understand the system?s judgment before purchasing it. Only by understanding the judgment of the system can you effectively use it to your plus. By curbing the trading system thoroughly, you will be able to influence if the total system is intuitive and judgmental from your own sense of observe. If you think that you can line with the trading system, conscious that its chief judgment is amenable, you can go along way.Keep reading further to learn how this topic can benefit you, as the rest of this article will supply you will the needed information.Having a good trading system in the Forex promote is central. You must apply very stab in your researches and conduct some trials. How can you link a good system? A good system is one that can be worn over the long-name and it has a sustained earning budding. For beginers, it is advised that you have a resultant design just in lawsuit you meet a decline. By burden so, you can settle buoyant although the economic struggles. You should be emotionally complete and once you earn big money, you should be shrewd in with or expenses it.When with a certain trading system in the Forex promote, you should not presume close fallout. loyal enough, you can earn big money in Forex trading but there is also the possibility of behind your investment. You have to be unwearied and very sensitive in making your trading decisions. Give the system enough time to work out; for example, a fasten of months to a year may be enough to influence if the system is profitable or not. inside this interlude, you ought to contract consistent and judgmental trading transactions.Most of today’s trading systems provide near-real time Forex information but some systems only provide simulations of the logic at work based on historical data. If you think that the basic logic is understandable and solid, you can still use the system to your advantage.The Forex market is rapidly changing or shifting. Your trading system should be able to easily adjust to these changes and shifts. Complicated systems do not guarantee better performance and it would be better to choose a system that is intuitive and user friendly. Study the major trends in the Forex market and after that, you can already choose a good trading system that can work for you. Select the system that is rational and disciplined. Don’t use your emotions when conducting the trade because it may be the start of your downfall. Get your very own trading system now and join the Forex market.Seeing is believing, but sometimes we can?t all experience every subject in life. This article hopes to make up for that by providing you with a valuable resource of information on this topic.

Forex Glossary Terms

American-style option An option contract that may be exercised at any time before it expires.

Ask The quoted price at which a customer can buy a currency pair. Also referred to as the 'offer', 'ask price', or 'ask rate'.

Base Currency For foreign exchange trading, currencies are quoted in terms of a currency pair. The first currency in the pair is the base currency. For example, in a USD/JPY currency pair, the US dollar is the base currency. Also may be referred to as the primary currency.

Bid The quoted price where a customer can sell a currency pair. Also known as the 'bid price' or 'bid rate'.

Bid/Ask Spread The point difference between the bid and ask (offer) price.

Call A call option gives the option buyer the right to purchase a particular currency pair at a stated exchange rate.

Counterparty The counterparty is the person who is on the other side of an OTC trade. For retail customers, the dealer will always be the counterparty.

Cross-rate The exchange rate between two currencies where neither of the currencies are the US dollar.

Currency pair The two currencies that make up a foreign exchange rate. For example, USD/YEN is a currency pair.

Dealer A firm in the business of acting as a counterparty to foreign currency transactions.

Euro The common currency adopted by eleven European nations (i.e., Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain) on January 1, 1999.

European-style option An option contract that can be exercised only on or near its expiration date.

Expiration This is the last day on which an option may either be exercised or offset.

Forward transaction A true forward transaction is an agreement that expects actual delivery of and full payment for the currency to occur on a future date. This term may also be used to refer to transactions that the parties expect to offset at some time in the future, but these transactions are not true forward transactions and are governed by the federal Commodity Exchange Act.

Interbank market A loose network of currency transactions negotiated between financial institutions and other large companies.

Leverage The ability to control large dollar amount of a commodity with a comparatively small amount of capital. Also known as 'gearing'.

Margin See Security Deposit.

Offer See ask.

Open position Any transaction that has not been closed out by a corresponding opposite transaction.

Pip The smallest unit of trading in a foreign currency price.

Premium The price an option buyer pays for the option, not including commissions.

Put A put option gives the option buyer the right to sell a particular currency pair at a stated exchange rate.

Quote currency The second currency in a currency pair is referred to as the quote currency. For example, in a USD/JPY currency pair, the Japanese yen is the quote currency. Also referred to as the secondary currency or the counter currency.

Rollover The process of extending the settlement date on an open position by rolling it over to the next settlement date.

Retail customer Any party to a forex trade who is not an eligible contract participant as defined under the Commodity Exchange Act. This includes individuals with assets of less than $10 million and most small businesses.

Security deposit The amount of money needed to open or maintain a position. Also known as 'margin'.

Settlement The actual delivery of currencies made on the maturity date of a trade.

Spot market A market of immediate delivery of and payment for the product, in this case, currency.

