Forex Day Trading - Is it Right For You?
Trading in general requires immense discipline and this is particularly the case when trading over short time frames. Prices can move very fast during the day and it's very easy to make impulse trades based on nothing other than gut feeling. This is generally not a good idea and will usually only lead to disaster in the long run.
Day trading is no different to longer term trading. You have to have a solid and profitable system in place before you even think about entering a position. This means doing an awful lot of paper trading and back-testing until you find a system that could potentially make you money.
Day trading is extremely difficult because if you watch the charts of the major pairs every single day you will soon start to see that a lot of the price moves are simply noise. By that I mean random price moves that are an inevitable part of every trading session. You do get strong trends at times but a lot of the time the price just drifts up and down aimlessly.
This is why longer term trading is generally a lot easier because by using 1 hour charts and upwards, you are eliminating a lot of this noise. Therefore it's much easier to make consistent profits because the technical indicators that you use will generally be far more reliable.
Of course it is possible to make consistent profits from short term trading but it requires a high degree of skill and expertise. You generally need to have quite a high success rate because it's hard to let winning trades run on short time frames, and you need to learn how to accept losses because on these smaller time frames they are inevitable. You also need to keep these losses small and under control.
If you can do all this and are extremely disciplined then it is possible to become a highly successful forex day trader. It's certainly not for everyone though and my general advice would be to focus on longer term trading because it's so much easier than day trading.
Small Investors Turn to Forex
A June 2nd story by the global news agency Reuters tells the story of investor Cenk Utkan who lost half his investment in emerging market hedge funds. The 33-year-old managing director of London-based Connexion Capital introduces institutional investors to hedge funds. After losing much of his investments Mr. Utkan turned to global currency markets citing their liquidity. Mr. Utkan stated, "In Russia, stocks got suspended. So I thought instead of locking my money up in a hedge fund, why don't I go to the most liquid end of the market, which is the currency market?"
Investments Hammered By Recession
Mr. Utkan now traces currencies daily for his personal account. Mr. Utkan is not alone. Many small investors are dumping stocks, real estate, and other investments that have been hammered by the worst recession since World War Two. For these new forex investors liquidity is king. The currency exchange market is the world's largest with over $3.2 trillion dollars traded daily. Currency exchange rates are always changing and forex markets are not subject to the same sort of regulations that govern stock and equity markets. Betsy Waters of Germany's Deutsche Bank stated, "Retail investors around the world, particularly in countries where you have more controls over the equity markets, are definitely turning to FX."
Number of Forex Traders Increases
At dbFX.com, the retail currency trading platform of Germany's Deutsche Bank, volume has increased 37% in the first quarter compared with a year earlier. Other retail forex companies report a 30% monthly increase in new accounts for the last six months. Betting on currency pairs is not for the faint of heart but by using the leverage available to retail forex investors the rewards can be astounding compared to what equity markets offer. Potential investors are cautioned that leverage can be a double edged sword.
Forex Rewards Great
Although forex markets can be volatile with currency exchange rates changing several times a day those willing to educate themselves about this dynamic market and exercise discipline can reap fantastic rewards. There are many free real time currency converters available online including the popular XE currency converter and the Yahoo currency converter. Both are popular among forex day traders.
Foreign Exchange Currency Converter
OANDA
The currency converter offered by OANDA makes use of data take from the top market data contributors. OANDA's converter is being utilized by a number of institutions and individuals including auditing firms, tax authorities and even a number of major corporations. Making use of this converter is also simple enough for a grade-schooler to understand. In the drop-down box labeled "currency I have" key in your starting currency while in the drop-down box labeled "currency I want" key in the currency you have to end up with. You'll be able to find rate details including the selling and buying prices and recent trends after your search.
XE
The XE universal currency converter boats of a simple yet direct-to-the point manner of converting currencies. You start with the amount that you have of the currency that you're starting with. Specify your starting currency with the first drop-down box and the currency that you want to end up with on the second drop-down box. For ease, the top ten currencies are listed first with the remaining top 85 following. Special units and precious metals are also found at the very bottom of the list.
