If you've decided to take a stab at forex trading, access to currency markets has never been easier with a wide range of online brokerage platforms offering everything from spot trading to futures and CFDs.
In this article:
Choosing a Forex Broker
Broker Actions to Avoid
Defining Basic Strategies
Finding Your Trading Strategy
Considerations to Remember
The Bottom Line
Key Learning and Take Away
Choosing a Forex Broker
Broker Actions to Avoid
Defining Basic Strategies
Finding Your Trading Strategy
Considerations to Remember
The Bottom Line
Key Learning and Take Away
Choosing a Forex Broker
There are many forex brokers to choose from, just as in any other market. Here are some things to look for:Lower spreads save you money!
Low Spreads. The spread, calculated in "pips," is the difference between the price at which a currency can be purchased and the price at which it can be sold at any given point in time. Forex brokers don't charge a commission, so this difference is how they make money. In comparing brokers, you will find that the difference in spreads in forex is as great as the difference in commissions in the stock arena.
Make sure your broker is backed by regulatory agencies and a reliable institution!
Quality Institution. Unlike equity brokers, forex brokers are usually tied to large banks or lending institutions because of the large amounts of capital required (leverage they need to provide). Also, forex brokers in the USA should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) and regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). You can find this and other financial information and statistics about a forex brokerage on its website, the website of its parent company, or through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's BrokerCheck website. For forex brokers in Canada, they are regulated by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and you may find other financial and statistic information on their website, or through the Canadian Securities Administrators National Registration Search webpage, or the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC). UK brokers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Get the tools you need to succeed!
Extensive Tools and Research. Forex brokers offer many different trading platforms for their clients—just like brokers in other markets. These trading platforms often feature real-time charts, technical analysis tools, real-time news and data and even support for trading systems. Before committing to any broker, be sure to request free trials to test different trading platforms. Brokers usually also provide technical and fundamental information, economic calendars and other research.
Leverage your bets!
Wide Range of Leverage Options. Leverage is necessary in forex because the price deviations (the sources of profit) are merely fractions of a cent. Leverage, expressed as a ratio between total capital available to actual capital, is the amount of money a broker will lend you for trading. For example, a ratio of 100:1 means your broker would lend you $100 for every $1 of actual capital. Many brokerages offer as much as 250:1. Remember, lower leverage means lower risk of a margin call, but also lower bang for your buck (and vice-versa).
If you have limited capital, make sure your broker offers high leverage through a margin account. If capital is not a problem, any broker with a wide variety of leverage options should do. A variety of options lets you vary the amount of risk you are willing to take. For example, less leverage (and therefore less risk) may be preferable for highly volatile (exotic) currency pairs.
Make sure your broker uses the proper leverage, tools, and services relative to your amount of capital.
Account Types. Many brokers offer two or more types of accounts. The smallest account is known as a mini account and requires you to trade with a minimum of, say, $250, offering a high amount of leverage (which you need in order to make money with this size of initial capital). The standard account lets you trade at a variety of different leverages, but it requires a minimum of $2,000. Finally, premium accounts, which often require significantly higher amounts of capital, let you use different amounts of leverage and often offer additional tools and services.
Broker Actions to Avoid
- Sniping or Hunting. Sniping and hunting—defined as prematurely buying or selling near preset points—are inappropriate acts committed by brokers to increase profits. Unfortunately, the only way to determine the brokers that do this and those that do not is to talk to fellow traders. There is no blacklist or organization that reports such activity.
- Strict Margin Rules. When you are trading with borrowed money, your broker has a say in how much risk you take. As such, your broker can buy or sell at their discretion, which can be a bad thing for you. Let's say you have a margin account, and your position takes a dive before rebounding to all-time highs. Even if you have enough cash to cover, some brokers will liquidate your position on a margin call at that low. This action on their part can cost you a significant amount of capital.
Defining Basic Strategies
Technical analysis and fundamental analysis are two of the oft-used strategies in the forex market. Technical analysis is by far the most common strategy used by individual forex traders, which we'll explain in further detail below.Fundamental Analysis
If you think it's difficult to value one company, try valuing a whole country! Fundamental analysis in the forex market is very complex, and is often used only to predict long-term trends. However, some traders do trade short term strictly on news releases. There are many fundamental indicators of currency values released at many different times such as:- Non-farm Payrolls. Nonfarm payrolls is the measure of the number of workers in the U.S. excluding farm workers and workers in a handful of other job classifications.
- Purchasing Managers Index (PMI). This is an index of the prevailing direction of economic trends in the manufacturing and service sectors. It consists of a diffusion index that summarizes whether market conditions, as viewed by purchasing managers, are expanding, staying the same, or contracting.
- Consumer Price Index (CPI). This is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food, and medical care. Changes in the CPI are used to assess price changes associated with the cost of living.