Spot transaction A true spot transaction is a transaction requiring prompt delivery of and full payment for the currency. In the interbank market, spot transactions are usually settled in two business days. This term may also be used to refer to transactions that the parties expect to offset or roll over within two business days, but these transactions are not true spot transactions and are governed by the federal Commodity Exchange Act.

Spread The point or pip difference between the ask and bid price of a currency pair.

Sterling Another term for British currency, the pound.

Strike price The exchange rate at which the buyer of a call has the right to purchase a specific currency pair or at which the buyer of a put has the right to sell a specific currency pair. Also known as the 'exercise price'.

Forex Trader web

Away from your main computer? No problem. With FOREXTrader.web you can conveniently access your account from any computer with internet access, with the confidence of knowing you are within a highly secure, browser-based environment.

FOREXTrader.web is a secure, browser-based trading platform that can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. With no software to download or installation required, FOREXTrader.web is ideal for traders new to the Forex market as well as advanced users away from their main computer.FOREXTrader.web equips you with access to real-time quotes, charts, news, research and more. In short, all the tools and resources you need to trade and manage your account.

Currency Day Trading

The world currency market is not only one of the biggest trading markets around with a massive turn over of $3.6 trillion traded per day, it is also a market that travels fast and can be very exiting. One minute you can be flying high, the next minute you could already face a loss. There are ways however to increase your chances of making money with currency day trading.


What exactly is currency trading?

Online currency trading means dealing with exchange rates. In finance, the exchange rate (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how much one currency is worth in terms of the other. For example an exchange rate of 120 Japanese yen (JPY, ¥) to the United States dollar (USD, $) means that JPY 120 is worth the same as USD 1. The currency trading market, also called "Foreign Exchange Market" or "FX Market", is one of the largest markets in the world. By some estimates, about 3 trillion USD worth of currency changes hands every day.


Advantages of Online Currency Trading

Online Currency Trading is appealing to many traders because of
- its trading volume,
- the extreme liquidity of the market,
- the large number of, and variety of, traders in the market,
- its geographical dispersion,
- its long trading hours - 24 hours a day (except on weekends).
- the variety of factors that affect exchange rates.


Don't make these mistakes when trading currencies

Here are the top six reasons why traders lose money with online currency trading

1. Lack of a Trading Plan
2. Lack of Discipline to Follow the Plan
3. Failure to Control Emotions
4. Failure to Accept and Limit Losses
5. Lack of Commitment
6. Over-Trading


How to Make Money with Currency Day Trading

The easiest solution to avoid all these mistakes is using a currency trading system. Trading a system will eliminate almost all of the top reasons why traders lose money. Since it can be automated and places the trades for you, it will help you overcoming emotions and lack of discipline. It will get you out of a trade when you're losing, and it will take profits when you are winning. And as long as you don't override the system, it will automatically places the trades for you no matter what.


How to Find a Good Currency Trading System

Finding a good currency trading system is not easy. Experts estimate that only 10% of all available trading systems actually make money. “For every one profitable trading system that is ‘discovered’ through back testing and optimization, there are nine others that lose money,” says Matthew Klein, CEO of Collective2.

In another trading article I explained the "10 Power Principles of Successful Currency Trading Systems". By simply applying these principles to a currency trading system you can dramatically increase the chances of being successful.

Practical tips when u start Forex Trading

Forex trading is a lucrative online business and you could reap great financial rewards from it. However, trading currencies at the Forex market is also a very risky venture. It can instantly wipe out all your investments in 1 or 2 bad trades.

That is why you need to equip yourself with the right tools and information so you can succeed at the Forex market. This is not an easy task and it could take years before you can call yourself an expert trader. So here are the top 3 practical tips that could help you to succeed at the Forex market.


1. Analyze each currency that you want to trade. Study their relationships and how each affects another. By understanding the general relationships of currencies you will be able to identify the most profitable currency pair.

2. Always tune in to economic and financial news. In times of extreme market volatility or uncertainty, breaking news plays a critical part in the movement of currencies. In order to grab the best opportunities, keep yourself updated and learn how to analyze news that affects the market

3. Strike a balance between conservative and aggressive trading. If you are too conservative, you may win short term trades but could fail in your long term positions. If you are too aggressive, you could lose all your investments in a single trade. So learn how to balance your trading style and apply it based on market conditions

These are simple tips that could help you start a successful Forex venture. There are still lots of things you should learn in Forex trading so keep on studying the market and learn different Forex strategies.