Oz Forex
The Oz Forex converter allows for the conversion of more than 150 currencies unlike the other converters mentioned. The mechanism of using the converter is straightforward and easy to understand. The rates given are not selling or buying prices but mid-market rates which midpoint of the buy and sell rates of the same currency.
Now that you have all that information you will want to get the best and most up to date information on Oanda Forex Currency. That is how you stay ahead of everyone else and learn what the new opportunities are and will soon be. Find the best resources you can and go back to them over and over again to use to your advantage. There is inherent risk in trading Forex and you will want to do your best to reduce these risks and maximize your success rate.
XE Currency Rates
The name XE is actually a shortened form of the original name of the company, Xenon Laboratories. Founded in 1993, this company has remained focused its mission, that of currency conversion. It is for this reason that their website remains largely clutter-free, with a notable lack of advertisements and gimmicks. The converter is simple to use, and XE currency rates give reliable conversion for more than 180 world-wide currencies. Obsolete currencies are marked with an asterisk. For more currency information, the full XE Universal Currency Converter can access any currency in the world. An additional feature is that the converter has access to historical data as well. For Forex traders, this is an opportunity to see past trends and performance of various world currency, which can be important for making the buy or sell decisions. One of the best features is that access to the XE currency rates is free.
The XE currency rates appear on their website with the top 10 currencies listed first, followed by the top 85 currencies listed next. Precious metals and special currencies are listed at the end. Currency rates change several times a day, and XE gives up-to-the minute exchange rates as easily as typing in the values of the currency to be converted. Additional tools such as a travel expense calculator and currency charts makes the XE Currency Converter a complete resource for traders, businesses, and travelers alike.
Forex traders are professionals in the currency conversion market, but currency exchange is an important part of travel and international business as well. The XE Currency Converter is one of the most popular and most reliable online converters available today, and anyone who deals in currency conversion can be sure that the XE currency rates are accurate and up-to-date with every conversion that is made. The XE Currency Converter is easy to use, and best of all, it is free.
How to Convert Currency Rates
There are different ways on how you could convert the current currency rates without using a pen and a paper. Moreover, you also do not have to look for the nearest money changer just so you can see how much a Rupee costs in U.S. dollars.
If you can have an access to the World Wide Web, you can find a wide array of websites that would allow you to easily convert any currency to another. However, you have to make sure that the currency-converting website is always updated with the changes in the stock market. This is to guarantee that you will only get the most reliable values including the dollar exchange rates.
You might also want to consider currency rates conversion feature in your mobile phone as well. If you would allow this feature to update automatically, then you can make certain that you would be able to convert the dollar exchange rates easily. But you also have to remember that this currency converter feature may sometimes be unreliable. Some mobile phones do not update the information especially if there are glitches in its connection online and other tech issues as well.
But if you really want to make sure about the current exchange rates, do not hesitate to call the local bank or ask the receptionist at the hotel instead. Banks would definitely give you the specific details and even if there are changes from time to time. On the other hand, the currency rates in hotels are often lower than the real rates since they have to gain profit from their customers as well.
Currency Forex Trading Tips - Forex Trading and Related Tools
As is evident from the amount of investments which are at stake in the foreign exchange markets, the online investment solutions which are used must be highly proficient, secure and reliable. The people who've been in this business for long (the so-called 'gurus') insist that there is no substitute for a thorough understanding of business management, shrewd strategic steps and effective time usage. But, there are neophytes who would want to enter the forex markets without any prior experience. For them, the entire procedure and jargon is difficult to understand. This is when the forex tools come handy. They in effect, try to make the transactions and dealings as simple as possible. The tools can be divided into 'human' and 'technical' ones.
IBT - The human connection
The world markets owe their speedy development to the instant and unrestricted sharing of information. The IBT is basically an online portal which provides the same opportunity. It lets the various players interact which thus helps in the precise extraction and delivery of the information.
Investors in, say, Europe, have complete and detailed information regarding the Asian markets, and that too by just pressing the mouse button. The process which was considered cumbersome earlier has been made a lot easy by the launch of a tool like this.
