There are several different ways to trade but these days it seems everyone is talking about Forex and currency trading. Check out these three reasons why it beats stock trading.
Profits in a Bear or Bull Market
Currency can bring growth during both a bull and bear market which is one of the three reasons why it beats stock trading. There is no short selling restrictions and there is profit potential no matter where the market is going. With Forex you sell on currency and then buy another. Even in fluctuating markets a trader has the ability to profit in both short and long positions.
50 Times More Leverage Than Stocks
It quickly becomes apparent why you want to go with currency trading over stock trading another reason why it beats stock trading. Foreign exchange trading with Forex will land you up to 50 times the leverage of what your stock accounts can do.
Diversity Here Is Like No Other
Forex can offer a broad diversity. The balance of trade between nations is detrimental to the value of the currencies. If a nation imports more than it exports it will have a deficit trade balance which is considered not favorable to currency value. So you see currency trading beats stock trading.
A prudent investor will know that they need to diversify their US dollar balance through holding a variety of currencies which can be somewhat challenging since almost all US banks offer only a few other currencies. Through Forex and foreign currency trading you can control hundreds of thousand of dollars worth of currencies that will give you more than 50 times the leverage of the stock market which again proves why the currency trading beats stock trading.
Open For Business 24 Hours A Day 7 Days A Week
You can trade Forex 24 hours a day 365 days a year. Your trading can start at 5:00 PM EST with markets in Sidney and Singapore. Only a few hours later Tokyo opens up, next is London opening at 2:00 AM EST and soon New York with it’s world currency markets have already been open for 15 hours. The stock market offers you no such easy access which is why currency trading beats stock trading. In fact Forex is the largest, most liquid market, open 24 hours a day for trade.
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Currency Trading Three Reasons Why It Beats Stock Trading
Monday, February 04, 2008Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 1:30 AM
Choose One Currency - The Importance Of Focus In Forex Trading
Saturday, February 02, 2008Many beginner forex traders start out making a common mistake. They will begin trading one currency but within a month and sometimes much less, will have traded almost all the major currencies. If you take a peek at some of the forex chat forums on the Internet, you will see enthusiastic newbie traders making the same mistake. They will ask questions, discuss and trade the yen, the pound, the euro, the Swiss franc and go back and forth between them all.
Why do they do this and why is it foolish?
Let’s see. If you ask them why they do this, they will probably reply that either they saw an opportunity for a profitable trade on their charts that was too good to pass up or that they were just increasing their chances of success by spreading their bets. Fair enough, that seems like a perfectly fine answer.
Imagine this however: You are a pretty strong guy and you think you can handle yourself in a street fight. Then you are thrown into a ring with a guy who’s been training boxing for years. The outcome of this fight? Well, there really is no fight – you will get slaughtered.
Forex trading is the same. To be a success, you must always be looking at ways to swing the odds in your favour. The fundamentals that influence the yen are totally different to that of the Swiss franc or that of the Australian dollar. If you are trading them all, while it may appear the same, its not. Just like the fight against the boxer, you are up against highly paid institutional traders and currency analysts - experts in a particular currency.
When a news announcement breaks, without thinking they know and incorporate its effect on a particular currency and its relationship to other currencies, the interest rates, bonds and gold market. The Australian dollar is a commodity price driven currency; the Swiss franc will do well when global security is a problem; the yen is a currency reflecting a nation with a huge export surplus and so on. All these currencies have different characters, moods and personas. They are influenced by different and conflicting information that you need to be aware of.
To increase your chances of success in trading, it is much better to master one chosen currency. This will help you build focus and trading discipline. Sticking to trading one currency will eliminate the need to have to focus on numerous sets of information. However, the most important thing: with time, as you understand your chosen currency and its character traits inside out, you will gain conscious confidence in your trading – something invaluable in this game.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:16 AM
Boost Your Income And Learn All About Forex And Currency Trading
If you've been trying to find out all about Forex and currency trading, but just don't know where to start, here are the basics.
Thousands of investors are now turning the benefits of Forex trading into great returns.
Once you learn all about Forex and currency trading, you'll be ready to join the ranks of happy and profitable currency investors.
Learning all about Forex and currency trading may seem like an insurmountable task especially if you're totally new to the Forex market.
With the right tools learning the basics and how to tackle currency trading can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
Many online sites now offer educational sections.
These educational sections start with the very basics and continue on helping you learn more advanced strategies and methods of analysis.
Practice Currency Trading As You Learn
Online Forex broker sites will also allow you to set up a mock account to practice what you'relearning before you actually invest any of your money.
This method of paper trading helps you to fine tune your investment practices. The practice account can quickly help you learn in real time all about Forex and currency trading.
The trades, the terms, and the methods applied to trade currencies are quite different than with traditional investments. The trading occurs in pairs. Currency trades are made based upon the value of one currency as compared to another. These relative values are in constant change.
Price quotes are in pips (percentage in point). If a particular currency quote goes higher, it means that currency is stronger. If it goes lower it means the currency weaker. When you make a Forex trade you're buying one currency and selling another.
Certain basic factors commonly used to determine how and when to place trades are: relative interest rates, economic stability, political stability, and the trade status of the country. Typically the trade is made with one strong currency traded in conjunction with a weaker currency.
The times you can trade is vastly different than in traditional stock, bonds, and mutual funds. . The Forex market trades on a 24 hour, 6 day a week schedule. This helps you be more able to make trades and decisions at times when your schedule allows, not on the traditional 9 to 4 stock market hours.