- Retail Sales. This is an economic indicator that tracks the month-to-month increase or decrease in consumer spending in most retail categories.
- Durable Good. Durables, also known as durable goods or consumer durables, are a category of consumer goods that do not wear out quickly, and therefore do not have to be purchased frequently.
Simply reading the reports and examining the commentary can help forex fundamental analysts gain a better understanding of long-term market trends and allow short-term traders to profit from extraordinary events. If you choose to follow a fundamental strategy, be sure to keep an economic calendar handy at all times so you know when these reports are released. Your broker may also provide real-time access to this type of information.
Technical Analysis
Technical analysts of the forex analyze price trends, similar to their counterparts in the equity markets. The only key difference between technical analysis in forex and technical analysis in equities is the timeframe, as forex markets are open 24 hours a day. As a result, some forms of technical analysis that factor in time must be modified to factor in the 24-hour forex market. These are some of the most common forms of technical analysis used in forex:- The Elliott Waves. This is a theory in technical analysis used to describe price movements in the financial market. It identifies recurrent long-term price wave patterns related to persistent changes in investor sentiment and psychology.
- Fibonacci Studies. Fibonacci numbers are used to create technical indicators using a mathematical sequence developed by the Italian mathematician, commonly referred to as "Fibonacci," in the 13th century. Common Fibonacci numbers in financial markets are 0.236, 0.382, 0.618, 1.618, 2.618, 4.236. These ratios or percentages can be found by dividing certain numbers in the sequence by other numbers. While not officially Fibonacci numbers, many traders also use 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0. The numbers reflect how far the price could go following another price move. For example, if a stock moves from $1 to $2, Fibonacci numbers can be applied to that. A drop to $1.76 is a 23.6% retracement of the $1 price move (rounded). Two common Fibonacci tools are retracements and extensions. Fibonacci retracements measure how far a pullback could go. Fibonacci extensions measure how far an impulse wave could go.
- Parabolic SAR. This is used by traders to determine trend direction and potential reversals in price. The indicator uses a trailing stop and reverse method called "SAR," or stop and reverse, to identify suitable exit and entry points. Traders also refer to the indicator as the parabolic stop and reverse, parabolic SAR, or PSAR.
- Pivot points. This determine the overall trend of the market over different time frames. The pivot point itself is simply the average of the intraday high and low, and the closing price from the previous trading day. On the subsequent day, trading above the pivot point is thought to indicate ongoing bullish sentiment, while trading below the pivot point indicates bearish sentiment.
Finding Your Trading Strategy
Most successful traders develop a strategy and perfect it over time. Some focus on one particular study or calculation, while others use broad spectrum analysis to determine their trades.
Most experts suggest trying a combination of both fundamental and technical analysis in order to make long-term projections and determine entry and exit points. That said, it is the individual trader who needs to decide what works best for him or her (most often through trial and error) in the end.
Forex Trading Considerations to Remember
Open a demo account and paper trade until you can make a consistent profit. Many people jump into the forex market and quickly lose a lot of money due to taking on too much leverage. It is important to take your time and learn to trade properly before committing capital.Trade without emotion. Don't keep "mental" stop-loss points if you don't have the ability to execute them on time. Always set your stop-loss and take-profit points to execute automatically, and don't change them unless absolutely necessary.
The trend can be your friend. If you go against the trend, make sure you have a good reason. That's because you have a higher chance of success in trading with the trend because the forex market tends to move in that direction than the other.
The Bottom Line
The forex market is the largest market in the world with a daily volume of $6.6 trillion. Individuals are becoming increasingly interested in plying their trade in FX. However, there are multiple considerations to take into account before you begin trading, such as being sure your broker meets certain criteria and understanding a trading strategy that works best for you. One way to learn to trade forex is to open up a demo account and try it out.Key Learning and Take Away
KEY TAKEAWAYS:- Before you settle on a forex broker, carry out your due diligence and make sure you are choosing the best option for yourself.
- Look for low spreads and fees from a provider in a well-regulated jurisdiction that offers a suite of tools and access to leverage, among other factors.
- Once you've chosen your broker, study up on basic forex strategies and how to properly analyze currency markets.
- You may want to start with a demo account to try your strategy out and backtest before risking real money in the market.
Risk Reminder: Trading foreign exchange and/or contracts for differences on margin carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss in excess of your deposited funds. Before deciding to trade the products discussed on this page, you should carefully consider your objectives, financial situation, needs and level of experience. You should be aware of all the risks associated with trading on margin. SaibaWorld provides general advice that does not consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. The content of this Website must not be construed as personal advice. If you have no or low appetite for high risk, SaibaWorld recommends you seek advice from a financial advisor. See site disclaimer.
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The above article is reproduced from an original on investopedia.
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