Forex

Would You Like Fries with Your Pips?

2010-07-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

Would You Like Fries with Your Pips?

The term "order" refers to how you will enter or exit a trade. Here we discuss the different types of orders that can be placed into the foreign exchange market. Be sure that you know which types of orders your broker accepts. Different brokers accept different types of orders.
Order Types

Basic Order Types

There are some basic order types that all brokers provide and some others that sound weird. The basic ones are:

Market order
A market order is an order to buy or sell at the current market price. For example, EUR/USD is currently trading at 1.2140. If you wanted to buy at this exact price, you would click buy and your trading platform would instantly execute a buy order at that exact price. If you ever shop on Amazon.com, it's (kinda) like using their 1-Click ordering. You like the current price, you click once and it's yours! The only difference is you are buying or selling one currency against another currency instead of buying Britney Spears CDs.
Limit order
A limit order is an order placed to buy or sell at a certain price. The order essentially contains two variables, price and duration. For example, EUR/USD is currently trading at 1.2050. You want to go long if the price reaches 1.2070. You can either sit in front of your monitor and wait for it to hit 1.2070 (at which point you would click a buy market order), or you can set a buy limit order at 1.2070 (then you could walk away from your computer to attend your ballroom dancing class). If the price goes up to 1.2070, your trading platform will automatically execute a buy order at that exact price. You specify the price at which you wish to buy/sell a certain currency pair and also specify how long you want the order to remain active (GTC or GFD).
Stop-loss order
A stop-loss order is a limit order linked to an open trade for the purpose of preventing additional losses if price goes against you. A stop-loss order remains in effect until the position is liquidated or you cancel the stop-loss order. For example, you went long (buy) EUR/USD at 1.2230. To limit your maximum loss, you set a stop-loss order at 1.2200. This means if you were dead wrong and EUR/USD drops to 1.2200 instead of moving up, your trading platform would automatically execute a sell order at 1.2200 and close out your position for a 30 pip loss (eww!). Stop-losses are extremely useful if you don't want to sit in front of your monitor all day worried that you will lose all your money. You can simply set a stop-loss order on any open positions so you won't miss your basket weaving class.

Weird Sounding Order Types

GTC (Good ‘til canceled)
A GTC order remains active in the market until you decide to cancel it. Your broker will not cancel the order at any time. Therefore it's your responsibility to remember that you have the order scheduled. GFD (Good for the day)
A GFD order remains active in the market until the end of the trading day. Because foreign exchange is a 24-hour market, this usually means 5pm EST since that that's U.S. markets close, but I’d recommend you double check with your broker. OCO (Order cancels other)
An OCO order is a mixture of two limit and/or stop-loss orders. Two orders with price and duration variables are placed above and below the current price. When one of the orders is executed the other order is canceled. Example: The price of EUR/USD is 1.2040. You want to either buy at 1.2095 over the resistance level in anticipation of a breakout or initiate a selling position if the price falls below 1.1985. The understanding is that if 1.2095 is reached, you will buy order will be triggered and the 1.1985 sell order will be automatically canceled. Always check with your broker for specific order information and to see if any rollover fees will be applied if a position is held longer than one day. Keeping your ordering rules simple is the best strategy.
Summary

The basic order types (market, stop loss, and limit) are usually all that most traders ever need. Unless you are a veteran trader (yeah right), don’t get fancy and design a system of trading requiring a large number of orders sandwiched in the market at all times – stick with the basic stuff first.
Make sure you fully understand and are comfortable with your broker’s order entry system before executing a trade.
DO NOT make a trade with real money until you have an extremely high comfort level with the trading platform and order entry system.

Know Your P’s and L’s

2010-07-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Here is where we’re going to do a little math. You've probably heard of the terms "pips" and "lots" thrown around, and here we're going to explain what they are and show you how they are calculated.
Take your time with this information, as it is required knowledge for all Forex traders. Don’t even think about trading until you are comfortable with pip values and calculating profit and loss.
What the heck is a Pip?