On a daily basis, eighty percent of Forex trades involve nine major currencies: the U.S. dollar, Euro, Yen, Swiss franc, British pound, Canadian dollar, and the Australian dollar. As with stocks, bonds, and mutual funds there are several strategies and methods taught and used to determine when to make a trade.
Strategic charting and analysis of those charts are of primary importance to many who trade the Forex market. You'll find many sources of courses and education materials to help you learn to evaluate and master Forex.
Now its easy to get started in Forex trading. There are many online sites available to help you learn and implement your newfound knowledge by investing in the currency markets. No longer is trading on the Forex exchange limited only to large companies and banks. Even an investor with a very small amount can participate in Forex trading.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:14 AM
What You Need To Know About E-Currency Trading
Friday, February 01, 2008Yes! E-currency trading, ever heard of it? Its what is making those that have long heard about it very wealthy, legally! So if your seat belts are tight enough, lets take a ride into the world of E-currency Trading.
Well, E-currency per say means the exchange of one e-currency for another e-currency. Simple as that!
Ok lets look at it in terms of a real money example. If you're going to another country that does not accept money from your country, you would want to convert your money to the currency of the country you’re going to. Companies that provide this service charge a fee for doing so. The same applies to e-currency.
If you exchange one e-currency for another, there are “Merchants” who perform this transaction for you. These Merchants take a certain percentage for performing this service.
Now, to get started in E-currency trading, you have to know “how” it works and what to do to make the most profits out of it.
Now, with as little as $25, yes $25 you could be on your way amassing large monthly income with that amount you invest. All you do is invest that $25 in e-currency trading, reinvest its weekly earning and without putting further funds in, you could expect to generate a monthly income of over $4,800 in just three years, based on an average growth of 2% per week. All from just $25 investment!
So what do you do to improve your earning status? Here’s what you do,
1. Create an e-currency account
2. Fund your e-currency account (there are a lot of e-currency exchangers, just do a research on google.com and you will find them)
3. Create an exchange account with DXINONE.COM (that’s the company that runs a secure e-currency trading)
4. Inject funds into the DXINONE system
5. Buy digots/shares with your injected funds
6. Get your DX Debit
7. Pay your fees regularly and continue trading!
So there you are, the snap glance of E-currency trading. Hope you have a great day!
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 1:42 AM
Currency-Trading: Finding Your Niche
Currency-trading is quite similar to trading stocks on the market. While you may or may not have any familiarity with those options, you should know that trading in this form is quite popular and it keeps gaining in popularity. There are many reasons for that but in most cases it is popular because it works and is quite straightforward which makes it very well worth your time.
Currency-trading is a method of trading based on the value of currency. In most cases, the world’s economy is the judge of how much you can and will make. This is different than with stocks which rely heavily on the United State’s economy. In this case, you are dealing with world markets and world currency rates.
The basis is very simple. You simply will purchase currency at a time in which it is worth less. For example, the dollar is worth more. You purchase low and then as the economy strengthens in that country, you can sell to make a profit. Basically you turn in your money for dollars again.
But, that is quite a simplistic look at it. There are many things that influence currency-trading. What makes it attractive to anyone anywhere is that you can invest pennies or quite a bit of money. Obviously you can make more money on the more you invest, but you still make money either way. Currency-trading is a market that many are looking to get into for that very reason.
There are many currency-trading options available to you to help you as well. You will find that people often have a system in place to help them monitor and make sales. This software is able to be found throughout the web and can be quite beneficial if you want to do the trading yourself. If you do not, you can easily get the help of any of the currency-trading advisors out there. It’s a great opportunity!
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 1:41 AM
Best Forex Online Platforms Trading
Thursday, January 31, 2008The term forex refers to Foreign Exchange. The foreign exchange market deals basically with the trade of a particular currency for another. It is considered to be the world's largest financial market. The forex market includes various levels and forms of trading. It includes the trade carried out between various banks, currency speculators, central banks, governments, multinational corporations, and various other financial markets and institutions.
The main advantage which forex trading has over the conventional New York Stock Exchange and other similar stock exchange markets is that the traders can trade any time of the day. The conventional stock exchange markets limit the trading in the actual trading hours of the market. The best forex online platforms trading is preferred nowadays by most people owing to the fact that it enables forex trading anytime of the day and from anywhere in the world. This is done by giving access to traders of the online community of forex trading through online trading platforms.
The forex market is a great success compared to the other stock markets owing to the fact that the currency exchange market of the world operates around the clock. The prime requisites for a trader thus are time, money, a computer with the Internet facility and a telephone. The traders or the banks just need to log in to their forex trading account to start trading.
The best forex online platforms trading are also highly beneficial owing to the numerous advantages. The forex market is estimated to witness the trade of around one trillion dollars. The primary process can be understood in simple terms. It involves the trading of one country's currency for another country's currency.
The best forex online platforms trading are also the fastest and the most efficient modes of online forex trading. The traders can gain large profits owing to the structure of the market
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:34 AM
FOREX Trading 101
Welcome to the exciting and often very profitable world of foreign exchange trading or FOREX for short. Forex trading is the trading of different foreign currencies against one another, taking advantage of their ever fluctuating values to make very nice profits.
Forex trading, or currency trading, used to be out of the reach of the everyday investor until recent technological advancements took Forex out of the hands of large banks and institutional traders, and put it right in front of anyone with a computer and internet connection. Now there are dozens of Forex trading platforms available from a wide selection of brokers. Now anyone can learn to make money trading the currency market!
