Comparing to other investment, the Foreign Exchange margin trading is one of the fairest and the most attractive investment method. The Foreign Exchange margin trading meaning the traders borrow loan from bank, finance organization or broker house to carry on the foreign currency trading. Generally, the financing proportion is above 20 times, which means the Forex traders ’ fund may enlarge to 20 times to carry on the trading. The bigger the financing proportion, means the Forex traders just need to pay very less fund, for example, the financing proportion provided by the financial organization is 400 times, namely the lowest margin request is 0.25%, the traders just need to pay 25 US dollars, then he or she could trade as high as 10,000 US dollars, fully using the contra method to make big profit by only paying a very less price. Besides the fund enlargement, another attraction of the Forex margin trading method is that it can be traded in both ways, you can make profit by buying the currency when the currency rise (makes many), or to sell a currency when the currency is dropping to make profit (short-selling), thus does not need to be restricted by the restriction so-called bear market is unable to make money. Making Profit in the Foreign Exchange Market The currency fluctuate continuously due to reasons such as political, economical reasons, sometimes the changes could be extremely great, therefore, the Forex traders also can have the opportunity in among which makes a profit. For example, the Japanese Yen daily fluctuation is probably between 0.7% to 1.5%, Forex traders may make profit through buying and selling. All trading could be completed in a short time, the trading strategy could be carry up according to the market conditions, it is extremely flexible, even if the direction looks wrong, the lost could be stop immediately, the lost could reduce but profit potential is still great. Therefore, the Foreign Exchange margin trading is the most flexible and the most reliable investment method.Foreign Exchange Margin Trading elementary knowledge.
Presently, there are various kinds of financial market, it is divided into: Stock market, interest market (including bond, commercial bill and so on), gold market (including gold, platinum, silver), futures market (including grain, cotton and kapok, oil and so on), option market and foreign exchange market or forex market and so on.The foreign exchange market is a place to trade foreign exchange currency, or it is also a place for the transaction of all foreign currency. The foreign exchange market therefore is existence, because of: Trade and investmentImport and export business, people pays one kind of currency when doing business, but when earns another kind of currency when receive the commodity. This means that, when settling account, business people will pay and receive different currencies. Therefore, they must convert the currencies that they received into the currencies that they could buy commodities. With this similar, when buying a foreign property a company must use the concerned country's currency to make payment, therefore, it needs to convert the domestic currency is concerned country's currency. Speculation Currencies exchange rates could fluctuate according to the demand and supply between two currencies. A Forex trader buys up one kind of currency in an exchange rate, but up casts this currency in another more advantageous exchange rate, he may gain. Speculation has occupied most of the Forex market. Hedging Due to the fluctuation between two currencies, those companies who owns foreign asset (for example factory), when these companies convert these properties into cost country currencies, there consist of certain risks. When the value of a foreign asset which is estimated based on foreign currencies remained unchanged, if the exchange rate changes, when converting this property value according to the domestic currency, there could be profit and loss. The company may eliminate such hidden risk through hedging. This carries out a foreign currency trading, its transaction result just counterbalances the foreign currency property profit and loss which produces by the exchange rate change. Forex Market Development The history of the Forex market as an international capital speculation market is much shorter compared the stock, the gold, the stock, the interest market, but it is developing in an astonishing speed. Today, the foreign exchange market daily trading volume has amounted to 150 billion US dollars, it’s scale has gone far beyond the stock, the stock and other finance commodity markets, it has became the world's most biggest sole finance market and the also the speculation market. Since the birth of the foreign exchange market, the fluctuation of the exchange rate of the Forex market is becoming bigger. In September 1985, 1 US dollar exchanged 220 Japanese Yen, but in May 1986, 1 US dollar only could exchange 160 Japanese Yen, in 8 months, the Japanese Yen has revalued 27%. In recent years, the foreign exchange market wave amplitude has been bigger, on September 8, 1992, 1 pound exchanged 2.0100 US dollars, on November 10, 1 pound exchanged 1.5080 US dollars, in the short two months, the pound exchanged US dollar exchange rate to fall more than 5,000, depreciated 25%. Not only that, presently, everyday the fluctuation of the exchange rate of the Forex market enlarges unceasingly, within a day the rise and drop 2% to 3% is commonly seen. On September 16, 1992, the pound exchanged US dollar from 1.8755 to fall to 1.7850, the pound on first lowers 5%. Due to the large fluctuation of the Forex market, it has created more opportunities for the investor, attracted more and more investors to join this ranks.
Forex charts assist the investor by providing a visual representation of exchange rate fluctuations. Many variables affect currency exchange rates, such as interest rates, bank policies, geopolitics, and even the time of day may affect exchange rates. In order to help the investor attempt to predict when or in what direction a rate may change, advisors provide forex charts. Quality forex websites provide subscribers with a daily newsletter that includes a forex chart, forex signals and a forex forecast. There are a variety of forex charts available for the investor to use and study. Some are very simple using only a couple of forex signals or indicators and are ideal for beginners. Others include 30 or 40 forex signals or indicators and live on-line streaming data so that the investor may analyze trades quickly and accurately. In order to make an accurate forex forecast, it would seem that the more indicators, the better, but some analysts prefer a simpler system. The idea behind studying forex charts is that history repeats itself. Instead of trying to “see the future”, a forex forecast evaluates the past. That is to say that the analyst who is responsible for attempting to predict future currency moves analyzes what happened to an exchange rate yesterday, last week, last month or last year and uses this knowledge to the best degree he knows how. Some people trade short term, some intermediate term, and some long term. All three types of traders may benefit from the use of forex charts, just adapted to their own trading time frame. Investors also create their own forex charts to evaluate their own performance. Creating a forex strategy for oneself is the goal of many investors. Instead of looking to a professional to analyze forex signals, these investors choose to create their own forex forecast. Others, however, create their own strategy but also follow the opinions of professional currency traders at the same time. It all depends on your personal preferences. There are other forex charts that deal with known correlations between two currency pairs, that is, how they move in relation to each other. Some exchange rates are known to affect other exchange rates, either by moving in the same or the opposite direction depending on the correlation. Charts are available that explain these correlations in detail and show which pairs have strong correlations or strong negative correlations, so that an investor can use the movement of the exchange rate of one currency as a signal to trade another currency. These correlations are also the basis for some forex forecasts. It can be difficult and overwhelming to enter the world of forex trading alone. Experts recommend education, practice with a demo account and advice from a reputable broker who is backed by a quality institution. Learning to read forex charts and evaluate forex signals is a skill that comes with time, skills that are essential when an accurate forex forecast is the the goal
A Forex trader could trade more transaction compared to the futures market (the trading volume could be a times larger), and the risk will be strictly under control. The trading volume of the Forex market is 46 times larger compared to the futures market, moreover Forex traders could make more profit from the Forex market due to the larger trading volume (the transaction volume is a few times larger), the REFCO Switzerland rich transaction platform allowed transaction between 1-100 times to be carry on, moreover a Forex trader could decide his or her own transaction amount, for example: Your account has $30,000, the basic transaction unit is each $1,000 (which transaction amount in $1.00, million), namely, so the proportion of the margin of each transaction unit is 100:1. The risk of the Forex trader is under control, such margin call will not happen compared to futures, through the Forex trading system, your risk will receive the strict limit, even if your margin if lower then the deposit required, the Forex trading system will automatically settle your position, this means even if a Forex trader suffered losses, moreover if the market is suffering from a disaster fluctuation, your loss could not surpass your account amount. In order to understand the advantages, please apply for the demo account to carry on the complete zero risk. A Forex trader will receive a large limitation of liquidation and a relatively fair market because the trading volume of the Forex market is large and it is also the largest liquidation market in the world. At present the trading volume in the Forex market is 140 billion Dollars, such big market will completely digest your transaction cash. A Forex trader may do 24 hours transactions and other markets are different, the Forex market is a 24 hour linkages market, it starts from every Sunday before dawn Australian Sydney market, substandard collect the transaction center Singapore, Tokyo, London, Frankfurt to New York continuously to open, such linkage market enable you to do 24 hours transactions, also provide flexibility for Forex trader to do transaction.
