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Archive for March, 2010

Forex Trading- the Wave Theory

March 31st, 2010 FXExpert No comments

Ever since the Foreign Exchange market began, there had been a number of different theories regarding this financial market and how it moves. Each can be used to understand the forex market better in hopes of improving one’s odds in trading. One popular theory is known as the Elliot Wave Theory.

The Elliot Wave Theory was conceived about seventy or more years ago with the stock market. It was observed that the market movements on charts can be described as waves which reoccur every now and then. The theory goes that there’s five short waves that appear which are caused by different factors with one effect. For example, a group of people suddenly purchases a certain good which results in a gradual increase shown on charts which would look like a series of waves; after this, a series of three more waves follow but going to the opposite direction which is known as the corrective waves.

This theory may have started with the stock market but it was proven that this theory is also applicable to the forex market. This can be used so that the trader can understand what’s going on with the market right now in order to help him or her with making a decision. Understanding how the market moves is important when it comes to forex trading because you simply cannot rely on luck when it comes to this financial market. A lot of people have already lost their money in this market due to common mistakes; this can be avoided simply by understanding how the forex market moves.

Automated Forex Trading Systems – a Great Way to Wipe Out Your Account Quickly

March 31st, 2010 FXExpert No comments

Automated Forex trading systems are popular and most new traders think there the way to trade an automatic way to make money, make a regular income and all for the price of a night out! They don’t deliver; here’s why… If I walked up to and said give me $100.00 and I Will give you an income for life, you would laugh at me but when people by get rich quick robots that’s exactly what they do. Common sense should warn traders that if a system looks to good to be true it is and these systems offer better track records than the worlds top traders who are on millions a year in salary, yet none of these traders would ever use such a system, because they don’t work. Here are some of the claims made and the reality. – Double Your Income Every Month This is impossible in an odds based market! Forex markets don’t move to a set mathematical theory, so it’s impossible to double every month with certainty. Anyone who thinks they can is very naïve. – Trade with Less than 1% Drawdown Not even the best traders in the world achieve this and it’s a fact, to make big gains, you need to take risks and risk goes with reward. You cannot hive big gains without drawdown. – Losses last a couple of days Pure fantasy, any trading system even the best, will lose for long periods of at least a few weeks. – Sophisticated Algorithms are used to Predict Prices Well most I have seen, are anything but sophisticated and even more important, money management parameters are no existent or based on unsound logic. Most of these systems are not designed by traders but by marketing companies. If you are a trader you know that markets are an odds based market and don’t move to a mathematical formula- Track Records Presented Most are simply back tests done in simulation and knowing the closing prices. There are some that put out real results but there is no independent verification. A quick look in online forums shows an army of affiliates taking about how much money their making with the system and a link back to their site to buy it – well if their making so much, why are they so keen to sell it? You will then find another group of people who have lost heavily and don’t understand why. Do any Robots Work? Yes they do but there not the heavily hyped ones, you have to seek them out and many produce independent track records of between 30 – 100% annually with 20 – 50% drawdown. These are good solid systems and if you trade them long term and can ride out your losses, you can make great solid gains. Always remember if it looks to good to be true it is and if making money was so easy the whole world would quit working and start trading, hasn’t happened though has it?

Getting the Right Forex Trading Broker

March 30th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

Finding a good forex trading broker can be tough, not because there are too few of them, but because there are so many of them. With all of the choices out there, trying to find the right one can be overwhelming. But, when searching for a forex broker, here are some tips to keep in mind.

* Choose One That Offers a Free Demo Account

Many online forex brokers offer free demo or test accounts to new and potential members. Take advantage of them.

A demo account not only introduces you to forex transaction (in case you are a newbie), but also lets you take a look at the trading platform used by that broker. You want an interface that is easy to learn and understand, and that you will be comfortable to use.

* Always Ask For References

Yes, you should ask for references! In fact, a good broker may often offer you his references. You need to be able to talk to other people who have used his services, and find out whether or not they are happy with their experiences.

If a broker refuses to give you references, you should probably steer clear.

* Examine the Minimum Deposit Requirement to Open an Account

All forex brokers set their own minimum deposit requirements when you open an account with them.

In case one broker asks for a larger deposit than you are willing to start with, search for one that requires a lower minimum. There are options out there for every investor, no matter how much or how little they have to invest.

* Learn About the Broker’s Credentials

Although there is no centralised, governing body to regulate the whole forex market over the world, the business practices of each forex broker is regulated by institutions in the countries where they are located.

A broker located in the US, for example, should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (or FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or CFTC). They should also be registered with the National Futures Association (or NFA).

* Check Out the Service Charge

As a general rule, cheaper isn’t always the best.

Compared to their competition, some brokers may charge less for their services. However, they may try to make up for the difference with hidden fees that you may not even be aware you are being charged.