Although the major focus of the investment world appears to be on stocks and bonds, the currency market is the oldest and largest financial market in the world. The FOREX is a world-wide market, therefore, it is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This eliminates the closing/opening gaps you see with traditional stocks ever morning. The Forex market trades approximately $1.2 trillion every day, making it a very liquid market, you'll never have a problem filling your buy or sell orders.
Forex trading is done with pairs, that is either buying or selling one currency against another currency. You profit from Forex trading when you take a position in a currency that you appreciates against the currency it is paired against. The great majority of daily Forex trading involves four major currency pairs. Currency trading usually involves the British Pound against the US dollar, the Euro against the US dollar, the US dollar against the Japanese Yen, and the US dollar against the Swiss Franc.
These four pairs are displayed on the FOREX as: GBP/USD, EUR/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CHF.
One major benefit of trading the Forex market, is leverage. Because of the liquidity of the Forex, most brokers offer the option to trade on margin with a leverage ratio as might as 400! Providing you with the opportunity to invest with a much small amount of capital and still pull in substantial profits.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:30 AM
Will Capitol site add a $70M building?
Tuesday, January 29, 2008As officials prepare to reoccupy the beautifully restored state Capitol later this year, some people on Capitol Hill want the adjacent 45-year-old State Office Building torn down and replaced at an additional cost of around $70 million.
The $250 million spent on the Capitol and its grounds will be within budget, but remodeling the 3-year-old West and East office buildings -- constructed to temporarily house executive and legislative top officials while the Capitol was reworked -- will cost about $3.5 million more than originally budgeted.
That remodeling of the two buildings (newly renamed the House and Senate office buildings) will go forward, despite the extra cost, and will take around a year to complete, said Capitol Hill Preservation Board executive director David Hart. The additional funds will likely be taken from the Capitol's contingency account, he said.
Inside and outside of the 90-year-old Capitol the detail to historic accuracy and the earthquake-proofing have received praise.
Those who have toured the Capitol under construction say the Capitol Preservation Board, Hart and the thousands of construction workers have achieved a wonder. The Capitol is now scheduled to open to the public Dec. 19.
But there is still a lot of money yet to be spent. As Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and the 104 legislators prepare to move back into the Capitol,
about $4 million is needed to buy new or refurbished furniture and equipment. The main idea, said Hart, is an attempt to have furniture, carpets and other furnishing that will reflect styles and colors seen when the Capitol first opened in 1915.
Long-term goal
Meanwhile, the old State Office Building, even though extensively remodeled just a few years ago with expensive removal of asbestos, should be torn down, some state officials said.
A new, north office building would then be built in the style of the House and Senate office structures. Senate President John Valentine said that is a "long-term" goal for the Capitol Hill complex.
The original vision of the Capitol's architect was for the main Capitol backed by several multistory office buildings to be faced with local granite, Hart added.
Hart said it would cost taxpayers roughly $70 million to tear down the State Office Building, which was constructed in the early 1960s, and replace it with another three-story building matching the House and Senate office structures.
Valentine, R-Orem, stressed that the ideas for the State Office Building were only in preliminary discussions. His opinion was echoed by House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, who added that replacing the office building would complete the "Capitol Complex" plan as originally drawn nearly a century ago.
But where Capitol buildings are concerned, sometimes Huntsman and GOP legislative leaders can move quickly -- as when they decided last summer to build a new $15 million parking structure east of the Capitol with only a few weeks of public discussion and with only with a college engineering class making the recommendation.
Private offices
When the latest Capitol Hill remodeling is finished, each of the part-time 104 legislators for the first time will have a private office -- either in the Capitol itself or in the House and Senate office buildings. The offices won't be large, about 12-by-18 feet is the average, Hart said.
Each office will have a desk, a bookcase, a credenza and a small table with a few chairs around it.
"The offices will be private -- not cubicles -- where the legislator can have a closed-door meeting with a constituent," said Hart. All of the 29 senators should have private offices by the 2008 Legislature, but 32 of the 75 House members won't have offices until remodeling of the House Office Building is finished sometime late next year.
It's difficult to estimate the cost, through construction and furnishings, of giving each of the 104 legislators their own offices, Hart said.
Remodeling the House and Senate office buildings after the Legislature and executive-branch bosses move back into the Capitol will cost between $5.5 million and $6 million, he said. The temporary House Chamber on the first floor of the West/House building will become an auditorium, while the second-floor Senate chamber will become a large hearing room.
The governor's offices in the East/Senate building and his board room will be turned into three new legislative hearing rooms, Hart said.
All of the new furnishings, both within the Capitol itself and in the soon-to-be-remodeled Senate and House office buildings, will cost just over $3.5 million.
That includes $120,000 to "refurbish" the 28 desks for the senators in the Senate chamber and $225,000 to build 74 new desks for the House floor. The Senate president and House speaker sit at the dais. The old House desks were built a decade ago, and they need to be replaced to better fit the remodeled House Chamber and accommodate new telephones and laptop computers, Hart said.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:31 AM
Fountain appoints police chief
The Fountain City Council approved the city manager's recommendation Wednesday night to appoint the acting police chief as the police chief.
"His proven leadership and knowledge were instrumental in implementing the community-oriented policing philosophy in our Police Department," City Manager Greg Nyhoff said.