Here follow an useful image that show you major market's activity time with relative opening and closing hours. Lighter blue indicates low activity market, deep blue area indicates higher activity market hours. Enjoy! In Italy (GMT+1):
1 -> AUSTRALIA OPEN 2 -> JAPAN OPEN 8 -> EUR OPEN 9 -> G. BRITAIN OPEN / JAPAN CLOSE 10 -> HONG KONG CLOSE 14 -> NEW YORK OPEN 16 -> EUR CLOSE 17 -> G. BRITAIN CLOSE 21 -> NEW YORK CLOSE
This may be my quick version of forex money management, but there is nothing more important. As I have been told over and over again, any one can get into a currency trade, but those who are profitable forex traders know when to exit a trade.
This is for profits as well as loses!
I find that the best forex trades I put on are those trades where my emotions are not a factor in the currency trade to begin with. To do this there are some basic principals I follow regardless of the strategy or time period I am trading.
I set a pip goal for the trade based on my trade plan and technicals. If you do not have a trade plan where you have outlined your currency trading goals and objectives then stop reading this blog and create one now!
I never risk more than 5% of my account on any given trading opportunity. To calculate the amount I will risk I divide my trading account principal by 0.05 and then divide that by my stop loss (dictated by the strategy I employ) to give me the number of lots I will place on the forex trade. This is the number I am personally comfortable losing. Yes, I said losing! I always approach risk management in forex trading from a “what if I am wrong” point of view.
I always trade with a stop loss and limit order! This takes the emotions right out of the equation. I have learned with experience to employ trailing stops and fine tuning of my technicals to lock in profit and provide ever increasing better entry and exit points. Over time I have been able to let more winners run and cut loses shorter than when I first began trading.
Here is my forex money management “golden nugget!” If take pause after a draw down of 25% AND after a run up of 25%. During this 2-5 day period I trade in my demo account, practicing new strategies or reviewing the basics. This keeps me grounded when I am too down or too up.
When it comes down to it, all successful traders have learned to mastery one important skill … discipline! As I progress as a trader, whether it is on my home court (the forex market) or on a road trip (trading options), discipline has been the skill that has made me more profits and lack of it has been the major contributor of all of my losses!
Living in the western portion of the United States requires local forex traders to either stay up late to trade the London session or wake up early to trade with the east coast. I am a morning person, so it is no brainer that I do the majority of my FX trading during the London-New York overlap period. A good nights sleep and a fresh morning coffee and I am ready to go hunting PIPS! Well I broke my rule last night and after tackling receipts going into tax season and looking at some option positions I had on, I took a look at my forex charts for a swing trade opportunity. I saw a nice opportunity for the euro to move up over the next several days. A long story short, I was yawning and could hear my bed calling. I shut down the computer and patted myself on the back for not placing any trades while I was so tired. I was disciplined in recognizing that I just do not trade well during the late evenings.
What happened today?
The euro was strong all day, and as of the writing of this post, had moved up 123 pips!!! Not the ending you were expecting!
My point is, discipline made me aware I was at my low point mentally and should not be placing forex trades in my current state of mind. I bring this up because this will happen to all traders a one point or another. 99 times out of 100 this would have been a losing trade!
Know yourself, establish your style and stay true to your plan. If you follow this simple formula success will just be a matter of time. Forex education is the key to developing a solid discipline trading approach.
There are always risks to FOREX trading, even if your broker is quite reputable. All investments and transactions meet the whole set of risks because of sudden rate changes, changing market conditions and different political events.
Many factors are the reason for these risks. Just a few examples are: the main company's goals; the scheme how these goals are reached; the successful company's administration that guarantees its long functioning and at last ability to oppose any force-majeure with company's own resources.
Other constituents such as - the company's "age", the building in the center of the town, spacious impressive office and the polite staff - are not so important for success. Forex market started functioning quite lately, approximately 20 years ago and since then stands independently from other markets, first of all because it is out of the exchange. Banks made up its primary participants. As communication facilities and automation were developing banks started trading "directly" without any intermediaries such as stock exchanges. Many "classical" financiers criticize and disregard Forex as there's not a single chance of limiting and regulating it legislatively inside one state - from the very start this market became a global phenomenon. However many European and North American banks withdraw their main income in particular from speculative operations on Forex market whereas the number of the staff working in other market sectors is permanently decreasing. Forex market's broker doesn't need any licenses and certificates for his activity as he is considered to be just a legal person. That's why Forex market on the whole also doesn't run into any "legislative limits" inside countries, and in many states is equated to the games' organization.
So it's important to mention that there are no regulations for Forex market, even despite of great number of complicated problems and risks - such as the risk connected with market prices' changes. Confidence and conscientiousness of carrying out the operations, a lucidity and marketing of Forex brokers are only some of the problems, managed of Forex risks. However, first of all, it's important to know, that broker companies can't operate in a single stock exchange in compliance with all problems and risks, in contrast to quite adaptable exchange markets.
It's absolutely necessary for any FOREX trader to know at least the main rules of technical analysis and reading financial charts, to have experience of studying chart changes and indicators and interpreting of these very charts. This is a certain way of decreasing risk and financial exposure.
However each FOREX transaction should be transmitted using all existing tools specially designed to reduce loss as even the most professional traders can't exactly predict market's future behavior. Many ways to minimize risks when placing an entry order were elaborated. Among them are different types of stop-loss orders. A stop-loss order is a special code of rules explaining how one can leave his position if the currency price amounts to a certain point. A stop loss order is placed below current market price if a person takes the so-called long position and expects the price to go up. On the contrary, stop-loss order is placed above current market price if a person takes the so-called short position and expects the price to go down.
As an example, if you take a short position on USD/CDN it means you expect the US dollar to fall against the Canadian dollar. The quote is USD/CDN 1.2138/43 - you can sell US$1 for 1.2138 CDN dollars or sell 1.2143 CDN dollars for US$1.
You place an order in the following way: Sell USD: 1 standard lot USD/CDN @ 1.2138 = $121,380 CDN Pip Value: 1 pip = $10 Stop-Loss: 1.2148 Margin: $1,000 (1%)
You are selling US$100,000 and buying CDN$121,380. Your stop loss order will be executed if the dollar goes above 1.2148, in which case you will lose $100.
However, USD/CDN falls to 1.2118/23. You can now sell $1 US for 1.2118 CDN or sell 1.2123 CDN for $1 US.
Still no existing institution is able to control this market for long on account of the huge volume of FOREX. Whatever you do in the end market forces will still be stronger, making FOREX one of the most open and fair investment opportunities available.
Usually one comes across prices of foreign exchange by FOREX quotes in pairs of currencies where the first currency is the 'base' and the second is the 'quote' currency, for instance: USD/EUR = 0.8419. Here we find out that 1 US dollar costs 0.8419 Euros. Why? The foregoing currency pair "transfers" US dollars (USD) into European Euros (EUR). The base currency always stands in the first place and the second, quote, currency shows the price for one unit of the base currency.
And on the contrary, the pair EUR/USD = 1.1882 clearly indicates that 1 Euro costs 1.1882 US dollars today.
With the help of these quotes it's quite easy to follow the changes in the financial market. If the base currency is becoming stronger, the price of the quote currency rises and this fact indicates that one unit of the base currency will buy more of the quote currency. However, if the base currency loses scores, the quote currency immediately goes down.
Usually one counts FOREX quotes as "demand and supply" - in the so-called "bid" and "ask" prices. The amount of money demanded for the base currency - while selling the quote currency - is called "bid" and the price expected for the base currency - while buying the quote currency - is "ask" price.
How to define in the cross-currency charts which currency - the base or the quote - is on the top and which on the side? If that's the case, the broker should know at least one pair of currencies and which one of the pair values more.
Stop and limit orders will definitely help yon to minimize your Forex risks
If you have been reading my posting you have recognized that I am an active forex trader, but my posting do not center too much on forex strategy and the like. This is true. Those blogs and sites are a dime a dozen. I like writing about those topics that have made me a well rounded trader. I like to explore toadmap opics like critical thinking, forex education and mental focus. These are the intangibles, the little things that can make or break success.
Focusing on the forex educational roadmap will bring together all the aspects of successful forex trading. This approach can be adapted to equity trading, real estate investment and pretty much any entrepreneurial activity you would like to take on!
Also, take a look at my required reading list. These books have been carefully selected to address all of the elements of the forex education roadmap. They are a mixture of classics and new material. FX Trade Central and FX Trainer are your portals to successful currency trading!
