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Tourists who travel from one country to another must exchange currencies in order to pay for a local product or service.
A wad of Euros would be totally useless to an Italian tourist wishing to visit the Sphinx in Egypt because it is not the locally accepted currency. The tourist would have to exchange his Euros for the local currency, Egyptian pounds, at the existing exchange rate that day. Even without knowing much about Forex trading, residents of one country exchange currencies with another country each time they purchase a foreign product.
For example, someone living in the U. Somewhere along the line, either the wine producer or the American importer had to have exchanged the equivalent value of U. This is all about Forex trading. Unlike the New York Stock Exchange or other stock markets, there is no central marketplace for foreign exchange. Rather, currency trading is conducted electronically over-the-counter OTC , which means that all transactions occur via computer networks between traders around the world, rather than on one centralized exchange.
The market is open 24 hours a day, five and a half days a week. Another thing about Forex trading: The need to exchange currencies is the primary reason why the Forex market is the largest, most liquid financial market in the world.
It outperforms other markets including the stock market, with an average traded value of around the U. Being aware of the magnitude of Forex trading should be enough of an introduction to Forex trading to motivate the eager investor to plunk down his money and start to trade. Traders can make a lot of money by trading on the Forex market. The more a trader knows about Forex trading, the more successful he will be.
In our next lesson at FX Academy, you will learn more about Forex trading and what exactly is traded on the Forex markets. Stay tuned.
So why trade Forex? There are many reasons to trade Forex and this lesson will discuss several of them, each of which might induce a novice trader to take the plunge into Forex trading. When you have finished the lesson, you will understand the opportunities available in the Forex markets. Ask three different people and you will get more than three different answers. Right off the bat, making money is the most frequently cited reason for why Forex. There are some people who trade in the Forex market because they see it as a form of gambling and betting on the winning number.
It really can be a lot of fun, especially if you win. And there are others who trade Forex just for the personal satisfaction of making a trading system work for them and coming out with the results they aimed for. We are always satisfied when we make the right choice and come home the winner. So Why Forex? Traders experience a lot of excitement when placing a trade of any kind. Included in these are the very convenient trading hours. This presents opportunities for investors to do their trading all through the nighttime hours.
Another major feature of Forex trading is its diversification. This is the major attraction of all types of trading Why Trade Forex? With the recent popularity of Forex trading, many investors wonder why Forex is the way to go.
Best Overall: · Best for Newbies: Udemy—Forex Trading from A-Z · Best Value: Traders Academy Club · Best Comprehensive. Program Name: Professional Forex Trader. Overview. At OTA we believe that when trading the Foreign Exchange markets (Forex), it is helpful to apply a.
Here are a few reasons which answer this question. Why Forex? One of the reasons why people trade Forex is diversification.
Just as every competent investor needs to diversify by asset classes and sectors, so too they need exposure to assets in multiple currencies and an understanding of Forex trends and what drives them. Certain currencies tend to move with certain commodity prices. Having commodities exposure is a means of hedging this currency risk and playing Forex trends, so both Forex brokers and traders typically also deal with commodities. Thus while they are different asset classes, in practice Forex tends to include commodity trading and investing.
Forex has higher risk-adjusted returns. Forex is among the most rewarding asset classes for traders and investors. Although Forex has a reputation of being for short-term, high-risk speculators, there are trading styles suitable for both short term and long term traders: More conservative active traders use longer-term holding periods and specific methods and instruments to reduce risk.
Long-term investors know how to: Ride stable, proven, long-term Forex trends for capital gains. Earn steady income from different kinds of currency trades or from investing in bonds, dividend stocks, and other income vehicles. For those willing and able to handle more risk, and understand why Forex has become so easily implemented, the availability of leverage, or borrowed funds to control large blocks of currencies allows greater gains and losses.
Using leverage creates unmatched profit potential for those with limited trading capital only if they learn how to control the downside risk. For example, with leverage, a 1 percent move means percent profit.
These orders are often used to enter breakout trades, which we will talk about later. How to generate income from investing and trading forex, futures, and stocks by not thinking about money Jun 12, In this article we point out why thinking solely about money can be counter productive when trading the forex, futures, and stock market. Documenting your trading is a roadmap to success Dec 22, In this article we discuss the importance of tracking your trading data: first, the mechanical data; and the second, internal data. The symbols used with currency pairs are always listed as three letters, where the first two letters identify the name of the country and the third letter identifies the name of that country's currency. The Supply and Demand strategy course changed my way of thinking toward trading and investing, especially as it translates into forex and futures as well. If you are new to forex, it may make sense to start with a free course to get an idea of how things work before committing to a more expensive option. How accurately they can time the markets with entries, stops and targets.
It also means a percent loss. If not for this ability, why trade Forex? If you know how to manage the risk of high leverage, you can grow your principal with leverage far faster than in other markets. And that is why Forex has taken center stage to all other investment vehicles. A Forex trader can profit just as easily in a falling market as in a rising one. During times when markets are in strong downtrends and the easiest profits and least risky trades come by betting that stocks or commodities will go down in price, regulators will impose restrictions that make betting on downtrends harder or impossible.
Stock markets will see uptick rules or outright bans on short selling. Commodity markets will raise margin requirements so that such trades are more expensive and less profitable. There are always ways to profit regardless of the trend. Once the reasons become clear, many are eager to jump on the bandwagon.
Why trade Forex? To make money, of course, would have to be one of the main reasons! In this lesson, we will show the difference between trading Forex and other exchange-based markets, and why trading Forex through a broker can be very profitable. Additional Reading about More Reasons to Trade Forex There is one more reason why Forex is so popular of late: it has low start-up requirements and relatively inexpensive account costs.
Trading starts with as little as a few hundred dollars, sometimes less. Forex brokers typically provide free full-featured trading platforms and data feeds, and the better brokers offer extensive archives of free training materials and market analysis. With online stock brokers, traders typically need to maintain significant minimum balances or minimum average monthly trading volumes to get similar service.
Brokers typically provide full-featured practice or demo accounts that allow smart beginners to simulate most of the trading experience and practice with play money until they feel ready to risk their capital. Most Forex brokers charge no fees, commissions, or hidden charges.
They earn their money on the difference, called the spread, between the buy and sell price, typically a few ten-thousandths, called pips, of the price. In general transaction costs are very competitive compared to those of online stock brokers. We are continuing to outline why people choose to trade Forex. Forex expertise makes you a better trader and investor.
Forex markets often reflect changes in sentiment before other markets, and so offer profitable clues of where other markets are going. Another reason why we trade Forex is flexible hours. If you have the requisite knowledge and experience, as well as the patience and discipline to learn from your mistakes, you could be a good fit for Forex trading.
However, if you don't have the time nor inclination to commit to a rigorous learning process, Forex trading can turn into a loss-making nightmare. You could spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars for a Forex trading class. So, the answer to this question really depends on what you expect to get out of a class and whether it delivers upon your expectation. If your ambition is to become a serious, full-time trader, you probably can't get there without going through a high-quality, comprehensive Forex trading class.