Morse joined the department in 2001 after working with the Colorado Springs Police Department for nine years.
He graduated from Mitchell High School, then earned a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Colorado.
He also earned a master's degree in business administration from Regis University and a doctorate from the University of Colorado, where he did doctoral research on community policing.
Morse also worked as a paramedic and certified public accountant.
As a lieutenant, he oversees all daily operations at the department, including the patrol, detective, motorcycle units, SWAT and emergency service dispatch.
Morse will fill the position vacated by Chief David Moore, who resigned in October to become chief of the Laurel, Md., Police Department.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:30 AM
Malaysia-Japan FTA boosts exports, narrow trade deficit
Saturday, September 22, 2007In a press conference to announce the country's 2006 trade performance, Rafidah said that since the Economic Partnership Agreement, as the FTA is officially known, came into effect last July, there have been ''positive effects'' on Malaysia's export performance to Japan.
Exports utilizing the preferential ''Certificate of Origin'' accorded under the agreement for the second half of 2006 were valued at 3.06 billion ringgit.
The main products exported under the preferential access included palm oil, articles of ethylene and veneered panels.
Other products that have gained better access into Japan were tropical fruit such as pineapples and watermelons, which increased fourfold during the six-month period after the implementation of the FTA, Rafidah said.
Electrical and electronic products remained Malaysia's number one export to Japan, totaling 16.47 billion ringgit, but that was 1.5 percent lower than in 2005 as Japan turned to cheaper sources such as China and Taiwan.
Liquefied natural gas was the second largest export from Malaysia with a value at 13.2 billion ringgit.
Exports of wood products, including veneer, plywood and particle board, accounted for half the increase in exports. Exports of wood products were valued at 4.81 billion ringgit last year.
Overall, as Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had announced late Thursday, Malaysia's total trade breached the 1 trillion ringgit mark for the first time last year at 1.069 trillion ringgit, 10.5 percent higher than the preceding year.
Exports rose 10.3 percent to 588.95 billion ringgit while imports rose 10.7 percent to 480.49 billion ringgit in 2006.
Rafidah is optimistic the growth momentum will continue in 2007 despite concern the rising ringgit will crimp exports.
The currency is now trading near a nine-year high at around 3.50 to the dollar.
''One factor that will support the (export) growth is the forecast stronger expansion of the Southeast Asian economies, from 5.2 percent in 2006 to 5.6 percent in 2007. ASEAN accounted for 26.1 percent of Malaysia's exports in 2006,'' she said.
Demand for Malaysia's electrical and electronic products that account for more than 45 percent of total exports, is also expected to remain robust as the U.S.-based Semiconductor Industry Association has forecast global semiconductor sales will expand 10 percent this year to $273.8 billion.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 4:30 AM
What to do about the gas 'crisis': maybe nothing
DESPITE what you may have heard, oil and gasoline prices have yet to reach record levels--once we adjust for inflation. Even so, the gasoline price spike that began in the fall of 2002 is the second most dramatic in American economic history--steeper than those in 1973, 1990, and 2000, and nearly as great as that experienced between 1979 and 1981. A back-of-the-envelope calculation finds that the average household today spends between $63 and $79 a month more for gasoline than it did just three years ago.
Perhaps the absence of an identifiable villain has dampened political outrage. Oil companies are making record profits, but there's no evidence that they're holding anything back from the market. Likewise, neither terrorists nor Iraqi insurgents have had any significant impact on OPEC production. Global oil production was 66.8 million barrels a day in 2002, 69.2 million in 2003, 72.5 million in 2004, and is at record levels in 2005.
Regardless, gasoline prices aren't particularly consequential in the grand scheme of things. Sure, we're approaching the record prices paid for gasoline in 1981--about $2.42 a gallon in today's dollars--but on average we're a bit more than half again as wealthy today as we were then. If we consider gasoline prices in relation to per capita disposable income, they are only 58 percent of what they were in 1981, 44 percent of what they were in 1955, and about 90 percent of what they were in 1972. That probably explains why gas-guzzlers are still selling as well as ever and politicians are hearing little outrage from constituents.
What's driving the oil market is demand--not primarily from American SUVs, mind you, but from the awakening economic giant that is China. U.S. consumption grew by about 700,000 barrels a day between 2002 and 2004, but Chinese consumption grew more than twice as fast: by 1.47 million barrels a day. But, even accounting for China, global oil consumption has increased by only 5.3 percent since 2002. How could that have resulted in a near doubling of world oil prices? There are two reasons.
First, the excess production capacity that characterized the world oil market since the price collapse of 1986 had finally all but disappeared by 2002. Accordingly, the recent surge in demand caught the market short. The only way to increase supply substantially is for producers to spend billions of dollars on new production capacity that won't come online for several years hence. Producers, however, fear another boom-and-bust cycle of over-investment followed by a price collapse. That explains why the recent surge in oil prices has not led to a corresponding surge of new supply for the market.
Second, consumers have been slow to adjust their behavior in response to rising prices. Trading in SUVs for Dodge Neons, moving closer to work, and rearranging commute routines to take advantage of mass transit and car-pooling can be costly in time and money. Motorists aren't about to pay those costs without evidence that the price hikes are here to stay. Even then, consumers may not respond as robustly as they have in the past, given that those increased gas prices are less of an annoyance thanks to higher incomes.