Forex Currency Trading

Currency trading on the Forex spot market always involves trading a currency pair. When you open a position, you purchase one of the currencies in the currency pair and pay for it with the other. So you actually need one currency to be able to purchase the other one. Closing a position is nothing more than reversing the process. If the currency pair's exchange rate has changed between open en closing a position, you made a gain or a loss, depending on how the exchange rate change has developed. It's important to realize that you're not really shorting the market - at least not like you could with equity and futures. For every short position, there exists a corresponding long position in the other currency. Only if exchange rates change, you stand a chance of making money.

Working with statistics

Trade Balance

The trade balance is a measure of the difference between imports and exports of tangible goods and services. The level of the trade balance and changes in exports and imports are widely followed by foreign exchange markets.

The trade balance is a major indicator of foreign exchange trends. Seen in isolation, measures of imports and exports are important indicators of overall economic activity in the economy.

It is often of interest to examine the trend growth rates for exports and imports separately. Trends in export activities reflect the competitive position of the country in question, but also the strength of economic activity abroad. Trends in import activity reflect the strength of domestic economic activity.

Typically, a nation that runs a substantial trade balance deficit has a weak currency due to the continued commercial selling of the currency. This can, however, be offset by financial investment flows for extended periods of time.

Gross Domestic Product

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the broadest measure of aggregate economic activity available. Reported quarterly, GDP growth is widely followed as the primary indicator of the strength of economic activity.

GDP represents the total value of a country's production during the period and consists of the purchases of domestically produced goods and services by individuals, businesses, foreigners and the government.

As GDP reports are often subject to substantial quarter-to-quarter volatility and revisions, it is preferable to follow the indicator on a year-to-year basis. It can be valuable to follow the trend rate of growth in each of the major categories of GDP to determine the strengths and weaknesses in the economy.

A high GDP figure is often associated with the expectations of higher interest rates, which is frequently positive, at least in the short term, for the currency involved, unless expectations of increased inflation pressure is concurrently undermining confidence in the currency.

Consumer Price Index

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average level of prices of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by consumers. The monthly reported changes in CPI are widely followed as an inflation indicator.

The CPI is a primary inflation indicator because consumer spending accounts for nearly two-thirds of economic activity. Often, the CPI is followed but excludes the price of food and energy as these items are generally much more volatile than the rest of the CPI and can obscure the more important underlying trend.

Rising consumer price inflation is normally associated with the expectation of higher short term interest rates and may therefore be supportive for a currency in the short term. Nevertheless, a longer term inflation problem will eventually undermine confidence in the currency and weakness will follow.

Producer Price Index

The Producer Price Index (PPI) is a measure of the average level of prices of a fixed basket of goods received in primary markets by producers. The monthly PPI reports are widely followed as an indication of commodity inflation.

The PPI is considered important because it accounts for price changes throughout the manufacturing sector.

The PPI is often followed but excludes the food and energy components as these items are normally much more volatile than the rest of the PPI and can therefore obscure the more important underlying trend.

Studying the PPI allows consideration of inflationary pressures that may be accumulating or receding, but have not yet filtered through to the finished goods prices.

A rising PPI is normally expected to lead to higher consumer price inflation and thereby to potentially higher short-term interest rates. Higher rates will often have a short term positive impact on a currency, although significant inflationary pressure will often lead to an undermining of the confidence in the currency involved.

Payroll Employment

Payroll employment is a measure of the number of people being paid as employees by non-farm business establishments and units of government. Monthly changes in payroll employment reflect the net number of new jobs created or lost during the month and changes are widely followed as an important indicator of economic activity.

Payroll employment is one of the primary monthly indicators of aggregate economic activity because it encompasses every major sector of the economy. It is also useful to examine trends in job creation in several industry categories because the aggregate data can mask significant deviations in underlying industry trends.

Large increases in payroll employment are seen as signs of strong economic activity that could eventually lead to higher interest rates that are supportive of the currency at least in the short term. If, however, inflationary pressures are seen as building, this may undermine the longer term confidence in the currency.

Durable Goods Orders

Durable Goods Orders are a measure of the new orders placed with domestic manufacturers for immediate and future delivery of factory hard goods. Monthly percent changes reflect the rate of change of such orders.

Levels of, and changes in, durable goods order are widely followed as an indicator of factory sector momentum.

Durable Goods Orders are a major indicator of manufacturing sector trends because most industrial production is done to order. Often, the indicator is followed but excludes Defence and Transportation orders because these are generally much more volatile than the rest of the orders and can obscure the more important underlying trend.

Durable Goods Orders are measured in nominal terms and therefore include the effects of inflation. Therefore the Durable Goods Orders should be compared to the trend growth rate in PPI to arrive at the real, inflation-adjusted Durable Goods Orders.