The most common increment of currencies is the Pip. If the EUR/USD moves from 1.2250 to 1.2251, that is ONE PIP. A pip is the last decimal place of a quotation, given that four decimal places are used (as some quotations display five or more decimal places, indicating a fraction of a pip). The Pip is how you measure your profit or loss.
As each currency has its own value, it is necessary to calculate the value of a pip for that particular currency. In currencies where the US Dollar is quoted first, the calculation would be as follows.
Let’s take USD/JPY rate at 119.80 (notice this currency pair only goes to two decimal places, most of the other currencies have four decimal places)
In the case of USD/JPY, 1 pip would be .01
Therefore,

USD/JPY:
119.80
.01 divided by exchange rate = pip value
.01 / 119.80 = 0.0000834
This looks like a very long number but later we will discuss lot size.
USD/CHF:
1.5250
.0001 divided by exchange rate = pip value
.0001 / 1.5250 = 0.0000655
USD/CAD:
1.4890
.0001 divided by exchange rate = pip value
.0001 / 1.4890 = 0.00006715

In the case where the US Dollar is not quoted first and we want to get the US Dollar value, we have to add one more step.

EUR/USD:
1.2200
.0001 divided by exchange rate = pip value
so
.0001 / 1.2200 = EUR 0.00008196
but we need to get back to US dollars so we add another calculation which is
EUR x Exchange rate
So
0.00008196 x 1.2200 = 0.00009999
When rounded up it would be 0.0001

GBP/USD:
1.7975

.0001 divided by exchange rate = pip value
So
.0001 / 1.7975 = GBP 0.0000556

But we need to get back to US dollars so we add another calculation which is
GBP x Exchange rate
So
0.0000556 x 1.7975 = 0.0000998
When rounded up it would be 0.0001

You’re probably rolling your eyes back and thinking do I really need to work all this out and the answer is NO. Nearly all forex brokers will work all this out for you automatically. It’s always good for you to know how they work it out.
In the next section, we will discuss how these seemingly insignificant amounts can add up.

What the heck is a Lot?

Spot Forex is traded in lots. The standard size for a lot is 100,000 units. There is also a mini lot size and that is 10,000 units. As you already know, currencies are measured in pips, which is the smallest increment of that currency. To take advantage of these tiny increments, you need to trade large amounts of a particular currency in order to see any significant profit or loss.
Let’s assume we will be using a 100,000 unit (standard) lot size. We will now recalculate some examples to see how it affects the pip value.

USD/JPY at an exchange rate of 119.80
(.01 / 119.80) x 100,000 = $8.34 per pip
USD/CHF at an exchange rate of 1.4555
(.0001 / 1.4555) x 100,000 = $6.87 per pip

In cases where the US Dollar is not quoted first, the formula is slightly different.

EUR/USD at an exchange rate of 1.1930
(.0001 / 1.1930) X 100,000 = 8.38 x 1.1930 = $9.99734 rounded up will be $10 per pip
GBP/USD at an exchange rate or 1.8040
(.0001 / 1.8040) x 100,000 = 5.54 x 1.8040 = 9.99416 rounded up will be $10 per pip.

Your broker may have a different convention for calculating pip value relative to lot size but whichever way they do it, they'll be able to tell you what the pip value is for the currency you are trading is at the particular time. As the market moves, so will the pip value depending on what currency you are currently trading.
How the heck do I calculate profit and loss?

So now that you know how to calculate pip value, let’s look at how you calculate your profit or loss.

Let’s buy US dollars and Sell Swiss Francs.
The rate you are quoted is 1.4525 / 1.4530. Because you are buying US you will be working on the 1.4530, the rate at which traders are prepared to sell.
So you buy 1 standard lot (100,000 units) at 1.4530.
A few hours later, the price moves to 1.4550 and you decide to close your trade.
The new quote for USD/CHF is 1.4550 / 14555. Since you're closing your trade and you initially bought to enter the trade, you now sell in order to close the trade so you must take the 1.4550 price. The price traders are prepared to buy at.
The difference between 1.4530 and 1.4550 is .0020 or 20 pips.
Using our formula from before, we now have (.0001/1.4550) x 100,000 = $6.87 per pip x 20 pips = $137.40

Remember, when you enter or exit a trade, you are subject to the spread in the bid/offer quote.
When you buy a currency you will use the offer price and when you sell you will use the bid price.
So when you buy a currency, you pay the spread as you enter the trade but not as you exit. And when you sell a currency you don't pay the spread when you enter but only when you exit.
What the heck is Leverage?