With both supply and demand relatively inelastic in the short run--meaning that neither responds very much to price signals--small changes in either will lead to very large price movements. That's because it takes a big price spike to get producers to cough up even a little more product and to get consumers to moderate their demand for oil.
How long will the current spike last? That depends on a couple of things. If the recent increase in demand is for consumption in the here-and-now, only two events will reverse the tide. The first is new supply--which could be several years into the future given the lag time between investment and production. The second is a break in demand, which could occur if China's economy cools off, if the global economy slides into a new recession, or if persistently high prices begin to encourage conservation and fuel switching.
However, if the oil demand we've witnessed is partially driven by inventory buildup, prices may fall when inventories are full or when investors become convinced that possible profits tomorrow are worse bets than sure profits today. Oil would then flow out of inventories, demand for oil would decline with speculators out of the market, and prices could come crashing down.
The majority view among market analysts is that the former story is more likely to be the case than the latter. Yet oil inventories have been growing steadily over the past year and storage capacity is dwindling. Accordingly, a price collapse cannot be ruled out--which further explains why producers are leery of spending billions for new production capacity.
Things could get worse before they get better. In a tight market with inelastic supply and demand, anything that interrupts supply--political unrest in Venezuela, Nigeria, or Iran, terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia, increased insurgent activity in Iraq, hurricanes in the Caribbean, industrial accidents in refineries or along oil pipelines--could increase prices dramatically. Similarly, surges in demand from continued economic growth, unseasonable weather, or even currency revaluation in China could feed the spiral.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 4:21 AM
Becoming A Forex Trader Means Mastering The Tools Of The Trade
Monday, July 09, 2007The Forex market is very much a technical market and as such it is supported by a barrage of software tools which are not simply helpful to the trader but are an absolutely essential part of trading in a market which enjoys both high volume and considerable volatility. It is essential therefore that traders not only know what tools are available to them but are skilled in their use.
At the heart of Forex trading is a wealth of information which has to be not only constantly updated but which also has to be accurate. Such data, which is essentially displayed through a series of computer screens, needs to cover both current currency price data and historical price data and the systems in use needs to be able to analyze and display this data in a form that is of value to the trader.
In addition traders need to have fast and easy access to current and historical political and economic data and have to have the ability to analyze currency movements in relation to such information.
There are two fundamental forms of trading in operation today - reactive trading (in which a trader buys and sells in direct response to political and economic events) and speculative trading (in which a trader buys and sells on the basis of his prediction of the direction in which the market will move in response to current political and economic events). Whether a trader is buying and selling on a reactive or speculative basis it is essential that he has accurate and up-to-date information on which to base his decision.
But information alone is not enough and traders also need to have access to a range of tools that allow them to analyze this information, whether such analysis is fundamental or technical in nature.
Fundamental analysis is based upon the belief that the market moves in response to such things as political events, economic news, changes in trading patterns, movements in interest and similar events. Tools required here will therefore include such things as software programs that can plot currency movements against trade data and interest rate data and use historic data to build models which predict movements in a huge variety of different political and economic conditions.
Technical analysis by contrast is based upon the belief that the market follows a pattern which has been well established over time and that future movements in the market can be predicted by analyzing and charting historical data to produce a series of models which can be used to predict future patterns.
Whatever your position either as a reactive or speculative trading and whether you are buying or selling on the basis of a fundamental or technical analysis of the market the one thing you need is information. In essence this means using a range of complex analytical tools and you will need to take the time to familiarize yourself with the tools available to you and then to master the skill of using these tools.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:32 AM
Forex Scalping Methods
Scalping the Forex market is one of the fastest growing methods for trading Forex in the modern day world. In Forex scalping trading is performed over much shorter periods than other forms of trading and income is often generated even from relatively small fluctuations in a currencies price.
The main reason people trade via scalping is often that due to the quick nature of the method, profits can be built up fairly quickly. What’s more it also makes market movements far less likely to cause a large differential in the buy and sell prices.
Other methods of trading such as technical and fundamental analysis rely on analysing trends and predicting movements based on past performance or current news. Forex scalping offers a much quicker turn of events and traders using this method are simply looking for lots of small movements in currencies in any trading day.
Due to this difference in speed of trading, Forex scalping often means that traders run a much tighter ship as the risk is spread short time over a large number of currencies. In other methods of trading losses can often run a bit loose as the trader searches for that one trade that will return a big profit.
When scalping a trader will often only hold a currency for a matter of minutes before they resell at a profit. What is basically happening is that the Forex trader is playing with the spreads to bring in money where others fail to spot such a small market move.
Almost all successful Forex scalpers base their strategy on absorbing masses of information about the market they are trading in. You will not find many new traders adopting scalping methods simply because of the level of knowledge and nerve you need to succeed.
It is also rare that a Forex scalper will hold their position overnight. Most will close all trades before finally turning their computer off. If they do not then the trade they leave running is not really following the Forex scalping method.
The scalping method is usually based on three factors:
Liquidity – The more liquidity in a market then the more attractive it becomes to a Forex scalper as they can make more profitable trades in any given period.
Volatility – Only the most stable of markets are attractive to scalpers as a big movement is not what they are looking for. A stable market offers the chance to gain lots of small profits from many many trades
Time – A successful Forex scalper will not always begin trading at the start of a day. True, the longer they have to trade then the more they can make but patience is the key since it is pointless trying to scalp the Forex if market conditions are not right, for example in a period of large economic uncertainty.