Rising Durable Goods Orders are normally associated with stronger economic activity and can therefore lead to higher short-term interest rates that are often supportive to a currency at least in the short term.

Retail Sales

Retail Sales are a measure of the total receipts of retail stores. Monthly percentage changes reflect the rate of change of such sales and are widely followed as an indicator of consumer spending.

Retails Sales are a major indicator of consumer spending because they account for nearly one-half of total consumer spending and approximately one-third of aggregate economic activity.

Often, Retail Sales are followed less auto sales because these are generally much more volatile than the rest of the Retail Sales and can therefore obscure the more important underlying trend.

Retail Sales are measured in nominal terms and therefore include the effects of inflation. Rising Retail Sales are often associated with a strong economy and therefore an expectation of higher short-term interest rates that are often supportive to a currency at least in the short term.

Housing Starts

Housing Starts are a measure of the number of residential units on which construction is begun each month and the level of housing starts is widely followed as an indicator of residential construction activity.

The indicator is followed to assess the commitment of builders to new construction activity. High construction activity is usually associated with increased economic activity and confidence, and is therefore considered a harbinger of higher short-term interest rates that can be supportive of the involved currency at least in the short term.

History

Brief history of Forex trading

Initially, the value of goods was expressed in terms of other goods, i.e. an economy based on barter between individual market participants. The obvious limitations of such a system encouraged establishing more generally accepted means of exchange at a fairly early stage in history, to set a common benchmark of value. In different economies, everything from teeth to feathers to pretty stones has served this purpose, but soon metals, in particular gold and silver, established themselves as an accepted means of payment as well as a reliable storage of value.

Originally, coins were simply minted from the preferred metal, but in stable political regimes the introduction of a paper form of governmental IOUs (I owe you) gained acceptance during the Middle Ages. Such IOUs, often introduced more successfully through force than persuasion were the basis of modern currencies.

Before World War I, most central banks supported their currencies with convertibility to gold. Although paper money could always be exchanged for gold, in reality this did not occur often, fostering the sometimes disastrous notion that there was not necessarily a need for full cover in the central reserves of the government.

At times, the ballooning supply of paper money without gold cover led to devastating inflation and resulting political instability. To protect local national interests, foreign exchange controls were increasingly introduced to prevent market forces from punishing monetary irresponsibility.

In the latter stages of World War II, the Bretton Woods agreement was reached on the initiative of the USA in July 1944. The Bretton Woods Conference rejected John Maynard Keynes suggestion for a new world reserve currency in favour of a system built on the US dollar. Other international institutions such as the IMF, the World Bank and GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) were created in the same period as the emerging victors of WW2 searched for a way to avoid the destabilising monetary crises which led to the war. The Bretton Woods agreement resulted in a system of fixed exchange rates that partly reinstated the gold standard, fixing the US dollar at USD35/oz and fixing the other main currencies to the dollar - and was intended to be permanent.

The Bretton Woods system came under increasing pressure as national economies moved in different directions during the sixties. A number of realignments kept the system alive for a long time, but eventually Bretton Woods collapsed in the early seventies following president Nixon's suspension of the gold convertibility in August 1971. The dollar was no longer suitable as the sole international currency at a time when it was under severe pressure from increasing US budget and trade deficits.

The following decades have seen foreign exchange trading develop into the largest global market by far. Restrictions on capital flows have been removed in most countries, leaving the market forces free to adjust foreign exchange rates according to their perceived values.

But the idea of fixed exchange rates has by no means died. The EEC (European Economic Community) introduced a new system of fixed exchange rates in 1979, the European Monetary System. This attempt to fix exchange rates met with near extinction in 1992-93, when pent-up economic pressures forced devaluations of a number of weak European currencies. Nevertheless, the quest for currency stability has continued in Europe with the renewed attempt to not only fix currencies but actually replace many of them with the Euro in 2001.

The lack of sustainability in fixed foreign exchange rates gained new relevance with the events in South East Asia in the latter part of 1997, where currency after currency was devalued against the US dollar, leaving other fixed exchange rates, in particular in South America, looking very vulnerable.

But while commercial companies have had to face a much more volatile currency environment in recent years, investors and financial institutions have found a new playground. The size of foreign exchange markets now dwarfs any other investment market by a large factor. It is estimated that more than USD 3,000 billion is traded every day, far more than the world's stock and bond markets combined.

Forex trading examples

Example 1

An investor has a margin deposit with Saxo Bank of USD 100,000.

The investor expects the US dollar to rise against the Swiss franc and therefore decides to buy USD 2,000,000 - 2% of his maximum possible exposure at a 1% margin Forex gearing.