The currencies all over the world are highly sensitive and keep on fluctuating. This hence affects the global scenario- markets, banks, political upheavals and what not! The IBT comes as a saviour in such circumstances as it provides a great assistance in the technical field fundamentally. Knowledge of the economies, like America and India in times of recession would determine if a trader would want to invest in a particular currency. Such information is constantly updated to keep the clients abreast of the information. The future of the foreign exchange markets can be speculated to a great extent based on this, but political and economic turmoil in certain regions of the world, like the Middle East are affecting the updates from that region. Such drawbacks are suggestive that though the 'human resource' can be a great informative tool, it cannot always be relied upon.
The Technical Advantage
Thus, to facilitate better and quicker availability of information, certain software procedures have been adopted. Suppose, we want to convert one currency to another, a standard 'Currency Converter' Software would allow us to select the currencies involved from the menu list available and perform a conversion at the mere click of a button. This would take just a few seconds for the result to be accurately displayed.
Apart from the current online rates, it is also possible to view the past exchange rates. This information could be needed anytime and is stored in a database from where it can be retrieved. The data can be mined easily with the help of tools; this leads to a lot of precious time resource to be saved. To be technologically sound and up-to-date would act as an advantage for all those who wish to succeed in the foreign exchange markets.
Forex Trading
Forex trading is one of the most financially lucrative investment activities in the world. It also is one of the most risky markets to be in with many traders having lost a lot of money in this volatile market.
The Forex currency market was initially established as a means to allow for the free flow conversion of currencies to facilitate international trade. Although that is the fundamental reason for it's existence, most Forex trading that goes on is speculative in nature. That means the most trading is done to profit off the fluctuations in the Forex market and not for end purpose of using that money to buy goods and services in that currency. It is estimated that as much as 70% of trading in the Forex currency market is speculative in nature.
Speculative Forex trading has become one of the highest yielding divisions in most major investment banks, hedge funds and other asset management companies. When Goldman Sachs, one of the largest and wealthiest investment banks in the world announced their first, higher than expected positive earnings after the 2008 financial crisis, they accredited the currency trading division as having brought them back in the black.
Forex Trading Liquidity
One of the benefits of Forex trading is that it's the most liquid financial market in the world with an estimated $3.21 trillion being traded daily. Liquidity is a real and significant issue in trading. Liquidity is basically the concept of how readily and quickly can you convert something to cash. In other words, how easy it is to buy and sell something.
A reality in the financial markets that can be easily overlooked because you're often not in a physical marketplace is that sellers need ready buyers and buyers need willing sellers. This doesn't always happen in some markets or certain sectors.
For example, a blue chip company like General Electric will always have willing buyers and willing sellers to meet on a price. But a small company, say a penny stock, may have willing sellers but no willing buyers at a price point where they can agree to trade. This penny stock we would say have very little liquidity because it is hard to convert it into cash. GE is relatively liquid compared to the penny stocks because you could fairly easily convert it to cash.
Similarly, the Forex currency market is the most liquid in the world because of it's high trading volume. If you have $100,000 USD, you can be virtually 100% sure that you will find a buyer at a given exchange rate in a currency pair.
Risks and Rewards
Forex trading has become a very popular form of playing the markets. Again, roughly 70% of traders in the market are speculators, there just to make a profit. These would include the currency traders that we've already talked about before who are money managers at investment banks and hedge funds.
There are also individual day traders who have entered the Forex market for very distinct reasons. The Forex market has some of the best leveraging opportunities out there. Partly due to the very little regulation there is in the Forex currency market, day traders can take advantage of trading on margin with very high leverages.
The concept of margin trading or leveraging is basically using other people's money to trade. In this case, it is borrowing the Forex brokerage's money to trade, and leveraging can be 100:1 and as high as 200:1. That means if I put $1 into a Forex brokerage account, they will allow me to trade $200 of their money.
The margin trading that Forex currency trading offers is one of the most attractive features of being in this financial market. It also makes it the most risky. This kind of leverage can cause a trader to wipe out his entire trading account with just minor fluctuations.