As you can see, providing you have taken the time to learn as much as possible about market conditions then Forex scalping methods are not that difficult to implement. In many ways they are much more secure than other methods and this is why the method is becoming so popular.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:31 AM
Essential Investment Books – What I Learned Losing a MILLION Dollars
Friday, July 06, 2007This book by Jim Paul and Brendan Moynihan is a book any trader should read – The book correctly states that there are lots of different ways to make money and only a few ways to lose it. Therefore you need to concentrate on not losing first
If you have not read this book you will see the markets in a completely different light and one that could lead you to bigger profits and is simply one of the best investment books ever writtten.
What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars is a fascinating, insightful, easy-to-read true story of Jim Paul’s rise from a humble country background to jet-setting millionaire trader and Governor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
It is an examination of the lessons he learned from losing a million dollars in the market which brought about his demise and then covers his rise from the ashes.
This book contains no technical theories and really focuses on how NOT To lose money – there are plenty of ways to make money so how come most traders lose it?
The answer lies as we have stated that:
It’s not how you make money that’s important there are many ways to do that, but are only a few ways to lose it and if you are mindful of them and don’t make losing mistakes - you can emerge a winner.
The book is essentially divided into two parts:
Section 1
The first half of the book about Jim’s life makes you feel close to him and the experience he is facing as his world crashes around him. It’s both funny and sad in equal measure and is a superb fiction story.
Section 2
After the loss and its aftermath, comes the authors views of what he had learned and this really is original, thought provoking and insightful. The authors show you how to identify and manage the risks, both monetary and emotional that is part of any decision making including trading.
Playing great defense
The authors covers the key areas ALL losing traders fail in, that let losses get out of control.
Key areas covered are:
- The three biggest mistakes traders make and how to avoid them.
- Why the most important part of building wealth is not losing it.
- The psychological pattern which all losses take in a traders head, regardless of the position size
The discussion on the risk/reward ratio, and why most other books get it wrong is perhaps the most interesting part of the book.
This point is worth the books price alone as the aothor explains
Why you have to take into account the PROBABILITY of return, and PROBABILITY of loss, when trading and not simply divide the size of your expected return by the size of your expected loss, as most authors suggest – if you do you will lose!
This really is the key point of the book if you want to keep losses under control as it states in the preface.
“This book is a case study of the classic tale of countless entrepreneurs: the risk taker who sees an opportunity, the idea that clicks the intoxicating growth, the errors and the collapse. Our case is that of a trader, but as with all case studies and parables the lessons can be applied to a great many other situations.
If you want a book to show you the importance of emotional discipline and the art of risk management, then this is it.
This book has recently gone out of print, so get your hands on a second hand copy or get to the library and read it.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 1:54 AM
Forex Trading - If you Work To Hard You Will Lose!
In forex trading many traders think because they are clever or smart, that they have more chance of winning, but the EXACT opposite is true. There are many clever traders, yet they lose because being clever and making money are NOT compatible.
Let’s look at this in more detail.
The Work Ethic Does Not Apply
In many jobs the more hours you put in the more you get out, but the normal work ethic simply does not apply in forex trading – you get your reward from being right about market price and not the effort you have put in to generate your trading signals.
If you took ten minutes to place your trading signal or 10 hours, the only thing that matters is the result of your action.
In society of course, we are taught knowledge is power and many clever traders think the more the better.
They feel they have a right or deserve profits, because they are cleverer than others.
This is a dangerous assumption!
Most clever traders tend to come to the market with an ego and an ego is one of the worst traits you can have when currency trading.
Below are some common errors that clever forex traders make, in addition to working to long on their forex trading strategy.
1. They construct clever complicated trading systems thinking the more complicated they are, the more their chances of success.
The reality is that simple systems work best, as they are more robust in the face of brutal market conditions.
2. They see the market as they want to see it and not as it is.
There is only one price that is right – the market price. Many clever traders can’t take this, they think the price should be what they have decided and they hold and justify losing positions because of it. They then get frustrated when the gains are not what they expect. Of course, they are making the critical error of letting their emotions get involved -his means discipline goes out the window and their forex trading system disintegrates.
Work Smart – Keep It Simple – Accept The Reality!
There are many traders who never went to college, who use simple systems and have a humble approach to forex trading, yet they make huge sums of money. They often beat traders who would seem to have more advantages than them, but as we have seen, it is the simple trader who has the edge.
They realize knowledge for the sake of it is no use and that simple systems work better than complicated ones – they are accepting the reality of trading:
The market is all powerful over them and they need to accept it.
This doesn’t mean you can’t make money – just like the sea captain knows the ocean is more powerful he can make a living from it providing he obeys its rules.
This attitude means that humble traders can take losses easily, maintain discipline and when the markets gives them an opportunity they can take it.
Keep It Simple
A simple forex trading strategy can be learned in about 2 weeks and it can be applied in less than an hour a day yet, this will not prevent the trader making huge capital gains.
In forex trading keep it simple work smart not hard and adopt a humble attitude and you can make a lot of money, it really is that simple.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 1:53 AM
Currency Forecasting - Not For The Feint Hearted
Monday, July 02, 2007Currency Forecasting is an important resource in the quest to develop a better understanding of the diverse forces which influence rates of currency exchange throughout the world.
The art of currency forecasting advocates using an approach which comprises a combination of both technical and fundamental analysis. To provide a framework for effective decisions in this complex field, a good currency forecasting system needs to keep the operator informed with respect to both the world markets and intricate other factors that cause currency fluctuations.