So, before you engage any broker, be sure to ask about possible hidden fees, read the fine print, and learn as much about them as you can.

Finding a good forex trading broker is probably an experience for almost all players in the forex market. With the tips shown in this article, you have already known the most key things to look at. But, don’t be afraid if you still make a mistake. Sometimes, we just grow out of try and error.

The Importance of Support and Resistance in Forex Trading

March 30th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

Forex trading is one of the most popular forms of solid investment nowadays. While you can earn big money by engaging in the Forex market, you can, in the same way, lose huge sums of money if you’re not careful. One way to ensure your success is to do your homework and understand all concepts that the industry uses, one of which is the plotting of support and resistance.

When you look at the upper and bottom borders found in trade channels, you’ll see what are officially called the support and resistance lines. The resistance lines are the peaks representing the price levels wherein the selling pressure moves to exceed the buying pressure. The support lines, on the other hand, are the troughs representing the price levels wherein the selling pressure fails to exceed and in fact gives in to the buying pressure. One of the tricks in earning significant money from Forex trading is plotting support and resistance in order to check warning signals and make the necessary changes in trend lines.

Trend lines promote the real importance of support and resistance. Trends uphold time and volume; the trend becomes more significant when the prices remain bouncing off the support and resistance levels for longer periods of time. Once a firm support level is penetrated on heavy volume, it enjoys a higher probability of turning into a firm resistance level as well. The converse of this is also true. Thus, by having a firm grip of the support and resistance levels, a trader engaged in Forex trading can make an informed decision to either close or save his or her current position according to the signals shown in the trade channels.

Tips For Finding The Best Forex Trading Software

March 29th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

Finding good Forex software, will help you trade quickly and easily and make greater profits.
It seems that when it comes to Forex software, just about everybody has their own set of programs they would love to have you utilize.
Knowing that software is not necessarily created equally, this means you will have to make some decisions about what you expect from the trading software that you decide to go with.
Here are some tips you should consider before committing to any one software package.
The first question you should ask yourself about any trading software has to do with usability.
Do you find the software to be logical to your mind?
Can you manoeuvre through the prompts with a full understanding of what you are doing?
Should you need assistance at any point in the process, does the software provide the ability to access a help section?
Being comfortable, with the way that the software works, is a huge part of whether or not you need to consider a particular software trading package.
If it seems too complicated, then pass on that selection and move on to another potential candidate.
When you have identified a few software packages that you believe are workable for you, then you need to begin doing some investigation into each one.
Find out what other consumers are saying about these particular software options. Is there a consistent history of persons who have found the software to not be what they thought it would be?
What types of complaints can you find, and how did the software manufacturer respond to the problems?
Do the issues you uncover have to do with earlier versions and are not relevant to the current version that you are considering?
Getting feedback, from other consumers, can help you to narrow your list of software candidates down to a manageable few, to give your focused attention.
After you have narrowed the list down to those that you believe will be easy for you to use and that have a proven track record of success, the time has come to compare apples to apples.
What type of trade limitations does Candidate A software have versus Candidate B?
How quickly can a transaction take place on each of the software platforms?
While you have previously determined that you could work with each of these programs, the time is now here to decide, which one goes beyond that stage and actually is the one that you would enjoy using as your trade software of choice.
By identifying potential trade software packages and performing due diligence to obtain the relevant comments that have been shared by other consumers, you go a long way toward finding the ideal software package.
Once you have narrowed the list by comparing the functionality of each of your top choices point by point, you will be able to enjoy your choice of Forex software for a long time to come.
Download some free forex trading software today by clicking on the link below.

Why Invest in Forex Trading?

March 29th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

The Foreign exchange (Forex) market is the largest financial market in the world, yielding an average turnover of $1.9 trillion daily, a figure that is nearly 30 times larger than the total volume of equity trades in United States!

This is a market that has been creating a lot of excitement and opportunities. The currency trades are done in pairs, where the trader basically buys and sells currency at the same time. The trades are done around a clock and are not centered in one location. When one market closes another location opens.Forex has created the perfect work-at-home opportunity, where you can trade either daily or hourly or even every minute (depending on your appetite for risk and how flexible you are). But statistics have it that around 7 out of 10 traders in the market lose out more than they gain. I most certainly was one of the 7 a couple of years back, mainly because I looked at it as a get rich quick scheme. The secret to succeeding in this business is just that it has to be treated like a business. You need to be dedicated, persistent, patient and willing to learn and apply the knowledge gained.

The best way to start if you are a new to forex trader is to start with learning the basics such as(but not limited to): What is a pip? What is a lot? What are the different types of charts? When to trade? Then once you learn the basics open a free demo account and apply and back test strategies. Demo account is similar to trading in a real environment, minus the risk of losing real money, and there are not much emotions involved since you have a zero risk.Once you reach a point where 15 out of 20 consecutive trades make a profit, your are ready to trade with real money. Start small and increase your capital over time.Forex trading is truly and exciting business to be in. Believe me, nothing beats that first feeling when you wake up and see you made a profit overnight.