Continuous education is the cornerstone of any endeavor!
The trouble with being a full-time forex trader is that it can be a very lonely profession if you're trading your own account at home.
Everyone thinks it's an exciting, exhilarating profession sitting at your computer in your underwear watching the markets, going long, going short, raking in huge profits, but the reality is somewhat different.
You can sit staring at your computer screen for hours on end waiting for a good set-up to enter a trade, and sometimes you can sit there for the whole day and not enter a trade. And even if you do find a trade, when it goes against you and you have to close out at a loss, then it's a gut-wrenching feeling. You've wasted a whole day, and not only have you not earned any money, but you've actually lost money. You could have made more money working a menial job for the minimum wage that day.
Also in most cases you're all alone and therefore have no work colleagues. You have no social interaction at all during the day except to maybe exchange pleasantries with the postman or to go down to the newsagents for a paper. Over many months and years this lack of social interaction can be quite depressing, especially if you are a naturally social person. Talking to traders on a forum or a load of pretend friends on Facebook is no substitute for real human interaction.
There will also be lean times for even the most profitable traders, which can be extremely stressful, particularly if you have mortgage payments to make, bills to pay, and a family to support.
Yes the potential profits you can make are almost limitless thanks to leverage and compounding, but it's a very tough, and often very stressful way of making a living.
Saying all that though, I've been working for myself since 2001, with forex trading contributing greatly to my overall income and I absolutely love it. Admittedly the lack of social interaction isn't really an issue as I don't really like people generally.
In all seriousness though, if you can learn to trade successfully then you will be very well rewarded financially, which will allow you to have a great social life away from your computer screen and you can enjoy the benefits of being your own boss and the maker of your own destiny.
For more forex tips and strategies, including full details of my main 4 hour trading strategy, simply sign up to my newsletter by filling in the short form above.
If you have a look at the currencies available to trade via your chosen forex broker you will probably come across lots of different currencies you can trade, some of them quite obscure. However most traders ignore a lot of these smaller currency pairs and focus on the most popular pairs as these conform the best to technical analysis as well as having the tightest spreads.
The most popular currencies are the USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD, CHF, AUD and NZD, and the most traded currency pairs are as follows:
I personally only tend to focus on the top three pairs in this list as they give me the most success, although I sometimes trade the GBP/JPY as well. The trick is to find those pairs that give you the most profits from your preferred trading method.
Reading a foreign exchange quote is simple if you remember two things:
1. The first currency listed is the base currency 2. The value of the base currency is always 1.
As the centerpiece of the forex market, the US dollar is usually considered the base currency for quotes. When the base currency is USD, think of the quote as telling you what a US dollar is worth in that other currency.
When USD is the base currency and the quote goes up, that means USD has strengthened in value and the other currency has weakened. Rising quotes mean a US dollar can now buy more of the other currency than before.
Majors not based on the US dollar
The three exceptions to this rule are the British pound (GBP), the Australian dollar (AUD) and the Euro (EUR). For these pairs, where USD is not the base currency, a rising quote means the US dollar is weakening and buys less of the other currency than before.
In other words, if a currency quote goes higher, the base currency is getting stronger. A lower quote means the base currency is weakening.
Cross currencies
Currency pairs that don't involve USD at all are called cross currencies, but the premise is the same.
One of the things I like to do on a weekly basis is review my notes when I first started trading the forex market. It serves to reinforce the foundation of my technical analysis, as well as ground me in the very basics of currency trading, no different than bridge builder anchoring their support structures in bedrock!
There is nothing stronger in technical analysis than support and resistance!
FX Traders have at their disposal a number of different technical indicators, but at the end of the day chart support and resistance it the biggest tell-tale sign of what price action truly means.
In Trading 101 we were all taught the virtues of plotting support and resistance. No matter what strategy I am evaluating (swing, intraday) my first actions is to plot support and resistance in the applicable time frames. I use Fibonacci lines confirm my analysis.
Another anchor point I use is trendlines.
Here are some general guidelines you may want to follow. First, look at the general trend of the market. The trend is your friend. For instance if the trend is down this means you have more down days than up -- and usually more pronounced movement to the downside on those down days. Same observations can be made for an uptrend.
I know traders that won’t even trade if the general and daily trends are not in synch. Once these support and resistance lines are broken then price tend to move rapidly to the next area of support/resistance and the previous break becomes the new floor/ceiling.
Bottom line is to continually build your technical acumen by staying firmly planted in the basic principals of technical analysis.
You can find more FX education and course infromation of FX Trade Centra
No, I am not blogging about an aviation accident investigation.
I got a call from a friend of mine the other day and he asked me if I was still trading Forex?
Uh, yah!!!
After catching up for a little bit he came to the real reason for his call. He had gone to a free seminar in town last weekend about a company touting their automated forex trading platform. He described the event and I vaguely remember getting something in the mail about it. It ended up in the shredder with the rest of my junk mail.
He described how cool it was to see the green lights to trade and red lights to exit and that it was much easier than looking at charts and studying the market.
He asked me for my opinion and I gave it to him and now I am about to give it to you!
I am not a big fan of those ‘black box’ trading systems. Quite honestly I have never traded with them, but have spoken to plenty of people who have. I am not here to discourage anyone from using them in their investment plans; I just want to explain why I prefer discretionary trading systems.
From what I found out the big disadvantage to those black box systems is that you can experience large draw downs in your account balances. If I am going to take a draw down (and we all will at some point) I want to understand why and implement corrective actions!
So much for compounding!
I am sure these systems work and fit into someone’s investment plan. Just not mine!
Maybe it is my upbringing, but I like to be in a little more control than that! I want to make the decisions and understand why things worked and why they don’t. That way next time I can make a better decision.
Donald Trump lost billions of dollars only to have it all back and more just a few years later. Why? Because his ‘block box’ investment system was between his ears.
Education is King!!
Let’s stop looking for the easy way and focus! You will get through the learning curve and never look back.
But my most compelling reason to stay with the discretionary trading systems is that the market is controlled by humans and human emotions still rule. To round out your trading tool bag study Fibonacci and Elliott Wave trading techniques, and utilize these strategies and others in your discretionary trading systems which are based on naturally occurring instances in nature. The same process that controls human emotion.
There are basically two types of Forex trading systems, mechanical and discretionary systems. The trading signals that come out of mechanical systems are mainly based off technical analysis applied in a systematic way. On the other hand, discretionary systems use experience, intuition or judgment on entries and exits. But which one produces better results? Or more importantly, which one fits better your trading style? These are the answers we will try to answer on this article.
We will first analyze the pros and cons about each system approach. Mechanical systems
Advantages
This kind of system can be automated and backtested efficiently. It has very rigid rules. Either, there is a trade or there isn’t. Mechanical traders are less susceptible to emotions than discretionary traders.
Disadvantages
Most traders backtest Forex trading systems incorrectly. In order to produce accurate results you need tick data.
The Forex market is always changing. The Forex market (and all markets) has a random component. The market conditions may look similar, but they are never the same.
A system that worked successfully the past year doesn’t necessary mean it will work this year. Discretionary systems
Advantages
Discretionary systems are easily adaptable to new market conditions. Trading decisions are based on experience.
Traders learn to see which trading signals have higher probability of success.
Disadvantages
They cannot be backtested or automated, since there is always a thought decision to be made.
It takes time to develop the experience required to trade successfully and track trades in a discretionary way.
At early stages this can be dangerous.
Now, which approach is better for Forex traders ? The one that fits better your personality. For instance, if you are a trader that finds it hard to follow your trading signals, then you are better off using a mechanical system, where your judgment won’t play an important role in your system. You only take the trades that your system signals.
If the psychological barriers that affect every trader (fear, greed, anger, etc.) puts you in unwanted scenarios, you are also better off trading mechanical systems, because you only need to follow what your system is telling you, go short, go long, close a trade. No other decision has to be made.
On the other hand, if you are a disciplined trader, then you are better off using a discretionary system, because discretionary systems adapt to the market conditions and you are able to change your trading conditions as the market changes. For instance, you have a target of 60 pips on a long trade. But the market suddenly starts trending up pretty strongly, then you could move your target to say 100 pips.