Foreign exchange markets are influenced by changing relationships between countries and also internal situations such as the state of economies and changes of Governments. Even climatic variations have been shown to cause currency fluctuations.
Many professional currency traders use these fundamental aspects as the basis for decision making whereas others base their trades on mathematical models such as the Fibonacci ratios which have stood the test of many years. Fibonacci traders use mathematical models which indicate levels of resistance and support for various currencies at certain prices.
From my experience, I would recommend that you adopt a plan and stick to it whether you decide to use either fundamental of charting models. Search the internet for proven methods and consider undertaking a training course to expand your knowledge.
When you gain confidence and are ready to make your first investment make it a small one...or better still, make "paper trades" to test the value of your method.
You will hear stories of people who make huge profits with smart currency forecasting and trading but remember, for every winner, there is a corresponding loser. Good Luck
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 3:07 AM
Forex Education - 5 Tips To Avoid The Online Currency Trading Trap
Online currency trading in increasing in popularity and with it comes the good, the bad and the “you know what.” Like any business venture there are people out there waiting to take advantage of you and people who genuinely want to help.
Some people hocking learn to trade packages are internet marketers riding the wave of a hot market in search of profits, while others are season professionals looking to create a win-win scenario for you.
So what do you do?
Here are 5 simple thoughts to keep in mind as your search for your Forex education online:
1. The Forex Education Program Itself
You want to make an assessment of the Forex education program’s approach to learning and ensure it matches your style. Some people can learn by reading a book (very few!), while other require a more structured hand holding approach. Some like a classroom environment, while others want to learn live and online.
Make sure you have access to live instructors, this will be your life-line when things get tough. Bottom line; If it resonates with you, then it most likely will fit and you will learn.
2. Guarantee Needs to be Real
Make sure the Forex education program you consider offers an adequate guarantee. Some programs out there offer only a 2-week trial for big dollar training packages. The refund period should be appropriate for the cost and 30-days at a minimum. The guarantee should provide adequate time to evaluate the product or service and then some.
On the flip side of the coin, if the guarantee is acceptable and you have not acted to properly evaluate the product or service within the time frame you should evaluate your own position to determine if you are ready for the training.
No Forex education product or service will make you money sitting on the self.
3. Coaching Required
We all need a coach. Yes, all the information you need to become a successful trader is online. Great, where do you start and how much money are you willing to lose separating the good information from the bad, let alone implementing this vast resource of information?
Any person who participates in activities that require peak performance in order to achieve success (Forex trading qualifies!) needs a coach. Make sure your Forex education includes programs that have individual or group coaching as part of the package. Nothing will accelerate learning like live interaction and mentorship. Don’t fall for the go it alone approach.
4. Establish Your Goals Prior to Learning
Ensure your personal goals are congruent with your Forex education goals. Be clear on why you want to learn Forex trading and what you want to get out of your training. Clarity will ensure the investment in your Forex education will be profitable.
Trading is all about personal responsibility. There is an old Buddhist saying that when you are ready to lean the teacher will appear. Remember, you are 80% of the success equation.
5. Fast Profits Beware!
If any Forex education product or service promises fast money, don’t think; just run away as fast as possible. Forex trading is a process that has to be learned like any other profession. Profitable Forex education will never focus on the money, the curriculum will be established entirely around learning the Process of Forex Trading.
The only Holy Grail in Forex trading lies in the six inch space between your ears. Learn the process and the money will take care of itself!
When done right, Forex trading should be an almost boring repeatable process. In fact the most valuable investment you will ever make is the one in yourself. Your Forex education will determine whether you eventually achieve your financial goals or not.
Remember, there is no such thing as failure there is only feedback. Keeping these tips in mind when searching for your Forex education product or service will allow you find a partner in your success.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 2:58 AM
Currency Trading Success - Be Objective NOT Subjective or Lose Your Equity Quickly
Thursday, June 28, 2007If you want to make money from forex trading and achieve currency trading success you need to make sure your forex trading strategy is objective as possible and keeps subjectivity out.
Many traders make the mistake of including to much subjectivity in their trading plan and lose; lets look at why this can be fatal.
Why Subjectivity will ensure you lose.
Many traders need to make a lot of subjective judgements about their trading signals before executing them – The problem is, the subjectivity that they have in their judgements sees their emotions come into play and they lose.
Let’s look at an example.
Elliot wave and cycles are supposed to objective yet you have to spot the set ups and make subjective judgements.
This means that you can be tempted to over ride signals, take signals you shouldn’t and generally let your emotions dictate your forex trading strategy.
The same goes for those traders who want to trade by following online news wires.
They need to decide how much the news has been discounted and how valid it is – this is difficult or near impossible and again, emotions come into play and the trader losses.
Be objective! and Create Rules
A better way to trade is to create a set of objective rules for your currency trading system, which mean you do NOT have to make subjective judgements – you simply follow the rules.
This keeps you focused and disciplined and keeps your emotions out of trading.
Here us a simple system that is an objective set of rules and consist of three main components.
1. Look For Valid Support or Resistance
This is support and resistance tested several times, that line up on the weekly and daily charts at the same critical levels.
2. Look For Tests of the Above
When the price moves towards the support and resistance – You should then have a timing indicator to either indicate it will hold or fail.
3. Timing a Trade
If price momentum falls into the levels using the stochastic and Relative strength Index (RSI) a short trade is taken.