Forex Converter
Simply put, a Forex Converter is a program that gives the value of one currency against another in real time. There are literally thousands of converters online all with the same function. Most of these converters are easy to use and list all the world's currencies. Years ago exchange rates were only available from major banks but since the introduction of the internet exchange rates are instantly available. Many years ago rates were posted once a day even though there may have been many changes in exchange rates throughout the day.
Today banks, Forex brokers, and individual small investors have access to current exchange rates in real time. Generally Forex converters have two sections, one for the base currency and the other for the currency being exchanged. There is usually a box where a currency amount is entered and then the currencies being exchanged from and to are selected usually from drop down menus listing all the major currencies. Many Forex converters offer both the interbank rate and the cash rate. There are literally millions of Forex converters available on the internet.
Currency converters have been essential to travelers for years. Many ATM machines are now equipped with currency converters although there is usually a fee and the exchange rates are usually not the best and using a credit card will rack up interest charges in addition to the unfavorable exchange rate.
Forex converters are an essential tool for any Forex investor. Essentially currency converters, currency conversion or currency exchanges all operate on the principle of valuing one countries currency against another. These currency rates are always moving and changing in relationship to one another. It is essential to the Forex trader that exchange rates be given in real time with up to the minute rates. Using a Forex converter can help the investor determine changes or trends in Forex markets. Forex traders are in the market to make money and a good Forex converter is an essential tool for success.
Simply put, a Forex Converter is a program that gives the value of one currency against another in real time. There are literally thousands of converters online all with the same function. Most of these converters are easy to use and list all the world's currencies. Years ago exchange rates were only available from major banks but since the introduction of the internet exchange rates are instantly available. Many years ago rates were posted once a day even though there may have been many changes in exchange rates throughout the day.
Today banks, Forex brokers, and individual small investors have access to current exchange rates in real time. Generally Forex converters have two sections, one for the base currency and the other for the currency being exchanged. There is usually a box where a currency amount is entered and then the currencies being exchanged from and to are selected usually from drop down menus listing all the major currencies. Many converters offer both the interbank rate and the cash rate. There are literally millions of Forex converters available on the internet.
Currency converters have been essential to travelers for years. Many ATM machines are now equipped with currency converters although there is usually a fee and the exchange rates are usually not the best and using a credit card will rack up interest charges in addition to the unfavorable exchange rate.
Forex converters are an essential tool for any Forex investor or trader. Essentially currency converters, currency conversion or currency exchanges all operate on the principle of valuing one countries currency against another. These currency rates are always moving and changing in relationship to one another. It is essential to the Forex trader that exchange rates be given in real time with up to the minute rates. Using a Forex converter can help the investor determine changes or trends in Forex markets. Forex traders are in the market to make money and a good Forex converter is an essential tool for success.
Safe Currency Trading Strategies
Looking toward the stock market to make an income? To become involved in the biggest of these markets, you will need to learn how to trade in the Forex market. Forex is the biggest market because the trading that takes place in this market is equal to more than 3 times the total amount of the stocks and futures markets combined.
Forex trading takes place twenty four hours a day and is the most liquid of the stock markets. This is a global market involving every country in the world. Trading twenty four hours a day means that there is more risk since there is no way to monitor your investments constantly. As you learn more, you will come to know what a limit is and how to use it to minimize your losses.
Since this is a currency market, you are buying and selling different currencies when making trades. Currencies are always traded in pairs. Trading currencies means that you could be trading:
The US dollar and the euro (USD/EUR)
To make a successful trade, you must understand the value of foreign currencies. You will need to know the exchange rate between the currencies that you are considering trading. This means that you will need access to a currency converter with up-to-the-minute information. Oanda.com offers a free currency converter and lots of useful information.
Currency conversion uses a ratio known as the cross rate to express the ratio between the currencies. This ratio is a listing of the currency pairs normally in an xxx/yyy manner. In this expression, the xxx is referred to as the 'base' currency (or home currency).
As you get used to looking at these ratios and base values, the changes will become more obvious to you making it easier for you to make a profitable decision.