Does it mean that trading a discretionary system has no rules? This is absolutely incorrect. Trading discretionary systems means that once a trader finds his/her setup, the trader then decides what to do. But every trader still needs certain rules that need to be followed, such as the size of the position, conditions that have to be met before thinking to get in the market, and so on.
I am a discretionary trader. The main reason I chose a discretionary system is that my trades are based on price behavior, and as you already know, the price behaves similar to the past, but it is never identical, therefore the outcome of every trade is unknown. However, I do have rigid rules on my system, certain conditions have to be met before I even think in getting in a trade. This keeps me out of trouble, once my setup is present and in accordance with the rules I have set, then I closely watch the price behavior and finally decide whether it is a good opportunity or not.
Whether you choose to be a discretionary or a mechanical trader there are some important points you should take in consideration:
1. You need to make sure the Forex trading system you are using totally fits your personality. Otherwise you will find yourself outguessing your system. 2. You also need to have some rules and most importantly have the discipline to follow them. 3. Take your time to build the perfect system for you. It’s not easy and requires time and hard work, but at the end, if done correctly, it will give you consistent profitable results. 4. Before going live, try it on a demo account or even on a small account (I will go for the second option, since psychological barriers will be present).
Did anyone see the Da Vinci code this weekend?? I did! No, I have not read the book, but every time I got on an airplane the past 2 years there was always someone reading this book!
Did you notice the references to Fibonacci all over the movie? I did, and was counting the sequence right along with John Langdon (aka Tom Hanks)! That got me thinking a little more about one of my favorite trading tools and what it all means. So I went hunting for some facts and this is what I found.
Leonardo Fibonacci was the Italian mathematician who was born around the year 1170 AD. His real name was Leonardo Pisano, but was better known by his nickname Fibonacci (“son of Bonnacci”). Fibonacci’s father was a diplomat and his son traveled with him during his formidable years studying mathematics and accounting.
In 1202, Fibonacci wrote Libre Abaci, a book about the mathematics he had learned on the road with his father. That book led to his famous number sequencing when measuring the ratios for which rabbits reproduce.
His sequence 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,… is that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers. The interesting thing is that each of the successive numbers is equal to 1.168 of the prior number.
Check this out!
When looking at this geometrically you find that when you measure a triangle by 1.00 as the hypotenuse the opposing side ratios are .786 and .618. Hey, I have seen those ratios before!
When we make .786 the hypotenuse than the opposing side ratios are .618 and .486. No way!!
If we make .618 the hypotenuse then the opposing side ratios are .486 and .382. Right on!!
The Fibonacci ratios that I always focus on in my trading are:
Retracements: 38.2% 50.0% 61.8% 78.6%
Extensions and Expansion: 61.8% 100% 127% (note that INDU turned almost on this extension last week!!) 162%
Want some more or have you had enough? I thought you would want one more example of FIBOs in nature!
Look at your own hand: You have... 2 hands each of which has ... 5 fingers, each of which has ... 3 parts separated by ... 2 knuckles
All Fibonacci numbers! How about this, the bones in your finger are all in Fibonacci ratios to each other too! Is this just a coincidence or not??
OK, OK I think I just gave everyone a headache. You are all probably thinking that I need to get away from my trade station more often! Bottom line is that you don’t really need to know the details of Fibonacci’s life or all the examples in nature.
The bottom line is that we all know how important these ratios are to our trading and it will pay huge dividends to learn how to apply these principals to our trading!!
Trading the Forex market can be tricky at times. We all see this massive flow of money moving between central banks and all we want is to cast our little net into this river of money for some pips. As a technical trader these are the coomon traps I fell into while developing my trading plan.
Don’t Analyze the News for Future Price Action!
Fundamentals matter, but as a technical trader we are aware of economic news as they tend to act as catalyst. News events offer opportunities, but price action is what matters most! How often have you seen news spur price to technical support and resistance levels? I will leave that to the economist!
Don’t Trade the News!
Again, we should always be aware of news releases during our trading session. I don’t trade the news, but I then again I am not a fundamental currency trader either. I do know some super successful fundamental currency traders. It is just not my game. I like to wait for the dust to settle a trend to emerge before jumping into the fray. If, and that is a strong if, I have any open positions going into any major announcements I am really focused on where my stops are located to protect my position if I am deep into profit. More often than not I exit open trades if minimally in profit or in a losing position. News is the fuel, but technicals are in control.
Keep it Simple!
When I began trading I wanted to learn every forex strategy on earth. I found that the simpler strategies afforded me more consistency! And that is what I was after all along. After being able to consistently drive profits out of my trading activities I turned my focus to maximizing entry and exit points, yet deploying simple strategies all along.
Remember, these are my "Enlightened" thoughts. You should develop your own strategies and plan
If you trade the Forex market you will inevitably encounter the proverbial down day (or worse yet a series of down days). By bad day I mean when you put on a trade and from 'pip' one just goes against you. Tell me, after this happened have you:
Chased the trade and ended up losing more? Revenge traded against the trend to recoup your losses and ended up losing more? Moved your predetermined stop and ended up losing more? Flipped your position and ended up losing more?
Have you noticed a theme??
Well, when I have a series of losing trades I go into CSI mode!
I actually conduct a crime scene investigation on my trading. First if I suffer a big lost I close my trade station immediately. Experience has taught me that I am susceptible to revenge trading. After a break (could be several minutes or several hours or several days) I take a look at my trade journal and look for clues as to why I suffered a draw down. Keeping a detailed journal allows me to reconstruct my trades to isolate potential errors.
If I am lucky I found that I had sound analysis and execution, but just hit some losers. More likely is that I got away from my style of trading or over-complicated my technique and entered into a bad trade.
It is important to find the Forex strategy right for you! When I began learning to trade the Forex market I was introduced to intraday trading using 5-minute charts. I gained an understanding of the nuances of market movements and the importance of technicals tools, such as Simple/Exponential Moving Averages and Fibonacci. These proved to be valuable lessons coming from the options world.
OK, truth be told … I hated it!!
This style of trading just did not suit my personality. It was a necessary step, but as soon as I felt comfortable and confident in the 5-minute trading style I dialed my chart right out to the hourly charts and beyond. I know lots of people that like the fast pace, simplicity of this style and are some of the most successful traders I know.
I am just not one of them!
My personality fits a longer term view and I just did not thrive in the faster paced decision making required in the 1-minute and 5-minute styles. My focus is on swing trading on the 240-minute chart and intraday trading on the hour and 15 minute charts. It is important while you are learning to trade FX you maintain an open mind to all Forex strategies, but in the end your personal trading style must recognized and exploited for long term success!
So you live in the western part of North America (I trade from Phoenix, Arizona) and you have discovered the power of trading the Forex market. Your passion runs so deep that almost instantly you are convinced that you want to do this full time. You get your requisite training and are ready to trade your live account. Just one problem … the job is keeps getting in the way!
Those of us who live in the Western part of the United States and Canada have a unique challenge when it comes to currency trading. Our time zones are not conducive to trading the European session and our window is small to trade the New York session before we must pack it up and hit the road. The Asian session is perfect timing, but not very active in the currencies rookies tend to focus on first.
I absolutely love trading the European session, but I am wasted the entire day from lack of sleep. I am very selective when I trade with London, because you ALWAYS want to be focused and on top of your game when trading!
Here are some simple recommendations to help you through your transition period.
1. Do Your Homework! This is valid with any trader, but for those of us who have a small window to trade peak hours need to be prepared to take advantage of any pips the market is offering up. This is really not a disadvantage. This can build and nurture a most profitable habit.
2. Go to Bed Earlier! It is very important to get your rest and trading in the Pacific Time zone requires an early wake up call to trade the London-New York overlap session. I awake 4:00 am pacific time to make sure I am awake and prepared when New York opens.
3. Develop a Solid Exercise Plan! I find when I am in decent condition I can get an additional 2 hours more of focused time out of my day. Those two hours I dedicate to making myself a better trader.
4. Find Your Trading Style! Synergize your trading style with your trading session. If you are like me and primarily trade from the 15-minute, 1-hour and 4-hour charts the European and New York sessions are my bread and butter. I use the Asian session to do my homework. If you are a position trader a whole new set of synergies come into play.
5. Be confident in your analysis. When I first started seriously trading currencies and juggling the job I found I had done my homework, planned an entry only to miss it because it occurred while I was in the middle of my mid-morning meeting. I learned very quickly to get comfortable with entry orders.