If the support or resistance is broken and confirmed by the previous two indicators then a long trade on the breakout is taken.
That’s it no guessing or subjective judgement used, this currency trading strategy is a simple set of rules that are followed
Trading signals are executed in line with the trading rules.
Sounds simple?
It is! Most traders can’t do this they want to subjectively decide if the trade looks good and impose their own judgements upon the trade - in forex trading this is fatal!
Discipline goes out the window and emotions dictate the trading strategy and trading equity is lost.
Destructive Emotions
The enemy of any trader is his or her emotions. This is why most novice traders lose, they can’t get an objective plan and set of rules they can follow with discipline.
If you want to achieve currency trading success, make sure your currency trading system is objective as possible and keeps subjective judgements and emotions out or you will lose to.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 3:35 AM
FOREX Education - Getting the RIGHT Education to Win
If you want to win at FOREX trading you need the right education. The fact is 95% of novice traders lose all their equity quickly, that’s not because they don’t work hard or can’t win - they simply put their efforts in the wrong area.
Let’s look at how to achieve currency trading success by learning forex trading the right way.
Use the Internet
You can get all the Forex education you need for free on the net, you simply have to look in the right areas, which we will explain in more detail in a moment.
A fatal mistake
Is to think you can buy success from a guru or mentor on the net.
Most of the information sold is junk or available free anyway.
Many traders are duped by attractive advertising copy, claiming that you can make huge regular profits by buying an e-book for $100 or so, but the reality is:
If the information was so good it would not be sold; these vendors would simply trade for themselves and the fact is they don’t.
They make money from selling you forex education NOT trading and their forex trading systems simply don't work.
If you can find a trader with a real time track record of profits, their information may be worthwhile, but trust me, there are not many who can provide this.
The best way is to do it on your own and you can get it all the Forex Education you need for free.
Working smart not hard
Trading is very different to many other ventures in life, in that the effort you put in has no relation to the money you make.
You get paid for getting market direction right not how much effort you put in.
You should as beginner either start with long term trend following strategy or try swing trading – NEVER attempt day trading.
Forex day trading simply doesn’t work, as the data is to short to be reliable and is meaningless.
More novice traders start with forex day trading than any other method and they lose – don’t fall into this trap.
Long term trend following suits the patient trader, while forex swing trading suits the trader who likes to trade a bit more and is less patient.
Basics
To start get an understanding of support of resistance and technical analysis.
Next, you need to integrate a few indicators to confirm price momentum into support and resistance levels and see the odds of them holding.
Below find some indicators that are great for triggering forex trading signals and determing price momentum:
Stochastics, Relative Strength Index (RSI), Average Directional Movement (ADX)
Below find some indicators to determine help you spot support and resistance (in addition to trendlines) and determine targets and strength of the trend.
Bollinger Bands, MACD and moving averages.
If you learn about all the above indicators, support and resistance and also how a breakout strategy works, you will have ALL the forex education you need.
This will help you put together a simple, robust currency trading system, that can make fx profits.
When devising a forex trading strategy the above will help you make money in swing trading or trend following and you should spend no more than 30 minutes a day.
A Simple way to Forex Profits
A simple system also works better than a complicated one, as its more robust in real trading, with fewer elements to break.
Many traders over complicate their system and think more is better, but the reverse is true.
Final Words
The above will get you started with your forex education for currency trading success and you will have the basics to build on to make great regular profits from forex trading in under an hour a day.
Finally, you wont have spent a cent finding out the basics for this success – good luck!
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 3:32 AM
Forex Trading Strategies in Forex Market
Monday, June 25, 2007In order to succeed in forex market, one can follow certain strategies like technical analysis, fundamental and economic analysis, combination of these two, different currency pair relationships etc.
Other more advanced techniques are SAR, CCI, Stochastics, MACD, Liner Regression, Bollinger Bands etc.
One should not be scared of the terminology involved. One should follow a strategy which one can understand and follow well.
The two most important strategies of technical and fundamental analysis are also used in stock markets. It may be advisable to use both of them while some people may use either one.
Fundamental analysis covers economic and financial factors like GDP, inflation, employment figures, devaluation, trade statistics, capital movements etc. In technical analysis one takes help of charts, graphs, bars, trends etc.
Whatever the strategy one adopts, one should learn to be a disciplined trader. For this, one should consider the following:
• Always use stop losses of some kind
• Don’t use all of your balances, but keep some separately available for special situations.
• Start with small lot sizes
• Always have a win / loss limit
• Adjust margin according to market conditions
• Always get new training and education
Some people also use intra day strategy. With this, one can use multiple time frames for analysis like one minute, 15 minutes. 30 minutes and 60 minutes frames.
One noteworthy element of forex trading is risk management. This consists of stop losses and trailing stops. One needs to learn how to establish stops, fix initial stops and experiment with trading plans at the margin. One has also to learn trailing, breakeven and time stops.
Risk management seems to have become easier with more flexibility in forex trading rules. There is full transparency now in this, better ability to put bids and offers within narrow spreads and less cost per ticket. Some forex trading platforms automatically close all positions if an account declines 60%. This provides some added safety.
FX trading like commodity trading is always conducted on “margin”. The general ratio is 50:1 and can go up to 100:1 in some cases. This means that against every margin of $1000, one can hold a position of up to $50,000. In currency trading what one can lose at the most is just the amount of margin while as the potential for profits is substantial.
Posted by zzzzzzzzzzz at 4:43 AM