Another term that you need to understand is the Spread.
The spread is the difference between the bid price and the ask price. If a firm advertises their Forex trades to be - commission free, no service charge, no hidden cost, keep in mind that the spread is the "hidden cost" or the fee for the services. It is also the main source of revenue for the trading
firms. The cost of the spread may not seem to be much at all, but once you start adding up the costs for each the trades, you will see that this expense can climb quickly.
Always looking for the tightest spread possible can have it's drawbacks as well, you should be skeptical of anything that is far lower than typical. As with everything in life, "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is". Now that you know the spread is the main source of revenue for the trading firm, it should seem reasonable to you that if the firm isn't earning their money from the spread, there are likely to be some other hidden costs involved in the transaction.
Stop Limits
A Stop Limit is a request to sell a position when the price falls to a specified level. If you place an order and are unable to monitor the market frequently to keep on top of it, you should use a Stop Limit order to minimize any losses.
How Much Is A Dollar On The Forex These Days?
The foreign exchange market is about trading of currencies between willing buyers and sellers. As such, it works to the benefit of all concerned to establish a common platform of understanding regarding value of said currencies. What one may consider of high value may not be so by another. So as not to cause ruffling of financial feathers, the currency converter is a tool whereby all refers to as though the thermostat at the front of the house. Parties go about their way in trading the currency pairs whilst keeping a close eye on where the needle indicates the Forex rate to be at any point in time.
In the event of one or two claiming to set the benchmark for this information, it is best to check the data source of the tool. As long as it retrieves its information from reliable ends, the trader should not harbor any concern in carrying out his trading activities. Whilst some of these tools can be downloaded off the internet free of charge, others can also be accessed via the web browser, necessitating no download and installation into the local computer. What with mobility being a focus of the modern trader, small applications compliant to the platform of the mobile device are readily available. Alternatively, the trader may opt for live Forex rates to be pushed to his device as and when available. Too much of a good thing may however not be suitable for the lesser apt trader as overabundance of information may reduce one to a quivering knot of tingling nerves.
Whilst currency pairs are available in a varying assortment, some are bound to be more popular than others. Market forces usually drive public perception with regards to the strength of certain currencies. Developed nations obviously garner more command and confidence as compared to their lesser peers. As such, currency converters generally focus on pairings of strong currencies whilst their exotic counterparts are either for show or traders seeking a ride on the wild side. As the former tends to exhibit a more stable disposition, less fluctuation can also translate into slower gains. Experts however tend to favor the slow and steady rise in building the capital as quick gains, more often than not, come with risks too hot to handle. Short of one having a death wish on the Forex trading circuit, it is best to stick to rates bidding and asking with reasonable margins.
Use a Forex Convertor Correctly To Make Money Fast
The secret to earning money by trading in Forex is to have the correct information at your fingertips so that you can make your decisions very fast. The Forex market is an extremely fast paced one and the daily trade exceeds a trillion dollars. You therefore need to be able to grab every available buying and selling opportunity at the correct time. What makes this a difficult task is that you will be trading across various currencies and different time zones. A Forex convertor is a tool that helps you make sense out of all the variables in the Forex trading business.
A Forex currency converter is an invaluable tool for any person trading in the foreign exchange market. This is a software program that automatically converts various currencies to the equivalent in a currency that you understand. An online convertor gives you accurate and up to date information so that you make the right decisions. A good Forex currency convertor will offer more features than merely comparing two currencies. The best ones offer a cross rate calculator, currency converter with history and mobile currency converters.
Another useful Forex convertor is a Forex time zone convertor. This is an essential tool since various currency markets operate as per their countries working hours. This means that you can trade at any time of the day 24 hours a day, if you have the right information and if you have the opportunity. A market time convertor tells you when particular markets are open, and also indicates the period when the markets in London, New York and Tokyo are open because this is when trade is at the highest level and so when it provides the maximum opportunities. Use both these convertors to make the most of your time spent doing Forex trading.