As you can see from these simple examples that becoming successful in currency trading requires two key elements…
Persistence will allow you to climb the learning curve and learn from your mistakes! Change of mindset to not allow life to dictate the level of your currency trading success!
Well, I just returned from some well earned rest & relaxation! It is always a good time to escape the heat of the desert during the summer months. One of the things I like to do during my down time is to catch up on my reading. One of the key points on the Roadmap to Forex Success is continuous education and one of my favorite ways is to read.
I just finished "Entries & Exits: Visits to Sixteen Trading Rooms" by Dr. Alexander Elder. I have added this book to the "must read" category for anyone who trades. It really does not matter what instrument you trade, this is a gotta have to any success library!
The long and short of it is the Dr. Elder visit 16 traders that he has met and mentored throughout his career. The traders explain, in short story format, how and why they trade the way they do. This is followed my Dr. Elder's commentary on their trades. The "gem" of this book is to follow the commentary of each trader. In theirs words you will gain great insight and knowledge and determine they are no different than us, so similar and so unique. These trader have cracked the code and the nuggets provided will help you do the same. It is a very easy read, a kin to 16 short stories. I encourage you to read each story and reflect on what lessons you can bring into your own trading room. I don't care if you get this book from me (http://www.squidoo.com/forexjourney), your local library or borrow from a friend ... just get and read this book! It is worth the 10 pips price of admission!!
If you have not noticed my posts have been a little less frequent over the past several weeks. I take time in the summer to vacation and renew. I also enjoy going to trainings and seminars. Not all of these events tie directly back into trading currencies, but then again I also have other interest and passions.
I was at one such seminar last week in Los Angeles. I was networking after the event with a bunch of other entrepreneurs. We spoke about all kinds of topics (I was the only trader in the group … surrounded by mostly real estate investors!), but the topic that seemed dominate is the on around making the jump from W4 employee to being out on your own.
I know there are Forex traders out there that enjoy trading, but have never considered taking the leap to trading fulltime. But, if you are one of those that want to trade fulltime then I have some tips for you that would make that transition easier and they do not involve trading!
Be in Control
It goes without saying that you must have supreme confidence in your trading acumen to cross over. Always have a check and balance in place, because there is a fine line between supreme confidence and arrogance. The latter will end your stint faster that a bucket of ice on my hot summer patio in Phoenix. Recognize that you still have one last unexplored psychological hurdle to cross. You won’t have that paycheck to fall back on anymore! This brings another level of pressure that did not exist before.
Build a Business Plan
Like any other professional venue you will have to trade as a business. You should structure you trading within a legal business entity and develop a business plan which will guide your approach to trading.
Understand Wealth Building Principals
Before making the leap you should have the wealth building principals done pat! They are:
Make a constant investment to your account and watch it grow. I have written previously that you should have a separate Forex compounding account where you deploy conservative strategies and just let it grow! You can only withdraw funds from this account to feed other wealth builsing entities such as real estate or business investment. This account will be your golden goose!
Give your investments time for growth. Getting rich slow in some of your accounts is quite OK!
Know your yield. Your financial education will determine your yield. Remember an investment in you will always offer the greatest return. Become a life long student!
Follow these principals will lead to tremendous wealth!
Network!!
Build a network of entrepreneurs and traders. Seek out their knowledge and expertise on items such as health insurance. Take every advantage your corporation will allow.
One final point to consider, think about developing another source of revenue outside of your trading account. At this stage you have developed an expertise that people are willing to pay to access. Finding a way to leverage this could provide an additional stream of income, adding financial flexibility.
These are a few points to consider. It is way more than just pure trading, but necessary steps to ensure your success!
I have been doing a ton of reading this summer. This is not atypical for me. Reading is a way to continue my education and renew my focus on the task at hand. I have recently been exposed to several Forex training evaluation sites, as well attended some of those FREE Forex workshops you see on TV (some of them are still calling me!). It got me thinking
“What advice can I provide to all those who are eager to learn the currency market with all that information out there without getting burned?”
I have come up with 3 Golden Rules to follow when evaluating currency training opportunities.
1. Know Thy Self – This is probably the most important advice I can provide. There is good training and bad training. Often the worst training has the best marketing plans. First figure out how you best learn information. Are you the type of person that can read a manual on rocket science and build a spaceship or are you a person that needs to be shown things through personal instruction and repetition? Figure out how you receive and process information and align Forex training source that fits your method of learning.
2. Don’t Believe the Hype – There is no golden system and it will take considerable effort to trade currencies successfully. Accepting these realities before embarking on your Forex Journey can save you tons of money and more importantly time spent climbing up the learning curve! If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. This should be no surprise! It is buyers beware market out there. Look for a Forex education company that can provide you with some solid aftercare resources.
3. Be Realistic – It is a journey and all good journeys take time to develop and flourish. This can be a remarkable journey, but one where you are apt to lose your account a few times before you surrender to the market and learn to take what the market is offering for profits that day. Listen to recommendations, but make decisions based on your own criteria, because in the Forex market this skill will serve you well!!
When reading internet-based sales letters or infomercial or forums, just remember that everyone has an opinion, but in the end the only one that matters is your!!
If you have been following my blog you know that I am a big proponent of setting up a compounding account as a wealth building strategy for those of you new to the Forex market. This compounding account is not to be touched until you can meet your financial need with only withdrawing 50% of your profit without changing your risk profile. You can have your “Mad Money” account to satisfy some of your more exotic Forex desires, but having a compounding account where you are depositing a consistent number pips is critical to your long term viability as a individual currency trader.
So why is this so critical? Now that you are a trained trader you have probably realized that your Forex Journey has only just begun. You have discovered that there are numerous strategies and approaches to trading this market. You have also noticed that in the end most of the strategies are viable and that the most volatile factor in any trade is the human interaction in the marketplace itself. I am sure, like me, you have discovered you are your own worst enemy! Having a compounding account ensures that you are trading from a centered base. Your pip goal is reserved and very attainable and your entry and exit strategies will reflect this conservative approach. Trading this account will also build discipline and allow you to avoid those huge draw downs. In this account you are not the gambler, but the casino. When was the last time you heard of a casino losing money on their gaming operations? You rely on a strategy to meet your daily pip goal (at least 3:1) and through money management you are keeping the long term odds in your favor like a casino operator. Your actions will then dictate your profitable results!
Do the math! See what your results would be if you started with a $3,000 mini account, risk no more that 5% on any given trade and made just 15 pips per day. How much will your balance be at the end of a year of trading? The results will astound you!!
Did you know that 90% of all Forex traders lose money? Now I bet you are questioning my zeal for trading the spot Forex market! If you are just starting out trading this market this not a very good omen. How do you ensure that you become the 10% that succeed, especially if given the fact that so many traders are willing to part with their hard earned cash?
There are many reasons for these abysmal stats: lack of discipline, lack of money management skills, and the. I think the reason for the poor success rate is that 90% of the traders can’t manage their emotions while trading. This is the demon I fight daily. Money management and discipline are the symptoms, but emotions are the root cause!
From day one of trading the currency markets I have heard every guru shouting at the top of their lungs to cut you r loses and let your profits run. Or that anyone can put on a trade, but it is the professional trader that knows when to exit a trade. It seems like a simple concept to let your profits run and take those profits when the market offers them up to us. But why can’t we get this right?
Emotions!!
The curse of all traders, the last and most difficult skill for us to overcome is to remove the emotions from our trading. Period!! Well I got news for you… you can’!! You, my friend, are a human being and thus an emotional being. OK, so we must trade emotional-less, but that is beyond the realm of most traders.
Letting emotions interfere with your trading can manifest in many ways. Let me just give you some examples of my past (and sometimes present transgressions):
# Taking a loss and angrily reversing my position only to have the market resume in my original direction! The infamous revenge trading!
# Listening to trade signals from members of my trading group instead of listening to my own signals and intuition (afraid I was going to miss the proverbial boat!).
# And my personal favorite… Having the market retrace and return almost to my original entry point, exiting and having the market execute a classic continuation pattern to original target (a target that was selected in advance before the trade was executed)!
What do we do?