I promise you that if you put your motivation, application, and willingness learn in this business your chances of becoming a power trader are significantly improved.

Power of Forex Trading Information – What Trading Systems Will Earn You the Most Money?

March 28th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

For those who are looking for a new opportunity to earn money right in the comfort of your home, then what better place to invest in than the Foreign Exchange or Forex market? This is known to be the largest financial market in the whole world and it’s the most profitable market. This market boasts of over four trillion USD worth of trade each and every day.

With this opportunity knocking literally at people’s homes, more and more have started trading in this market. But the sad fact of all this is that most of those who have started to trade in the Forex market have found out the hard way that trading here is not as easy as some may think. The truth is, more than 90% of traders lose their money. Some say it’s because that’s simply how the market works, some say it’s caused by lack of education, but for the most part, this failure is caused by not having the proper Forex trading Information.

In any and all endeavours such as battles, competition or business, the most valuable asset is always information. The same thing goes with the Foreign Exchange market.

Having the best and most accurate Forex trading information would lead to a high success rate in this endeavour. So, how can you find this information? The most basic approach is to learn how to analyze the market on your own. By being able to analyze the market, you will be able to predict the future movements of the trends and the prices. With that information, you can properly position yourself in the market to make a good killing.

But, if you have no experience or no knowledge in analyzing the market, then you should do one of two things. First is that you could learn how to analyze through a proper Forex training course. On the other hand, you can contract the services of a company or person who offers Forex trading information for a monthly fee or invest in an automated Forex trading robot.

Forex Trading System – a Simple, Easy Logical Method for Huge Gains!

March 28th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

If you are a novice forex trader, or simply a trader who wants to make bigger gains, then the enclosed methodology, if incorporated into your forex trading system, will help you make huge gains consistently – lets look at it.

Many forex traders make the mistake of trying to predict where forex prices may go – but that really is hoping or guessing and you wont be rewarded for it in forex trading. Others try to buy low and sell high – but this well worn wisdom is the same, it involves prediction and is destined to lose.

So what methodology should you base your forex trading system on?

Consider this fact:

Most major trends develop from new market lows or highs and accelerate away from the breakout point.

So if you learn to sell these lows and buy these highs when there broken, you can be in on all the big trends – most traders cannot do this though.

Why?

Because they want to wait for the pullback and get in at a better price ( i.e. buy low sell high mentality) but they wait in vain as the trend sails across the horizon and their not in.

If you learn how to buy and sell breakouts you can make a lot of money but how do you know if a breakout will continue, of course not all do so, how do get the ones with high odds of success?

For this we need to keep two key points in mind:

1. The more times support or resistance has been tested the more valid it is and if its in different time frames, spaced apart by weeks or months all the better. This means the level is considered valid by the market and the chances are when the level breaks, a new strong trend will develop.

2. With breakout trading there is no prediction, you are acting on the reality of price change and that means no hoping or guessing is involved.

You do however need to look at price momentum to confirm the move is valid.

Price momentum should pick up, as the breakout point gives way and for this you need to look at momentum oscillators ( we don’t have time to discuss them here simply look up our other articles ) but they will confirm the velocity of price is strengthening and if it is, you execute your trading signal.

Once in the breakout trade, the stop loss level is obvious – behind the breakout point.

This method may seem simple and it is – but most of the world’s top traders use it and you should to.

It’s a simple, logical method that’s easy to understand and its obvious why it works.

All you need to do is spot valid set ups on a forex chart and then use a few momentum oscillators to confirm the move – that’s it.

The one final point to keep in mind is

When using breakouts is to be patient and look for ones that all traders consider valid and these will be high odds breaks, so be patient. I know a trader who does this, trades about 10 times a year and piled up over 300% last year alone. He’s not a genius, guru or smart ass; he’s simply using a methodology that works for anyone and it can work for you to.

I Want to Learn Forex Trading, Where Do I Start?