You are probably wondering how a small investor like yourself can trade such large amounts of money. Think of your broker as a bank who basically fronts you $100,000 to buy currencies and all he asks from you is that you give him $1,000 as a good faith deposit, which he will hold you for but not necessarily keep. Sounds too good to be true? Well this is how forex trading using leverage works.

The amount of leverage you use will depend on your broker and what you feel comfortable with.
Typically the broker will require a trade deposit, also known as account margin or initial margin. Once you have deposited your money you will then be able to trade. The broker will also specify how much they require per position (lot) traded.
For example, if the leverage is 100:1 (or 1% of position required), and you wanted to trade a position worth $100,000, you broker would set aside $1,000, or the "margin". So if you have $5,000 they may allow you to trade up to $500,000 of Forex.
The minimum security (margin) for each lot will vary from broker to broker. In the example above, the broker required a one percent margin. This means that for every $100,000 traded, the broker wants $1,000 as a deposit on the position.
What the heck is a Margin Call?

In the event that money in your account falls below margin requirements (usable margin), your broker will close some or all open positions. This prevents your account from falling into a negative balance, even in a highly volatile, fast moving market.

Example #1
Let’s say you open a regular Forex account with $2,000 (not a smart idea). You open 1 standard lot (100,000 units) of the EUR/USD, with a margin requirement of $1000. Usable Margin is the money available to open new positions or sustain trading losses. Since you started with $2,000, your usable margin is $2,000. But when you opened 1 lot, which requires a margin requirement of $1,000, your usable margin is now $1,000.
If your losses exceed your usable margin of $1,000 you will get a margin call.
Example #2
Let’s say you open a regular Forex account with $10,000. You open 1 standard lot of the EUR/USD, with a margin requirement is $1000. Remember, usable margin is the money you have available to open new positions or sustain trading losses. So prior to opening 1 lot, you have a usable margin of $10,000. After you open the trade, you now have $9,000 usable margin and $1,000 of used margin.
If your losses exceed your usable margin of $9,000, you will get a margin call.

Make sure you know the difference between usable margin and used margin.
If the equity (the value of your account) falls below your usable margin due to trading losses, you will either have to deposit more money or your broker will close your position to limit your risk and his risk. As a result, you can never lose more than you deposit.
If you are going to trade on a margin account, it’s vital that you know what your broker’s policies are on margin accounts.
You should also know that most brokers require a higher margin during the weekends. This may take the form of 1% margin during the week and if you intend to hold the position over the weekend it may rise to 2% or higher.
The topic of margin is a touchy subject and some argue that too much margin is dangerous. It all depends on the individual. The important thing to remember is that you thoroughly understand your broker’s policies regarding margin and that you understand and are comfortable with the risks involved.
Some brokers describe their leveraging in terms of a leverage ratio and other in terms of a margin percentage. The simple relationship between the two terms is:
Leverage = 100 / Margin Percent
Margin Percent = 100 / Leverage
Leverage is conventionally displayed as a ratio, such 100:1 or 200:1.