I have been following traders that focus solely on trading the news or other fundamental factors. Although this has some merit it won’t do squat for checking your emotions. Technical analysis should be your weapon of choice for keeping your emotions in check. Do you analysis before your trading session. Follow your trading plan (money management and strategy) as though your life depended upon it (your account balance certainly does!!). Visualize your trade execution like Tiger Woods does before every golf shot and above all, trust yourself! I repeat the following mantra before every trading session:
“I am the world’s most disciplined forex trader. I trade my plan and I plan my trade. I trade with confidence and decisiveness. If the reason for me to be in a trade no longer exists I will cut my losses or take profit without hesitation.”
I am an emotional person. It makes me feel alive, however when I trade I want to be a stone-cold, calculating pip capturing fool and leave the emotions for when I shank a drive into the water at the golf course.
I know that when you are first start to learn about how to trade the forex market, people tend to really go "indicator crazy". This means they will put any kind of indicator on their charts. It doesn't matter if they don't have a clue about how to use it or even understand what's the purpose of it.
I suppose using these indicators provides some kind of reassurance to the trader. I can safely say that when I first started to trade I was suffering from the indicator fever. I used to be the kind of trader that would spend all day on forex forums trying to get my hands on new proprietary indicators.
But something eventually dawned on me. While all these indicators looked really pretty on my chart, I didn't have the first clue about how to actually trade the forex market. After all, I was just blindly following these indicators as the sole reason to enter and exit a trade.
This is what I like to call the training phase of a trader. It's somewhat akin to when you first learn how to ride a bike. Nobody knows how to ride a bike the first time they get on one, so they put training wheels. In this metaphor, the training wheels are the indicators.
But just like when you are riding a bike that is on training wheels, it may seem like you are really riding the bike. But in the back of your mind, you KNOW that you aren't really riding a bike unless you are unassisted.
It's the same exact thing in trading.
You can't call yourself a trader unless you can say with great certainty, you understand what is going in the market, and I hate to say it, but you can't really do that with indicators. The reason is, because you are using the indicators to tell you what is going on in the market, instead of you understanding it for yourself.
Million Dollar Traders was on BBC2 last night. What a great introduction to city traders and how unpredictable the Stock market can be! So thats why I trade the Forex and not the Stock Market then!
Some of the trainees have aspirations to trade full time including a retired man who was interviewed stating that he wanted to use his savings to trade from home after the series had finished. With the availability of great trading from home facilities avaialble to anyone, anywhere in the world and anytime day or night - trading from home, especially within the Forex market is a real possibility.
Well I guess it was pretty bad timing as the program was filmed last year when Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae announced financial meltdown in the US so the newbies couldn't be trading at a worse time! However the familiar 'frozen finger' inability to place a trade was prevalent so too was emotional attachment and emotional reactions, loss of confidence etc to trading which most newbies go through - including myself.......oh yes some good 'ol roller-coaster days but have managed to keep it together long enough to have learnt and come through the other side.
Having said that I haven't been able to do it trading the UK Stock market - Forex is where its at as far as I'm concerned so hats off to the guys in the program for trading the UK Stock market through one of the most difficult periods in a generation.
Trading psychology and risk management as emphaised in the program are essential key factors to get right when trading any market. Building this into your strategy, giving yourself targets such as the '3 srikes and your out' rule will make this easier to deal with. Don't allow yourself more than 3 trades to go against you in one trading period. If that happens finish for the day there.
Trading any market has the ability to wipe out your money, savings and future. As the Million Dollar Trader program is showing, trading without strategies is like playing with fire. Formulate a good solid trading strategy before you open any position - it will also make you more confident as knowing you have done your homework is good for your trading mindset.
The Most Lucrative Part-time Job or Home Based Business Ever
The Forex market is relatively new when compared to the traditional stock market. The Forex or Foreign Exchange Currency Market was open to the public in 1998. In a year it will be a decade old. This is one of the major reasons most people do not know about the Forex. The first reason why you should take a closer look at the opportunities in the forex market is because of its liquidity estimated at $2 trillion daily. The other reason is that it is traded 24 hours of the day and 6 days in a week and participation is open to all, from individuals like you and me to very large financial institutions.
With the economic situation of our day worldwide, where there are no more job guarantees it is not unusual to wake up one morning and find oneself jobless. In such times, there is an increasing need for a lucrative part-time job or home based business. This is something that you can had absolute control over.
There are of course a multitude of money making opportunities out there, but to be factual, it is very difficult to find a real opportunity which will allow you to make a living from your home computer. Even when you do, you would have to spend hours doing market research and invest large sums of money to bring it to fruition. That is if you have not gotten involved in a scam project. Most of the opportunities on the web today, even if you make big profits, may be held by someone else. In other words, when you participate in those turnkey businesses, you do not have control.
In addition to all the "fire your boss today" opportunities, there is a program on CNBC called Mad Money that seems to begetting to the masses and unknowing students to invest in the stock market. In reality this is a very expensive experiment especially for student that do not have a lot of capital. Buying a Goggle stock for $400.00 a piece is very expensive given that your capital can be wiped out if the stock goes against you by 100 points. That money could be better invested in the Forex positions (trades).
The forex market which is also called FX is not really as difficult as it seems. There is not that much technical vocabulary to learn, and the risk is considerably low, if you compare it to the other markets. If we assume that you have 40% loosing trades, you still have 10 trades left to bring you profit. The fact that part time job and home businesses seekers should really consider is that you can choose when to trade, how much to trade and where you want to trade; all you need is an Internet connection, and you are ready to tap in the biggest market of the world with $ 2 trillion activity everyday in the same way banks and large corporation do.
Contrary to the trading of stocks, you do not have to start with a $1000.00 capital. You can start with as little as $250.00. When you trade a mini lot (10,000 units) of e.g. GBPUSD currency pair your entry ticket costs $28.00. So when the pair goes your way 1 point, you are $1.00 in profit and vice versa. You can also trade lesser trading units and you can trade for as little as $1.00. It is therefore possible to turn a $28.00 investment to a profit of $100.00 in 24 hours if the currency moves in your direction 103 points. Imagine been able to do this 2 times a week. In a good week, this pair moves an average of 400 points.
The Forex market is not a get rich quick scheme it is easy to learn and understand. It is also easy to make money in the forex if you let someone dedicated to your success teach you.
Mercedes made more money with FOREX trading than with car manufacturing this year. It is a good way to make $100(0) a day.
Trade without money for 3-6 months on paper, than when you learn
start trading real money. Dont be greedy. 10-20 pips a day is enough.
Start with $250 and build it up to thousands slowly. When you
become a successful trader, you can live anywhere on the planet,
and never have to be dependent on a JOB (Just Over Broke).
WHEN YOU FOLLOW THE RULES, YOU WILL MAKE MONEY ! YOU CAN QUIT YOUR JOB NEXT YEAR ... 90 % OF NEWCOMERS FAIL BECAUSE OF GREED, SAME AS IN LAS VEGAS ...
Read and study the whole thread.
20 pips = $20 a day 20 pips = $200 a day 20 pips = $2000 a day
George Soros from Hungary come to this country and made billions on Forex. In one single day he made 1 billion ... really the sky is the limit ...
Let me known your results. This is my gift for you all.
Some traders searched for years unsuccessfully for this gift.
You can learn this on your own in few days.
I am artist and a philosopher with no talent for numbers. But you
dont need any talent for this, just follow the rules.
Here is the detailed description of how to install this system in to your Metatrader:
First down load Metatrader 4 or Strategybuilder FX MT4 (there is a downloads link at the top of the page on this forum. My understanding is that the Metatrader 4 and Strategybuilderfx 4 are the identical. Once it is downloaded then double click to open it and make sure it is operational...then close it down.
