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A Short Introduction To FOREX.
FOREX is the world’s largest and most liquid trading market. Many consider FOREX as the best home business you can ever venture in. Even though regular people have had the opportunity to take part in trading foreign currencies for profit (in the same way banks and large corporations do) since 1998, it is just now becoming the cool, hip, new "thing" to talk about at parties, business events, and other social gatherings.
Even though it has been somewhat of a loosely guarded secret, every day more and more investors are turning to the all-electronic world of FOREX trading for income and profit because of its numerous benefits & advantages over traditional trading vehicles, like stocks, bonds and commodities.
But, still, whenever something seems new or is just becoming a part of social conversation, news articles, and water cooler gossip, misconceptions have to be overcome, the mind
has to be open and the slate has to be clear for starting out fresh with the CORRECT information.
So, in this article, it is my attempt to give you some solid, but not over-detailed, information on just what the heck "FX" (FOREX) means, what it is, and why it exists.
As a successful trader said, Trading FOREX is like picking money up off the floor. Not trading FOREX is like leaving it there for someone else to pick up." Others in the industry
have also said, Trading FOREX is like having an ATM machine on your own computer.
Here's an explanation (one I feel you'll appreciate) of what FOREX is and how a bunch of traders, profit from it:
The Foreign Exchange Market, also referred to the "FOREX" or "FX" market, is the spot (cash) market for currency.
But, don't mistake FX as trading the futures market, where you buy a contract to purchase a particular currency at a future price in time.
What FX traders do is much less risky than trading currencies on the futures market, much more profitable, and a lot easier, than trading stocks.
So, you're probably wondering where it's at ... or ... how to access the FX market?
The answer is: FX Trading is not bound to any one trading floor and is not centralized on an exchange, as with the stock and futures markets. The FX market is considered an Over-the-Counter (OTC) or 'Interbank' market, due to the fact that the entire market is run electronically, within a network of banks, continuously over a 24-hour period.
Yes, if that's the first time you've heard about an all-electronic market, I know this may sound somewhat intriguing to you.
Here's what you are actually trading when you participate in the Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market:
Essentially, like the large banks who use the FX market to protect themselves from the fluctuating exchange rate of different currencies, as an investor, what a FX trader is doing is
simultaneously exchanging one countries currency for another. So, in actuality, they're electronically trading a currency-pair and the price that is quoted to us is the exchange rate
between the two currencies.
In other words, simply the quoted price is how many of the one currency is worth 1 of the other currency.
Example:
EUR/USD last trade 1.2850 - One Euro is worth $1.2850 US dollars.The first currency (in this example, the EURO) is referred to as the base currency and the second (/USD) as the counter or quote currency.
The FOREX has a DAILY trading volume of around $1.5 trillion dollars - 30 times larger than the combined volume of all U.S. equity markets. This means that 1,498,574 skilled traders could each take 1 million dollars out of the FOREX market every day and the FOREX would still have more money left than the New York Stock exchange every day!
The FOREX plays a vital role in the world economy and there will always be a tremendous need for the FOREX. International trade increases as technology and communication increases. As long as there is international trade, there will be a FOREX market. The FX market has to exist so a country like Japan can sell products in the United States and be able to receive Japanese Yen in exchange for US Dollar.
There's plenty of money to be made using FOREX for plenty of traders that use the right trading techniques / tactics that will allow them to profit immensely. And, with only 5% of the daily turnover of volume coming from banks, government and large corporations who need to hedge,
the other 95% is for speculation and profit.
http://ovfbooks.forextech.hop.clickbank.net
About the Author
FOREX Trader and Freelance writer.
http://www.1-forex.com
Forex Trading News
FOREX-Euro falls on bank sector jitters, Aussie sags - Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:53:19 -0700
FOREX-Euro falls on bank sector jitters, Aussie sags FOREX-Euro falls on bank sector jitters, RBA eyed - Mon, 06 Sep 2010 21:35:00 -0700
FOREX-Euro falls on bank sector jitters, RBA eyed Forex Strategy Outlook: Breakout Strategies Favored on Indecisive Currency Price Action - Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:04:00 -0700
A drop in forex market volatility expectations suggests that currency moves may slow in the week ahead, limiting optimism on volatility-friendly Breakout and Momentum strategies. Yet a continued slide in the safe-haven US Dollar shows few signs of slowing amidst a major improvement in financial market risk sentiment. FOREX-Euro hits 3-week high, pares gains; sterling falls - Mon, 06 Sep 2010 08:21:40 -0700
FOREX-Euro hits 3-week high, pares gains; sterling falls Forex: USD/JPY trading flat between 84.25 and 84.50 - Sun, 05 Sep 2010 23:59:08 -0700
FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - The Dollar is going through choppy consolidation between 83.60 and 85.90 during last week, trading right above 15-year low. During Asian session, the pair remained trading practically flat, between 84.25 and 84.50, after having been rejected from 85.20 on Friday.
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RELATED ARTICLES
Calculating FOREX Profits and Losses
FOREX currencies are traded in much smaller divisions than cash. Whereas the smallest division in US cash is the penny ($0.01), US currency can be traded on the FOREX in divisions of $0.0001. This smallest division is called the pip (short for Price Interest Point - sometimes just called 'points'). Since currencies are traded in large lots of (say) $100,000 - small movements in value can generate substantial profits and losses. In a lot of US$100,000 one pip is worth $10 so an increase in 40 pips (4/10 of one cent) can generate a profit or loss of $400.
FOREX Brokers
Most FOREX traders use a broker to handle their transactions. What exactly is a broker? Strictly speaking, a broker is an individual or a company that buys and sells orders according the investor's decisions. Brokers earn money by charging a commission or a fee for their services.
FOREX Signals
One of the disadvantages of FOREX trading is the time investment needed to monitor the markets for advantageous entry and exit points. It's possible to sit in front of a computer monitor for hours watching the markets.
FOREX Trading Strategies
To be a successful FOREX trader you need a trading strategy. There is no one set strategy that is good for all traders; rather, each trader needs to develop his or her individual approach to the FOREX. Some traders rely solely on technical analysis while others prefer fundamental analysis, but many successful FOREX traders use a combination of both to get a broad overview of the market and for plotting entry and exit points.
FOREX Training
Knowledge is the key to successful FOREX trading. The knowledgeable trader has greater awareness of how the market moves and more chances of making profitable transactions. Without knowledge you are shooting in the dark. You may succeed on a few deals but the odds are that you are going to lose in the long run.
FOREX versus Stocks
Stocks have been a popular investment for hundreds of years. Companies issue stocks to raise capital for expansion and new projects, and each share of the stock represents a partial ownership in the company.
How to Read FOREX Quotes
Currency prices are determined by a number of factors, the most important of which are economic and political conditions in the issuing country. Political stability, inflation, and interest rates are all factored into the price of any currency. In addition, governments can try to control the price of their currency by either flooding the market (to lower the price) or buying extensively (to raise the price).
Introduction to Fundamental Analysis
FOREX traders almost always rely on analysis to make plan their trading strategies. There are two basic types of FOREX analysis - technical and fundamental. This article will look at fundamental analysis and how it used in FOREX trading.
Risks of FOREX Trading
Despite the claims you may see on some FOREX web sites, FOREX is not risk-free. You are trading with substantial sums of money and there is always a possibility that trades will go against you. There are several trading tools, however, that can minimize your risk, and with caution, and above all education, the FOREX trader can learn how to trade profitably and while minimizing losses.
Trading Currencies on Margin
The key to FOREX popularity is margin. Without margin, the FOREX would be beyond the reach of the average investor. So, what exactly is margin and how does it work?
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