Tradeview Forex

2010-07-07T03:49:00.000-07:00

Tradeview Forex software that can trade 1000's of FX accounts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Z01_5dMJk&feature=pyv&ad=5570473234&kw=trading&gclid=CL6hpqme2aICFR0B4wodyA63ww

How You Make Money Trading Forex

2010-07-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

In the FX market, you buy or sell currencies. Placing a trade in the foreign exchange market is simple: the mechanics of a trade are very similar to those found in other markets (like the stock market), so if you have any experience in trading, you should be able to pick it up pretty quickly.
The object of Forex trading is to exchange one currency for another in the expectation that the price will change, so that the currency you bought will increase in value compared to the one you sold.
Example of making money by buying euros

Trader's Action EURUSDYou purchase 10,000 euros at the EUR/USD exchange rate of 1.18+10,000-11,800*Two weeks later, you exchange your 10,000 euros back into US dollars at the exchange rate of 1.2500.-10,000+12,500**You earn a profit of $700. 0+700
*EUR 10,000 x 1.18 = US $11,800
** EUR 10,000 x 1.25 = US $12,500

An exchange rate is simply the ratio of one currency valued against another currency. For example, the USD/CHF exchange rate indicates how many U.S. dollars can purchase one Swiss franc, or how many Swiss francs you need to buy one U.S. dollar.
How to Read an FX Quote

Currencies are always quoted in pairs, such as GBP/USD or USD/JPY. The reason they are quoted in pairs is because in every foreign exchange transaction you are simultaneously buying one currency and selling another. Here is an example of a foreign exchange rate for the British pound versus the U.S. dollar:
GBP/USD = 1.7500
The first listed currency to the left of the slash ("/") is known as the base currency (in this example, the British pound), while the second one on the right is called the counter or quote currency (in this example, the U.S. dollar).
When buying, the exchange rate tells you how much you have to pay in units of the quote currency to buy one unit of the base currency. In the example above, you have to pay 1.7500 U.S. dollar to buy 1 British pound.
When selling, the exchange rate tells you how many units of the quote currency you get for selling one unit of the base currency. In the example above, you will receive 1.7500 U.S. dollars when you sell 1 British pound.
The base currency is the “basis” for the buy or the sell. If you buy EUR/USD this simply means that you are buying the base currency and simultaneously selling the quote currency.
You would buy the pair if you believe the base currency will appreciate (go up) relative to the quote currency. You would sell the pair if you think the base currency will depreciate (go down) relative to the quote currency.
Long/Short

First, you should determine whether you want to buy or sell.
If you want to buy (which actually means buy the base currency and sell the quote currency), you want the base currency to rise in value and then you would sell it back at a higher price. In trader's talk, this is called "going long" or taking a "long position". Just remember: long = buy.
If you want to sell (which actually means sell the base currency and buy the quote currency), you want the base currency to fall in value and then you would buy it back at a lower price. This is called "going short" or taking a "short position". Short = sell.

Bid/Ask Spread

All Forex quotes include a two-way price, the bid and ask. The bid is always lower than the ask price.
The bid is the price in which the dealer is willing to buy the base currency in exchange for the quote currency. This means the bid is the price at which you (as the trader) will sell.
The ask is the price at which the dealer will sell the base currency in exchange for the quote currency. This means the ask is the price at which you will buy.
The difference between the bid and the ask price is popularly known as the spread.
Let's take a look at an example of a price quote taken from a trading platform:

On this GBP/USD quote, the bid price is 1.7445 and the ask price is 1.7449. Look at how this broker makes it so easy for you to trade away your money.

If you want to sell GBP, you click "Sell" and you will sell pounds at 1.7445. If you want to buy GBP, you click "Buy" and you will buy pounds at 1.7449.

In the following examples, we're going to use fundamental analysis to help us decide whether to buy or sell a specific currency pair. If you always fell asleep during your economics class or just flat out skipped economics class, don’t worry! We will cover fundamental analysis in a later lesson. For right now, try to pretend you know what’s going on…
EUR/USD
In this example Euro is the base currency and thus the “basis” for the buy/sell.

If you believe that the US economy will continue to weaken, which is bad for the US dollar, you would execute a BUY EUR/USD order. By doing so you have bought euros in the expectation that they will rise versus the US dollar.
If you believe that the US economy is strong and the euro will weaken against the US dollar you would execute a SELL EUR/USD order. By doing so you have sold Euros in the expectation that they will fall versus the US dollar.