The Saxo Bank dealer quotes him 1.5515-20. The investor buys USD at 1.5520.

Day 1: Buy USD 2,000,000 vs. CHF 1.5520 = Sell CHF 3,104,000.

Four days later, the dollar has actually risen to CHF 1.5745 and the investor decides to take his profit.

Upon his request, the Saxo Bank dealer quotes him 1.5745-50. The investor sells at 1.5745.

Day 5: Sell USD 2,000,000 vs. CHF 1.5745 = Buy CHF 3,149,000.

As the dollar side of the transaction involves a credit and a debit of USD 2,000,000, the investor's USD account will show no change. The CHF account will show a debit of CHF 3,104,000 and a credit of CHF 3,149,000. Due to the simplicity of the example and the short time horizon of the trade, we have disregarded the interest rate swap that would marginally alter the profit calculation.

This results in a profit of CHF 45,000 = approx. USD 28,600 = 28.6% profit on the deposit of USD 100,000.


Example 2:

The investor follows the cross rate between the EUR and the Japanese yen. He believes that this market is headed for a fall. As he is not quite confident of this trade, he uses less of the leverage available on his deposit. He chooses to ask the dealer for a quote in EUR 1,000,000. This requires a margin of EUR 1,000,000 x 5% = EUR 10,000 = approx. USD 52,500 (EUR /USD 1.05).

The dealer quotes 112.05-10. The investor sells EUR at 112.05.

Day 1: Sell EUR 1,000,000 vs. JPY 112.05 = Buy JPY 112,050,000.

He protects his position with a stop-loss order to buy back the EUR at 112.60. Two days later, this stop is triggered as the EUR o strengthens short term in spite of the investor's expectations.

Day 3: Buy EUR 1,000,000 vs. JPY 112.60 = Sell JPY 112,600,000.

The EUR side involves a credit and a debit of EUR 1,000,000. Therefore, the EUR account shows no change. The JPY account is credited JPY 112.05m and debited JPY 112.6m for a loss of JPY 0.55m. Due to the simplicity of the example and the short time horizon of the trade, we have disregarded the interest rate swap that would marginally alter the loss calculation.

This results in a loss of JPY 0.55m = approx. USD 5,300 (USD/JPY 105) = 5.3% loss on the original deposit of USD 100,000.


Example 3

The investor believes the Canadian dollar will strengthen against the US dollar. It is a long term view, so he takes a small position to allow for wider swings in the rate:

He asks Saxo Bank for a quote in USD 1,000,000 against the Canadian dollar. The dealer quotes 1.5390-95 and the investor sells USD at 1.5390. Selling USD is the equivalent of buying the Canadian dollar.

Day 1: Sell USD 1,000,000 vs. CAD 1.5390. He swaps the position out for two months receiving a forward rate of CAD 1.5357 = Buy CAD 1,535,700 for Day 61 due to the interest rate differential.

After a month, the desired move has occurred. The investor buys back the US dollars at 1.4880. He has to swap the position forward for a month to match the original sale. The forward rate is agreed at 1.4865.

Day 31: Buy USD 1,000,000 vs. CAD 1.4865 = Sell CAD 1,486,500 for Day 61.

Day 61: The two trades are settled and the trades go off the books. The profit secured on Day 31 can be used for margin purposes before Day 61.

The USD account receives a credit and debit of USD 1,000,000 and shows no change on the account. The CAD account is credited CAD 1,535,700 and debited CAD 1,486,500 for a profit of CAD 49,200 = approx. USD 33,100 = profit of 33.1% on the original deposit of USD 100,000.

Trading Concepts

There are many different types of traders and one way you can classify them is by the basic concept that they trade. Chapter 5 of the new edition of my book Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom presents nine different concepts that you can use to trade. And each concept is carefully explained by an expert in the area. Some concepts are diametrically opposed (i.e., trend following versus band trading) but you can trade any of them if you believe in it enough and practice the low-risk idea concepts presented in the book.

The first concept presented is trend-following. The basic idea here is that you buy what's clearly going up and sell it when it stops. Similarly, you sell-short what's clearly going down and you buy it back when it stops. And the key to doing so is practicing low-risk ideas and having some method by which you define when to enter and exit according to this concept. (And those ideas are discussed extensively in other chapters of the book).

The next concept is fundamental analysis. The basic idea here is based upon the supply/demand concept in economics. You need to analyze the market for where demand may exist and buy that (ideally, before it occurs). And when you think the price is high enough that demand might drop off, you sell it. Now you could assume that when the supply is low that demand will increase and start the market moving, but that isn't always the case. Let me give you an example in an area that I know well, rare U.S. stamps. There are certain 19th century stamps that were issued in a very limited supply and less than 100 are know to exist. However, there isn't much demand for these stamps, so the prices on these stamps are pretty reasonable. On the other hand, if just 50 collectors were willing to spend $100,000 on very rare U.S. 19th century stamps the prices of these stamps would go up 10 fold or more.