Forex Currency Trading Tips - FAP Turbo's Relatively Low Draw Down Rate
If you wish to become part of the forex industry, you need to be on your toes. First thing that you need is information about it. All the latest information should be in your pocket at all possible times. If you lag behind you may be the next loser. Did you know that 95 % people who join the industry lose their money in the very beginning of their journey? The main reason is that they think forex industry can make rich overnight. It can be true in the sense that people do make a lot of profit. But then it should not be forgotten that these profits come in a respectable period of time and depends mainly on the knowledge of the trader. So it is extremely important to have an access to some privileged knowledge which can be converted into profit.
If you have no idea about the market and think that just by following a plan of some other senior trader will serve the purpose, you are fooling yourself. Do not move blindly. Study the trade charts as carefully as possible because these depict the possible movements of the trades. Formulate a correct plan and strategy yourself. Follow it carefully. If it requires any amendment you should readily do so. Record your experience both good and bad. You will learn maximum from your experience.
Networking Reach out to the Forex community. Do not keep yourself aloof of other people of the forex industry. Here networking is very important because you come to know about the other people, their experience, techniques and strategies. So reach out the forex community to keep yourself equipped with the latest information. There are online training facilities available. I recommend it for every new comer. No doubt how good you are you need the right kind of tools to do the things right. These online trainings enhance your skills and make your more prepared for the industry.
Make it your point to learn as much as possible. The more you learn less are the chances of losing games. Monitoring the market and learning yourself is very important. This is important because you need to have full control over your trade. It helps to analyse your mistakes that make you lose. It is not desirable to trade on all currency pairs daily. From your experience you have to learn when to trade and which currency pair to trade? Even the best trader trade 2 to 3 currency pairs. It is not the game of bulk but of correct opportunity and precise decision.
Some people start using trading robots right in the beginning of their trade journey. This deprives them of the knowledge of this industry because the knowledge is very essential in the long run. So trade yourself in the beginning and later on you can use a robot too. FAP Turbo has the ability to trade with multiple currency pairs. The winning rate and accuracy of this trading software is remarkable. The draw down rate of FAP Turbo is 0.35 % while in case of other trading robots it is between 10 to 20 %.
Using A Money Converter To Get Today's Exchange Rates
A money converter can help if you are planning a trip abroad, are an exporter or importer, or a trader in forex markets. These are situations when you require the latest and the most accurate exchange rates of the currencies you are involved with. This is crucial because any wrong or inaccurate information can cause you to lose money. The mechanism that most people rely upon is a money converter. Not all are as reliable and accurate as they should be, this is why exporters make use of various sources to know the exact exchange rates when they need to send money abroad.
Just imagine the predicament of a forex trader if he proceeds with a trade based upon the information obtained from an inaccurate money converter. The very foundation of making money from foreign exchange lies in knowing the latest and most accurate values of currencies. If this information is not correct, all efforts to make money from forex will invariably fail. In fact, it has been observed many times, the reason for failure of many investors is because they make use of inaccurate currency converter.
Information is the most potent weapon in forex and your success or failure is dependent upon you having about the latest rates of various currencies. This is why nearly all forex traders, to remain abreast with current exchange rates, make use of a reliable online currency converter with real time data or prices obtained directly from Interbank rates. There are some who use more than one device or converter to arrive at rates conclusively before entering into a trade.
It is a fact that currency rates are volatile and the value of a currency in terms of others keeps on fluctuating all the time. When the money involved in a transaction is huge even a minor fault in rates can cost dearly to any investor. If you are an investor ordering your broker to purchase a particular currency anticipating profits, always make sure that the money converter you use updates the information in real time several times a day or else you will not make the profit you thought. Rather, you could lose money on your transaction. Thus the device, known as a money calculator is the most important weapon in the armory of an investor or an exporter.
Most money calculators contain information for about 80-85 currencies of the world and the user just needs to enter an amount in the currency he has chosen. It then asks the user to choose the currency in which he wants conversion and it displays the result in the form of a table. There are many software programs for this purpose freely available on the net. If you download one of these, make sure you are connected to a real time data feed if you want the latest exchange rates.