USD/JPY
In this example the US dollar is the base currency and thus the “basis” for the buy/sell.

If you think that the Japanese government is going to weaken the Yen in order to help its export industry, you would execute a BUY USD/JPY order. By doing so you have bought U.S dollars in the expectation that they will rise versus the Japanese yen.
If you believe that Japanese investors are pulling money out of U.S. financial markets and converting all their U.S. dollars back to Yen, and this will hurt the US dollar, you would execute a SELL USD/JPY order. By doing so you have sold U.S dollars in the expectation that they will depreciate against the Japanese yen.

GBP/USD
In this example the GBP is the base currency and thus the “basis” for the buy/sell.

If you think the British economy will continue to do better than the United States in terms of economic growth, you would execute a BUY GBP/USD order. By doing so you have bought pounds in the expectation that they will rise versus the US dollar.
If you believe the British's economy is slowing while the United State's economy remains strong like bull, you would execute a SELL GBP/USD order. By doing so you have sold pounds in the expectation that they will depreciate against the US dollar.

USD/CHF
In this example the USD is the base currency and thus the “basis” for the buy/sell.

If you think the Swiss franc is overvalued, you would execute a BUY USD/CHF order. By doing so you have bought US dollars in the expectation that they will appreciate versus the Swiss Franc.
If you believe that the US housing market bubble burst will hurt future economic growth, which will weaken the dollar, you would execute a SELL USD/CHF order. By doing so you have sold US dollars in the expectation that they will depreciate against the Swiss franc.

I don't have enough money to buy 10,000 euros. Can I still trade?

You can with margin trading! Margin trading is simply the term used for trading with borrowed capital. This is how you're able to open $10,000 or $100,000 positions with as little as $50 or $1,000. You can conduct relatively large transactions, very quickly and cheaply, with a small amount of initial capital.
Margin trading in the foreign exchange market is quantified in “lots”. We will be discussing these in depth in our next lesson. For now, just think of the term "lot" as the minimum amount of currency you have to buy. When you go to the grocery store and want to buy an egg, you can't just buy a single egg; they come in dozens or "lots" of 12. In Forex, it would be just as foolish to buy or sell 1 euro, so they usually come in "lots" of 10,000 (Mini) or 100,000 (Standard) depending on the type of account you have.

For Example:
You believe that signals in the market are indicating that the British Pound will go up against the US dollar.
You open one lot (100,000), buying with the British pound at 1% margin and wait for the exchange rate to climb. When you buy one lot (100,000) of GBP/USD at a price of 1.5000, you are buying 100,000 pounds, which is worth US$150,000 (100,000 units of GBP * 1.50 (exchange rate with USD)). If the margin requirement was 1%, then US$1500 would be set aside in your account to open up the trade (US$150,000 * 1%). You now control 100,000 pounds with US$1500. Your predictions come true and you decide to sell.
You close the position at 1.5050. You earn 50 pips or about $500. (A pip is the smallest price movement available in a currency).

Your Actions GBPUSDYou buy 100,000 pounds at the GBP/USD exchange rate of 1.5000+100,000-150,000You blink for two seconds and the GBP/USD exchange rate rises to 1.5050 and you sell. -100,000+150,500**You have earned a profit of $500. 0+500
When you decide to close a position, the deposit that you originally made is returned to you and a calculation of your profits or losses is done. This profit or loss is then credited to your account.
We will also be discussing margin more in-depth in the next lesson, but hopefully you're able to get a basic idea of how margin works.
Rollover

No, this is not the same as rollover minutes from your cell phone carrier! For positions open at your broker's "cut-off time" usually 5pm EST, there is a daily rollover interest rate that a trader either pays or earns, depending on your established margin and position in the market. If you do not want to earn or pay interest on your positions, simply make sure they are all closed before 5pm EST, the established end of the market day.