Now go to http://fxovereasy.50webs.com/Home.html click on "Indicator downloads" which will open up the list of indicators. If you left click on the top one (SHI Channels) you will probably get text. So right click on it and you'll get a drop down window...click on "Save target as..." (I found that sometimes when I did the right click first I would not get the window that contained "Save target as" so I found that I had to left click first...then click back and then right click), now you will see a "Save as" window. In the "Save in" window at the top you want it to read "Local Disk (C). Here is how you can get it to say that without typing it in... click on the arrow at the right side of the upper box. You will now see a drop down window...in it you will see "Local Disk (C)". Click or double click on it and it should then open up it the "Save In" box at the top. Now in the contents below you will see "Program Files". Click or double on it and "Program Files will now be in the "Save in" box (Ifound that if I clicked on the little file folder to the left of the text, it opened easier). Below you'll find "Strategybuilderfx 4 or Metrader 4". Click or double click on it and "Strategybuilderfx4 or Metatrador 4 will now be in the "Save in" box above with it's contents showing below. Find "experts" below, click or double click on it and "experts with appear in the "Save in" box above. Now you will find "indicators", on which you will click or double click and "indicators" will now appear in the "Save in" box above with nothing in the large area below. Down at the bottom right corner click on "Save"...now you are finished downloading that indicator. Now go back to the ForexOvereasy indicator download page and download the next indicator. You should find that when you click on "Save target as" it will take you directly to the last step, with "Indicators" already in the "Save in" box, so all you have to do is click on "Save" and its finished and you're ready to download the next indicator. Don't forget to go back to the home page and download the "New Stuff". Now that your indicators are all downloaded, go ahead and open your "Strategybuilderfx4/ Metratrader 4. On the left side under "Navigator" click on the + next to "Custom Indicators" which should open up and show you lots of indicators which include the ones you just downloaded. Right click on an indicator and then click on "Attach to chart". Do the same with all the indicators that you want to add...and you should be ready to go. You can switch the chart over to candlestick by clicking on the candlestick indicator at the top just to the right of center. I suggest you do this first. I find this tradestation a little difficult to use but that may be because I'm not used to it. It has lots of features. If you find that you want to delete an indicator, just right click on it and click on the "Delete indicator" line. (Some of the charts may already have some indicators installed that you may not want.) I have some charts where the candles are very close together and some that are just right...and I haven't figured out the remedy.
On this one page you have it all. If you follow the rules, and control your greed, you will become independently wealthy with this system. You are extremely blessed to read this page, as millions of new traders gave up from a lack of a good system. Many professional trader millionaires said, that this is the best system and if you cant work with this system, FOREX is not for you!
I see most people trying to make a system that should generate 1000 pips or 2000 pips per month, and try to enter every possible move. But the fact is, if you want to make $18 million in 5 years, all you need is discipline and 100 pips per month. Don't believe me? Read on....
Assuming that there are 20 trading days a month, 100 pips would be an average of 5 pips per day. It doesnt matter if you do day trading or positional, if you do 1 trade or 100 trades, all you need is a system that can consistently make 100 pips for you every month.
RULES: 1) You need a system that can make 100 pips consistently every month per lot.
2) Opening balance would be $500
3) Trade is done only in mini lots
4) 0.1 lot is allowed for every $500 balance. So if you have $1000 you can trade 0.2 lots and if you have $5000 you can trade 1.0 lots and so on.
5) Emotions like greed, fear and hope have to be barred out.
6) Once you made 100 pips in a particular month, you do not have to trade till the month is over. So if you make 100 pips in 2 days, you can quit for the entire month.
RESULTS: After 12 months you will have $3,100 After 24 months you will have $26,000 After 36 months you will have $230,100 After 48 months you will have $2,050,300 After 60 months you will have $18,278,700
Suprised So maybe you'd say no system can make 100 pips consistenly per month. OK, lets say if you were right. Would you agree with me that its comparatively easier to make 10 pips per month? Even if you target 10 pips per month, you would yet end up with $1.8m in 5 years using the same methodology. Trading is like painting a canvas, you should step back and try to look at the bigger picture than a trade or a single day alone. It is so true.
So get rid of your greed and trade with nothing but common sense. Plz see the attachment for the break up of gains per month.
I might have made more in the past but it was admittedly just hit and miss combined with patience. This last week I've been following technical indicators and doing more than just hope for the best at Bollinger boundaries.
Sunday PM through Monday PM -- NAV +3.05% Tuesday AM through Tuesday PM -- NAV +2.93% Wednesday AM through Wednesday PM -- NAV +8.2% Thursday AM through Thursday PM -- NAV +3.9% Friday AM through Friday PM -- NAV +1.1%
During the business day I've been able to take positions for hours at a time and generally end up ahead. In the evenings the market seems to slow down, but I am now generally able to scalp out dollars using the 1m and 5m in concert.
Additionally, when I am behind in a day trade or a scalping position I am often able to spot a good reversal point and take advantage of that with a second position. Doing this a few times can earn back the losses on the original trade -- assuming it still appears to be a good idea to hold onto it.
Some things I've realized this week:
I now understand what people mean when they talk about not trading on Sunday or Friday. Now that I can begin to get a feel for the market I noticed that movement and opportunity were lacklustre during these periods.
I can scalp! This is awesome. It's powerful to be able to scratch pips out of the markets whether they are rising or falling. It's nice to know I can do this if I have a position I want to hold but that is making me nervous as it accumulates a loss before the expected move.
I don't know if these results will now be typical for me or not, but I do finally understand that it isn't impossible to work the markets and earn money.
As well, I understand that I don't want to be trading around news events. If I'm carefully looking for technical setups, the last thing I want is some huge sudden movement due to news. Not only will this potentially catch me on the wrong side of a trade, but it may throw off my ability to analyze things for a while
I should note that my net asset value increases are not compounded. I do skim off most of the gains and push them into a much less risky sub-account. I have no idea whether or not I can trade with the same style when the numbers get bigger. The psychology of seeing larger losses mounting, or higher gains accrue, may throw off my style and keep me from making any money.
Okay, I've been trying to find information on forex scalping and the pickings are mightly slim indeed. In fact, the so-called information on the net is so bad I'm going to write up a small post of my own... because I'm sure if you found this page you are desperately looking for some real information.
What Is Scalping Quite simply, very short term trading.
Why Don't Brokers Like Scalping Well, some brokers don't like scalping because of how they are set up. If they are not able to execute your trades quickly or efficiently enough then they risk being the source of your profits.
Does Scalping Work I've seen some people claiming that it works great as well as others claiming that it is impossible to do profitably. The reality is that if you can predict the direction that an equity pair will move, either up or down, then you can hop into the market and grab a few pips when it happens.
How Easy Is It To Predict Equity Pair Price Changes Well, that's the million dollar question! I don't have any books to sell or anything, but a lot of people claim to have solutions for you. Personally, I think if they really had solutions that worked they wouldn't waste time telling you about it, they'd be busy trading. However, in an effort to be informative, when you spend enough time watching a market (which is quite boring) you'll get a feel for it's current state and how it is moving. Often, until conditions change, you can be fairly accurate with your predictions.
Can Anyone Do This If you find a market maker that doesn't mind scalping, you can try. However, you must know how to place stop and limit orders with their trading platform. In particular, it would be very nice if you were able to have someting known as a trailing stop. As well you will want to understand the concept of leverage as it applies to a forex account. Basically, I'd suggest throwing $100 at a starter account and playing around, carefully, until you've made enough bad decisions to learn how things work. After that, you should have the tools needed to try out various strategies.
How Much Effort Is It Scalping is very time consuming. You have to spend a lot of time watching the markets, to the point that it would be difficult to do well if you had an existing full time job. Also, scalping is very demanding from a psychological point of view, as you will have large amounts of your capital ready to put into play, but you may have to wait hours before you spot a good entry point. Then, upon entry, you might find you are back out with a small loss in no time. Alternately, you might get a small profit, take it, and then watch the market skyrocket after your exit. The shorter your trading is the more attention it will take and the more nerve wracking it will be.
Are You Scalping I'm thinking about it. I've been opening up a grid strategy to catch swing trades, but I have noticed that using half of the scalping mentality to accumulate positions in trends may be able to have a significant positive impact on my results. I guess I'll end up letting you know how things work out.
If you are anything like me, you probably imagine that it is difficult to become a foreign currency trader. Perhaps there are rules, regulations and other hoops that have to be jumped through. Maybe you need large amounts of cash in order to get started.
No.
Becoming a Forex currency trader is incredibly simple!
Get A Demo Account As I beginner I'd suggest you sign up with Oanda. Not only do they have a good reputation but they offer other advantages for a beginning trader as well:
You can sign up for a live account with very little initial capital.
You can execute trades of just about any arbitrary (small) size.
Of course, you can start with a free demo account before getting a live account. Just about everyone will recommend you do so, including me. However, at some point you need to trade with real money to learn about the psychological aspects of trading.