Value trading is the next concept and it basically says that you buy things that are way undervalued, assuming that one day the market will catch up with value. There are probably 1000's of ways to value stocks and some are more useful that others. And if you decide you like value trading, then your job is to find one of the more useful methods, some of which are suggested in the chapter.

Band trading makes the assumption that certain instruments (stocks or commodities or currencies) trade in bands. You buy something when it touches/crosses/gets close to the lower band and sell it when it does the same for the upper band. And it doesn't matter which order you do it in. However, the key to band trading is to understand how to develop useful bands.

The next concept is how to trade seasonal tendencies. Perhaps the real key to understanding seasonal tendencies is that what you find must have a fundamental basis of its existence. You can always use a computer to find meaningless correlations, such as if you'd bought XYZ in the last week in March, it went up for the next three days in 18 of the last 20 years. That could easily be a statistical fluke. What you are looking for is more like, "The stock market tends to go up between November and May because pension money tends to pour into the market during that period."

Spreading really gets into the realm of the professional trader who can create long and short positions with a lot of potential to move but with a much lower risk profile. For example, you can buy a December option and short the March option. You can buy one currency and short another. These are common practices among professionals who can do large trades very cheaply.

Arbitrage is another area that is practiced primarily by professionals. Here you find some loophole in the way things are done that gives you a huge edge. For example, one of my clients discovered (before currency trading was available) that he could buy sugar in London in pounds and in New York in dollars. Thus, he would spread the two markets in order to trade the dollar pound relationship and he was the only one doing it. He said that in those days that he'd have to unload one of his spreads if anyone wanted to trade sugar. Of course, this didn't last too long because people figured out what he was doing. But while it lasted, he said, it was like taking candy from a baby. The secret to arbitrage, of course, is to be able to find the loopholes and to be able to figure out how to capitalize on the loophole.

The next concept is Intermarket Analysis. Here, we make the assumption that the price of one commodity (or product) is a function of what many other commodities are doing at the same time. It's not just a simple relationship between a few things. Thus, gold might be related to the price of oil, silver, the dollar, and a number of other currencies. And these relationships change over time. Thus, the key to trading this concept is being able to simultaneously evaluate a number of different inputs to find the relationships that currently exist. And, of course, this just sets up the relationship that now exists, you then have to practice the key low-risk idea concepts common to all concepts to make money from the relationship.

The last concept presented in chapter 5 is the "there is an order to the universe" concept. Here there are a number of sub-concepts including: 1) waves of human emotion; 2) physical events that might influence human behavior; and 3) a mathematical order to the universe. Any of these concepts can be traded if they fit you and you practice the appropriate low-risk ideas.

One thing I found in common with all of these concepts is that they basically describe the setups that one might have for entry. Setups are such a small part of trading, but because people think that "picking the right investment" is so important, all of these types of concepts were developed. And trading styles are actually named after the setup.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Forex Trading Basics