Since every currency trade involves borrowing one currency to buy another, interest rollover charges are part of forex trading. Interest is paid on the currency that is borrowed, and earned on the one that is bought. If a client is buying a currency with a higher interest rate than the one he/she is borrowing, the net differential will be positive (i.e. USD/JPY) - and the client will earn funds as a result. Ask your broker or dealer about specific details regarding rollover.
Also note that many retail brokers do adjust their rollover rates based on different factors (e.g., account leverage, interbank lending rates). Please check with your broker for more information on rollover rates and crediting/debiting procedures.
Don't know what the interest rates are for each currency? Here is a chart to help you out. Accurate as of 04/19/09.

Demo Trading

You can open a demo account for free with most Forex brokers. This account has the full capabilities of a "real" account. Why is it free? It's because the broker wants you to learn the ins and outs of their trading platform, and have a good time trading without risk, so you'll fall in love with them and deposit real money. The demo account allows you to learn about the Forex markets and test your trading skills with ZERO risk.
YOU SHOULD DEMO TRADE FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING REAL MONEY ON THE LINE.
I REPEAT - YOU SHOULD DEMO TRADE FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS BEFORE YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT PUTTING REAL MONEY ON THE LINE.
"Don't Lose Your Money" Declaration

Place your hand on your heart and say...
"I will demo trade for at least 6 months before I trade with real money."
Now touch your head with your index finger and say...
"I am a smart and patient Forex trader!"

The Skinny on Forex Trading

2010-07-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

The Skinny on Forex TradingWhat is FOREX?The Foreign Exchange market, also referred to as the "FOREX" or "Forex" or "Retail forex" or "FX" or "Spot FX" or just "Spot" is the largest financial market in the world, with a volume of over $4 trillion a day. If you compare that to the $25 billion a day volume that the New York Stock Exchange trades, you can easily see how enormous the Foreign Exchange really is. It actually equates to more than three times the total amount of the stocks and futures markets combined! Forex rocks! What is traded on the Foreign Exchange market?The simple answer is money. Forex trading is the simultaneous buying of one currency and the selling of another. Currencies are traded through a broker or dealer, and are traded in pairs; for example the euro and the US dollar (EUR/USD) or the British pound and the Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY).Because you're not buying anything physical, this kind of trading can be confusing. Think of buying a currency as buying a share in a particular country. When you buy, say, Japanese Yen, you are in effect buying a share in the Japanese economy, as the price of the currency is a direct reflection of what the market thinks about the current and future health of the Japanese economy.In general, the exchange rate of a currency versus other currencies is a reflection of the condition of that country's economy, compared to the other countries' economies. Unlike other financial markets like the New York Stock Exchange, the Forex spot market has neither a physical location nor a central exchange. The Forex 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.Until the late 1990's, only the "big guys" could play this game. The initial requirement was that you could trade only if you had about ten to fifty million bucks to start with! Forex was originally intended to be used by bankers and large institutions - and not by us "little guys". However, because of the rise of the Internet, online Forex trading firms are now able to offer trading accounts to 'retail' traders like us. All you need to get started is a computer, a high-speed Internet connection, and the information contained within this site. BabyPips.com was created to introduce novice or beginner traders to all the essential aspects of foreign exchange, in a fun and easy-to-understand manner.