March 27th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

If you are interested in Forex (foreign currency trading), then there is a lot you must learn before you can begin your profitable journey to riches. Expertforextrading.net is an excellent online source to start your education but you must also follow general rules: 1.  Educate yourself on as much information as you can get your hands on about Forex.  You can’t play the game without knowing the rules so to speak.  Get your hands on free information widely available online to learn all of strategies used in currency trading.  Remember, no single strategy is perfect. Even though we can play the same game over and over, the rules stay the same most of the time but game plays always change.  Just because something works for one person doesn’t mean the same style will work for you. A great place to start your education is FXStreet. You can get your hands on valuable information and great tips to help you get started.2.  Practice, practice, practice.  There are many places you can get fre demonstration accounts where you can play around with fake money in real world trading environments with realistic indicators and conditions.  Just like the stock market games, you can practice for as long as you like testing out different strategies until you feel confident to play with the big toys. Metaquotes is an excellent place to start with $100,000 worth of free play money. FXCM and Forex.com are some other good websites to play on.3.  Remember the old saying: its not what you know, its who you know? Well this applies half-way to Forex trading as well! Get connected.  Join networks of other people who are out there just like you trying to learn about currency exchange. Forums are also very important when it comes to connecting to people. You’ll be surprised to see how much you can learn from other people, and perhaps even make a few friends on the way.  Some places to consider:  Globalview, EliteTrader and MoneyTec.4. Set your goals.  You don’t make big financial decisions without first thinking about the consequences and the end goals that you are trying to achieve. The same goes for forex trading, set your goals – both longterm and short. Where do you want to be in a year? “I want to be a millionaire” might be the right attitude but not the right goal. Where do you see yourself in a week? Do you anticipate gains or losses, if so how much? Think about these questions before you go throwing your money around.  Once you’ve got some sort of a goal you must determine an approach.  How will you get to your goal? Will you do it aggressively, on the cautious side, or will you plan to adopt a moderate plan?  This is a key step where you cannot get ahead of yourself. It is said that 95% of those who try, fail. This is due to unplanned and uneducated decision making. Remember, no strategy is perfect and you must figure out your own that works for you!5. NEVER let your emotions take over. This goes along the lines of planning. Some people make some money and all of a sudden they are riding an emotional rollercoaster that leads to complete disaster and loss of all funds. Don’t be one of those people, make decision based on good indicators and never ride the emotional rollercoaster when it comes to playing the real game. Do your research and always keep in mind your short term goals. Its best to take small footsteps to prevent stumbling as you start running so to speak.

Forex Trading – World Events and the Wise Trader

March 27th, 2010 FXExpert No comments

Forex trading is the hottest, most lucrative trading market worldwide. It has seen phenomenal growth in recent years since being opened up to smaller, individual traders. With online capabilities you now have access to a market that previously was the exclusive ground of major banking institutions and an elite group of extremely wealthy private investors. It is foreign currency exchange and it can enable you to accomplish your monetary goals and find financial security in an ever-changing world.
Forex is generally divided into two camps. One is the technical analysts. They base currency trading decisions on such factors as price fluctuations and recent patterns of a particular country’s currency changes. It is a numbers-based approach to finance.
On the other hand, there are fundamental analysts who focus on the current events, economic indicators, and political conditions of each nation in whose currency they think will provide a smart money-making opportunity. Both camps are valid and useful. Perhaps the wisest trader will take both attitudes into consideration, but most people tend to lean to one way over the other. Today my main focus is on the fundamentalist approach to Forex.
The World At Your Fingertips
With global news events at our fingertips, the world is much smaller than in previous generations. What happens in Beijing has a more marked effect on the average American or European businessperson than in the past. However, we need to carefully evaluate our news sources to find those most trustworthy. It is common knowledge that the media can report an event in the light of their particular bias or for their own agenda. Some things are distorted as a result. Analyze what you hear.
Think it through with logic and caution. Protect yourself from rash, regrettable decisions that result from fear and anxiety. Think for yourself; don’t just believe what is calculatedly laid out for you by the media. Personal analysis will help bring you success in Forex.
Most assuredly, current events can affect currency prices and should be taken seriously. But do not panic! Economic security is a concern these days and prices certainly seem to be escalating for the basic needs of life. This is all the more reason why you should develop a trading plan based on sound financial and business principles. There are many reputable, indispensable training programs available to prepare you for the decisions and risks associated with Forex. Use them to your advantage.
Plan Your Work – Work Your Plan
Develop a well-reasoned plan for making trading decisions and managing your money. Adhere to your plan with diligence, while staying abreast of events that actually do influence price oscillations. Filter out the media-driven exaggerations. Knowledge and preparation which produces a workable trading plan is your best defense against financial changes brought about by world events. The specific events are most likely outside the realm of your influence, but your reaction to these events is completely within your control. Use that control to protect yourself monetarily and increase your personal wealth.
The Opportunity Is Real
Forex did not become the largest global trading market by accident. It works and it can work for you! Be aware of the risks it brings. Invest your capital wisely. Seek accurate information about the conditions of the countries with which you are interested in trading. Develop your analysis as to whether this is a beneficial investment for you.
Stay centered on your goal and keep a check on potentially destructive emotions such as panic and fear. Realize that this market, as does any other, has periods of ups and downs. Ride it out and finish with greater financial security. Forex, handled prudently, is a venue that can enable you to see your financial dreams become a reality.