The global foreign exchange market is the biggest market in the world. The 3.2 trillion USD daily turnover dwarfs the combined turnover of all the world's stock and bond markets.
There are many reasons for the popularity of foreign exchange trading, but among the most important are the leverage available, the high liquidity 24 hours a day and the very low dealing costs associated with trading.
Of course many commercial organisations participate purely due to the currency exposures created by their import and export activities, but the main part of the turnover is accounted for by financial institutions. Investing in foreign exchange remains predominantly the domain of the big professional players in the market - funds, banks and brokers. Nevertheless, any investor with the necessary knowledge of the market's functions can benefit from the advantages stated above.
In the following article, we would like to introduce you to some of the basic concepts of foreign exchange trading. If you would like any further information, we suggest that you sign up for a FREE Membership on this website, where you will be able to exchange views with other Forex traders and get answers to any questions you might have.
Margin Trading
Foreign exchange is normally traded on margin. A relatively small deposit can control much larger positions in the market. For trading the main currencies, Saxo Bank requires a 1% margin deposit. This means that in order to trade one million dollars, you need to place just USD 10,000 by way of security.
In other words, you will have obtained a gearing of up to 100 times. This means that a change of, say 2%, in the underlying value of your trade will result in a 200% profit or loss on your deposit. See below for specific examples. As you can see, this calls for a very disciplined approach to trading as both profit opportunities and potential risks are very large indeed. Please refer to our page Forex Rates & Conditions for current Spreads, Margins and Conditions.
Base Currency and Variable Currency
When you trade, you will always trade a combination of two currencies. For example, you will buy US dollars and sell euro. Or buy euro and sell Japanese yen, or any other combination of dozens of widely traded currencies. But there is always a long (bought) and a short (sold) side to a trade, which means that you are speculating on the prospect of one of the currencies strengthening in relation to the other.
The trade currency is normally, but not always, the currency with the highest value. When trading US dollars against Singapore dollars, the normal way to trade is buying or selling a fixed amount of US dollars, i.e. USD 1,000,000. When closing the position, the opposite trade is done, again USD 1,000,000. The profit or loss will be apparent in the change of the amount of SGD credited and debited for the two transactions. In other words, your profit or loss will be denominated in SGD, which is known as the price currency. As part of our service, Saxo Bank will automatically exchange your profits and losses into your base currency if you require this.
Dealing Spread, but No Commissions
When trading foreign exchange, you are quoted a dealing spread offering you a buying and a selling level for your trade. Once you accept the offered price and receive confirmation from our dealers, the trade is done. There is no need to call an exchange floor. There are no other time-consuming delays. This is possible due to live streaming prices, which are also a great advantage in times of fast-moving markets: You can see where the market is trading and you know whether your orders are filled or not.
The dealing spread is typically 3-5 points in normal market conditions. This means that you can sell US dollars against the euro at 1.7780 and buy at 1.7785. There are no further costs, commissions or exchange fees.
This ensures that you can get in and out of your trades at very low slippage and many traders are therefore active intra-day traders, given that a typical day in USDEUR presents price swings of 150-200 points.
Spot and forward trading
When you trade foreign exchange you are normally quoted a spot price. This means that if you take no further steps, your trade will be settled after two business days. This ensures that your trades are undertaken subject to supervision by regulatory authorities for your own protection and security. If you are a commercial customer, you may need to convert the currencies for international payments. If you are an investor, you will normally want to swap your trade forward to a later date. This can be undertaken on a daily basis or for a longer period at a time. Often investors will swap their trades forward anywhere from a week or two up to several months depending on the time frame of the investment.
Although a forward trade is for a future date, the position can be closed out at any time - the closing part of the position is then swapped forward to the same future value date.
Interest Rate Differentials
Different currencies pay different interest rates. This is one of the main driving forces behind foreign exchange trends. It is inherently attractive to be a buyer of a currency that pays a high interest rate while being short a currency that has a low interest rate.
Although such interest rate differentials may not appear very large, they are of great significance in a highly leveraged position. For example, the interest rate differential between the US dollar and the Japanese yen has been approximately 5% for several years. In a position that can be supported by a 5% margin deposit, this results in a 100% profit on capital per annum when you buy the US dollar. Of course, an even more important factor normally is the relative value of the currencies, which changed 15% from low to high during 2005 – disregarding the interest rate differential. From a pure interest rate differential viewpoint, you have an advantage of 100% per annum in your favour by being long US dollar and an initial disadvantage of the same size by being short.Please refer to our page Forex Rates & Conditions for current Spreads, Margins and Conditions!
Such a situation clearly benefits the high interest rate currency and as result, the US dollar was in a strong bull market all through 2005. But it is by no means a certainty that the currency with the higher interest rate will be strongest. If the reason for the high interest rate is runaway inflation, this may undermine confidence in the currency even more than the benefits perceived from the high interest rate.
Stop-loss discipline
As you can see from the description above, there are significant opportunities and risks in foreign exchange markets. Aggressive traders might experience profit/loss swings of 20-30% daily. This calls for strict stop-loss policies in positions that are moving against you.
Fortunately, there are no daily limits on foreign exchange trading and no restrictions on trading hours other than the weekend. This means that there will nearly always be an opportunity to react to moves in the main currency markets and a low risk of getting caught without the opportunity of getting out. Of course, the market can move very fast and a stop-loss order is by no means a guarantee of getting out at the desired level.
But the main risk is really an event over the weekend, where all markets are closed. This happens from time to time as many important political events, such as G7 meetings, are normally scheduled for weekends.
For speculative trading, we always recommend the placement of protective stop-lossorders. With Saxo Bank Internet Trading you can easily place and change such orders while watching market development graphically on your computer screen.