What is a Spot Market?A spot market is any market that deals in the current price of a financial instrument. Which Currencies Are Traded?The most popular currencies along with their symbols are shown below:Symbol Country Currency NicknameUSD United States Dollar BuckEUR Euro members Euro FiberJPY Japan Yen YenGBP Great Britain Pound CableCHF Switzerland Franc SwissyCAD Canada Dollar LoonieAUD Australia Dollar AussieNZDNew Zealand DollarKiwiForex currency symbols are always 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. When Can Currencies Be Traded?The spot FX market is unique within the world markets. It’s like a Super Wal-Mart where the market is open 24-hours a day. At any time, somewhere around the world a financial center is open for business, and banks and other institutions exchange currencies every hour of the day and night with generally only minor gaps on the weekend. The foreign exchange markets follow the sun around the world, so you can trade late at night (if you’re a vampire) or in the morning (if you’re an early bird). Keep in mind though, the early bird doesn’t necessarily get the worm in this market - you might get the worm but a bigger, nastier bird of prey can sneak up and eat you too…Time Zone New York GMT Tokyo Open 7:00 pm 0:00 Tokyo Close 4:00 am 9:00 London Open 3:00 am 8:00 London Close 12:00 pm 17:00 New York Open 8:00 am 13:00 New York Close 5:00 pm 22:00 The Forex market (OTC)The Forex OTC market is by far the biggest and most popular financial market in the world, traded globally by a large number of individuals and organizations. In the OTC market, participants determine who they want to trade with depending on trading conditions, attractiveness of prices and reputation of the trading counterpart.The chart below shows global foreign exchange activity. The dollar is the most traded currency, being on one side of 86% of all transactions. The euro’s share is second at 37%, while that of the yen is third at 16.5%.Why Trade Foreign Currencies?There are many benefits and advantages to trading Forex. Here are just a few reasons why so many people are choosing this market:
No commissions.No clearing fees, no exchange fees, no government fees, no brokerage fees. Brokers are compensated for their services through something called the bid-ask spread.
No middlemen. Spot currency trading eliminates the middlemen, and allows you to trade directly with the market responsible for the pricing on a particular currency pair.
No fixed lot size.In the futures markets, lot or contract sizes are determined by the exchanges. A standard-size contract for silver futures is 5000 ounces. In spot Forex, you determine your own lot size. This allows traders to participate with accounts as small as $250 (although we explain later why a $250 account is a bad idea).
Low transaction costs. The retail transaction cost (the bid/ask spread) is typically less than 0.1 percent under normal market conditions. At larger dealers, the spread could be as low as .07 percent. Of course this depends on your leverage and all will be explained later.
A 24-hour market. There is no waiting for the opening bell - from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon EST, the Forex market never sleeps. This is awesome for those who want to trade on a part-time basis, because you can choose when you want to trade--morning, noon or night.
No one can corner the market.The foreign exchange market is so huge and has so many participants that no single entity (not even a central bank) can control the market price for an extended period of time.
Leverage.In Forex trading, a small margin deposit can control a much larger total contract value. Leverage gives the trader the ability to make nice profits, and at the same time keep risk capital to a minimum. For example, Forex brokers offer 200 to 1 leverage, which means that a $50 dollar margin deposit would enable a trader to buy or sell $10,000 worth of currencies. Similarly, with $500 dollars, one could trade with $100,000 dollars and so on. But leverage is a double-edged sword. Without proper risk management, this high degree of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.
High Liquidity.Because the Forex Market is so enormous, it is also extremely liquid. This means that under normal market conditions, with a click of a mouse you can instantaneously buy and sell at will. You are never "stuck" in a trade. You can even set your online trading platform to automatically close your position at your desired profit level (a limit order), and/or close a trade if a trade is going against you (a stop loss order).
Free “Demo” Accounts, News, Charts, and Analysis. Most online Forex brokers offer 'demo' accounts to practice trading, along with breaking Forex news and charting services. All free! These are very valuable resources for “poor” and SMART traders who would like to hone their trading skills with 'play' money before opening a live trading account and risking real money.
“Mini” and “Micro” Trading: You would think that getting started as a currency trader would cost a ton of money. The fact is, compared to trading stocks, options or futures, it doesn't. Online Forex brokers offer "mini" and “micro” trading accounts, some with a minimum account deposit of $300 or less. Now we're not saying you should open an account with the bare minimum but it does makes Forex much more accessible to the average (poorer) individual who doesn't have a lot of start-up trading capital. What Tools Do I Need to Start Trading Forex?A computer with a high-speed Internet connection and all the information on this site is all that is needed to begin trading currencies. What Does It Cost to Trade Forex?An online currency trading (a “micro account”) may be opened with a couple hundred bucks. Do not laugh – micro accounts and its bigger cousin, the mini account, are both good ways to get your feet wet without drowning. For a micro account, we'd recommend at least $1,000 to start. For a mini account, we’d recommend at least $10,000 to start.