So, that's what I did. I started with $100 in my account and was off to the markets. Sweet, I'm a forex trader!
Learning To Trade Foreign Exchange If you have a demo account, enter some trades. See what happens. Then, after the results come in, search for information about what happened. You'll find some helpful advice in blogs, such as mine, as well as various tutorial and forum sites. I would suggest that you buy a book or two on forex trading, technical analysis and perhaps something concerning the attributes of successful traders.
However, with a few dollars on the table, I realize that now the more difficult process starts. Now that I have a few dollars on the table I'm ready to start learning the lessons of the trade. Frankly, I won't be able to trade realistically if I am not actually risking my own money, so I have to do it this way. Of course, for most people, $100 is not a big enough sum of money to be a hardship if lost anyway.
So, I'm just blathering because the markets are currently closed for their regular weekend respite. I'm sitting in a precarious position because I have some open trades on my account and there is no telling what shape the market will be in when Sunday evening rolls around. I may be lucky and end up way ahead or I may be unlucky and lose my initial $100 payment. Another potential lesson is looming...
Oh, I should mention, these days Forex trading with a reputable company is quite safe. While there are large risks and large rewards, my risks are essentially limited to the capital that I have put into my account. With wise strategies I can limit risks further, but as a beginner it is comforting to know that I can't lose more than I let sit in my account no matter how foolish a beginner mistake I might make.
UPDATE:
I should stress that you could lose all the capital you put in your account, so do not start out with a large account with the idea that you will only conduct small trades. At the very least, create some sub-accounts and keep the majority of your capital out of harms way until you have blown up your play money account, learned a few lessons, and know how to protect your capital.
Traders on the Foreign Exchange market, Forex market for short, can potentially make thousands of dollars based on the volatility and fluctuations of a country’s currency. To better themselves and have a leading advantage over other traders, some Forex traders and investors participate in a practice known as news trading. The risks are very high, but the potential gains can be worth thousands of dollars and many traders and investors use this technique. The technique of news trading is quite simple. It is the trading of foreign currency immediately before or after an important economic news announcement. After such announcements, there is a high possibility that market prices will fluctuate, either for the better or worse, depending on the announcement. For example, if the U. S. Federal Reserve announces another increase of the interest rate, many traders might invest in the U.S. dollar as it is expected that its value will appreciate. The main advantage of news trading is the potential for a country’s currency to make huge gains or losses in very little time. Within minutes of an economic announcement, a country’s currency can gain or lose one hundred points almost instantly. The potential of huge profits attracts Foreign Exchange traders and investors, however there are various risks associated with news trading. Like any investment, there is always a risk, and news trading on the Forex market is no different. Though the potential profits are huge, the losses are also equally as large. The dangers of news trading come from the fact that a trade must be made quickly or else you are going to lose. If you are caught on the bad side of a trade, your money will be gone quicker than you can blink your eye. You will lose money so fast that there won’t even be time for you to manually close your trades, leaving you with nothing. Stop-loss orders are also potentially dangerous as there is a high probability of slippage because of the sudden price fluctuation. Though some investors and traders might get lucky trading news, there is only a small probability that you will make a profit. Even if you are an expert news trader, you should still be very, very cautious when participating in this practice. Successful news trading depends solely on how you get your news. The most successful news traders are the ones with the fastest news feeds and those that are able to quickly place their trades immediately after an announcement has been made. Even using other forms of news trading, such as placing orders above or below the market price is still a guessing game, and those traders in the market who base their trades on guesses, won’t have much money after a short time. For many Forex traders and investors, their trades are dictated by technical indicators and price indexes. Hours are spent researching every indicator, taking every risk into account and then making a decision based on everything they have studied. However, for a Forex news trader, none of this matter, and the only thing they take into account is economical news announcements. News trading is possible because the Forex market is always open, unlike many financial markets. In a financial market, securities trades of certain stocks are suspended when an important company announcement is being made. These announcements are usually made after the market has closed for the day. However, because the Foreign Exchange market is open 24 hours, any economic announcement will have direct affects on the currency of that country, and maybe others as well. In the Forex market, there are eight major currencies that are traded, as well as over seventeen derivatives to be traded as well. This means that on any given day, there will always be economic announcements from any of the major traded currencies. The major trader currencies are as follows: U.S. Dollar (USD)
Great British Pound (GBP)
Euro (EUR)
Japanese Yen (JPY)
Australian Dollar (AUD)
Swiss Franc (CHF)
Canadian Dollar (CAD)
New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Because of the availability of each currency, currency pairs, and its derivatives, such as USD/JPY, EUR/USD, AUD/USD, as well as several others, each currency can be traded at any given time because these currencies are globally traded. Any Forex news trader or news investor will have to have the latest most up to the moment news announcements. Even if the news announcements are only a couple of minutes old, this can have devastating effects for any trader who has risked any sum of money. Most news traders like to keep an eagle eye on any news regarding economical activity, but most importantly news dealing with interest rates changes, FOMC rate decisions, retail sales figures, inflation indicators such as the consumer price index (CPI), producer price index (PPI), unemployment figures, industrial production announcements, boost in business and consumer confidence, as well as business sentiment surveys. Manufacturing sector surveys, trade balance release details, and foreign purchases of U.S. Treasuries may also prove useful for a news trader to better make decisions regarding when or when not to trade. However, it should be remembered that these news announcements can have ranging impacts on a country’s currency, and after an announcement, the volatility of a currency may greatly fluctuate. It is important to take advantage of news that creates movements in volatility that will last for a few minutes or even hours. Trading on the Forex market based solely on news is a difficult and sometimes dangerous practice. However, there are some indicators that can make a news trader’s job easier, such as breakout indicators (Bollinger bands, breakout of a candlestick bar, or a price bar). Research has proved that news announcements can impact a currency’s value quite severely, in some cases it can gain or lose anywhere from 33 pips to 124 pips, opening up the ideal trading opportunity looked for by news traders. If a news trader is able to act quickly enough, even the smallest news release can be turned into a potential profit of thousands of dollars. However, it is important to remember the volatility of such announcements, and although the profits seem endless, the losses can happen too.
Are you thinking of investing in foreign currencies? Your financial consultant can tell you why forex currency trading is better over any other markets. Forex trading has some features unique to itself, like the forex day trading market. Another good feature of forex market is it has large number of traders and is also very flexible in terms of working hours. Forex market operates 24 hours a day! Are you thinking of investing in foreign currencies? Your financial consultant can tell you why forex currency trading is better over any other markets. Forex trading has some features unique to itself, like the forex day trading market. Another good feature of forex market is it has large number of traders and is also very flexible in terms of working Going by the name, we understand that it involves exchange of money only during daytime. Hence one buy will always be equal to one sell of foreign exchange currency. The main objective is to not let any variation at the end of the day. In case of any discrepancies, the amounts of buys are tallied with the amount of sales. In normal trading, the closing price of last day may not tally with the opening price of the present day. Forex day trading ensures that there are no such fluctuations. We will share all the little bits of information and also the tips to day trade in the forex market. Here you go: Decentralization of activities – Since the forex day trading market is decentralized, any one can trade from any part of the world. Take this opportunity to trade on the market, even if you are not located in the place there. 24 hours operative – The market works 24 hours a day and round the year. Hence if some currency is at low in one part of the world due to closing hours, it may be stronger in another part of the world. Hence one may trade hoping for a consistent performance throughout the schedules. Be an early bird – Always go for early trading. Currency prices are always on the early morning base. If you invest in the morning trades, you might see fair chances of the values appreciating in the later part of the day. Get knowledgeable – To know the trading, you should learn it! Gain knowledge on the know-how of the market. Be an avid reader of financial articles and magazines. You can also take up some courses or examinations to arm you stronger. Be a good observer – Always keep a constant watch on the trading sessions. You can do so for every one-hour or two hours. This will get you a clear picture on the ups and downs happening in the market. Study price movements – Check for the market trends. Always follow the market trend when you a new entrant. Go along with the market flow. Get your own technique – Once you start following the market trends, you need to set your own analysis into them. Develop your own techniques to understand the trades. You will come up with the best approach for yourself. Picking up this trade is not an overnight job. When you achieve brilliant results on your trades, don’t go overboard. Be consistent with the same strategies till you establish your roots into the market.Forex market operates 24 hours a day!
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