Introduction to Trading Forex

Foreign Exchange
This short introduction explains the basics of trading Forex online, a brief explanation of the markets and the major benefits of trading Forex online. There are also two scenarios describing the implications of trading in a bear as well as a bull market to better acquaint you with some of the risks and opportunities of the largest and most liquid market in the world.
As an additional aid for those who are new to Forex, there is also a glossary at the bottom of this text which explains some of the terms used in connection with currency trading.
Overview Foreign exchange, Forex or just FX are all terms used to describe the trading of the world's many currencies. The Forex market is the largest market in the world, with trades amounting to more than USD 3 trillion every day. Most Forex trading is speculative, with only a low percentage of market activity representing governments' and companies' fundamental currency conversion needs.
Unlike trading on the stock market, the Forex market is not conducted by a central exchange, but on the “interbank” market, which is thought of as an OTC (over the counter) market. Trading takes place directly between the two counterparts necessary to make a trade, whether over the telephone or on electronic networks all over the world. The main centres for trading are Sydney, Tokyo, London, Frankfurt and New York. This worldwide distribution of trading centres means that the Forex market is a 24-hour market.
Trading Forex
A currency trade is the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling of another one. The currency combination used in the trade is called a cross (for example, the euro/US dollar, or the GB pound/Japanese yen.). The most commonly traded currencies are the so-called “majors” – EURUSD, USDJPY, USDCHF and GBPUSD.
The most important Forex market is the spot market as it has the largest volume. The market is called the spot market because trades are settled immediately, or “on the spot”. In practice this means two banking days.
Forward OutrightsFor forward outrights, settlement on the value date selected in the trade means that even though the trade itself is carried out immediately, there is a small interest rate calculation left. The interest rate differential doesn't usually affect trade considerations unless you plan on holding a position with a large differential for a long period of time. The interest rate differential varies according to the cross you are trading. On the USDCHF, for example, the interest rate differential is quite small, whereas the differential on NOKJPY is large. This is because if you trade e.g. NOKJPY, you get almost 7% (annual) interest in Norway and close to 0% in Japan. So, if you borrow money in Japan, to finance the trade and buying NOK, you have a positive interest rate differential. This differential has to be calculated and added to your account. You can have both a positive and a negative interest rate differential, so it may work for or against you when you make a trade.
Trading on MarginTrading on margin means that you can buy and sell assets that represent more value than the capital in your account. Forex trading is usually conducted with relatively small margin deposits. This is useful since it permits investors to exploit currency exchange rate fluctuations which tend to be very small. A margin of 1.0% means you can trade up to USD 1,000,000 even though you only have USD 10,000 in your account. A margin of 1% corresponds to a 100:1 leverage (or “gearing”). (Because USD 10,000 is 1% of USD 1,000,000.) Using this much leverage enables you to make profits very quickly, but there is also a greater risk of incurring large losses and even being completely wiped out. Therefore, it is inadvisable to maximise your leveraging as the risks can be very high. For more information on the trading conditions of Saxo Bank, go to the Account Summary on your SaxoTrader and open the section entitled “Trading Conditions” found in the top right-hand corner of the Account Summary.

How to Trade Forex


Trading foreign exchange is exciting and potentially very profitable, but there are also significant risk factors. It is crucially important that you fully understand the implications of margin trading and the particular pitfalls and opportunities that foreign exchange trading offers. On these pages, we offer you a brief introduction to the Forex markets as well as their participants and some strategies that you can apply. However, if you are ever in doubt about any aspect of a trade, you can always discuss the matter in-depth with one of our dealers. They are available 24 hours a day on the Saxo Bank online trading system, SaxoTrader.
The benchmark of its service is efficient execution, concise analysis and expertise – all achieved whilst maintaining an attractive and competitive cost structure. Today, Saxo Bank offers one of Europe's premier all-round services for trading in derivative products and foreign exchange. We count amongst our employees numerous dealers and analysts, each of whom has many years experience and a wide and varied knowledge of the markets – gained both in our home countries and in international financial centres. When trading foreign exchange, futures and other derivative products, we offer 24-hour service, extensive daily analysis, individual access to our Research & Analysis department for specific queries, and immediate execution of trades through our international network of banks and brokers. All at a price considerably lower than that which most companies and private investors normally have access to.
The combination of our strong emphasis on customer service, our strategy and trading recommendations, our strategic and individual hedging programmes, along with the availability to our clients of the latest news and information builds a strong case for trading an individual account through Saxo Bank.
Terms of trading are agreed individually depending on the volume of your transactions, but are generally much lower in cost when compared to banks and brokers. Your margin deposit can be cash or government securities, bank guarantees etc. Large corporate or institutional clients may be offered trading facilities on the strength of their balance sheet. The minimum deposit accepted for an individual trading account depends on the account type. Trade confirmations and real-time account overview are built into SaxoTrader, while further account information can be produced in accordance with your specific requirements.