On-Location Forex Trading Courses (Currency Trading)

Foreign Exchange trading (also called Forex, FX, or currency trading) describes trading in the many currencies of the world. It is the largest and least regulated market providing the greatest liquidity to investors. Daily volume in the currency markets is around $1.5 trillion. By comparison, the NYSE daily volume averages $25 billion a day.

We provide the very best in Forex Training. We will teach you all aspects of the Forex trading world using the latest tools and software. You will learn to control your own order flow by using “state-of-the-art” Forex Trading Platforms with some of the best of breed Forex Dealers. You will learn how the Pros make money and learn the differences between Forex and equities trading. Decide for yourself which is the best instrument for you. Don’t be surprised to find that you can use BOTH in harmony. Forex offers 50 to 1 leverage and 24/6 trading hours – trade in the evenings, trade in the early morning before work. Learn to trade with discipline, a plan and the technical tools that the World Currency Traders use. Whether you are a novice or an advanced trader, now you can have the most comprehensive and professional learning experience available today.

On-Location Courses

Although the Internet has brought about the advent of the "virtual classroom," sometimes there is nothing better than saying "Been there, done that!" For many of you, the best way to learn something new is to remove yourself from life's daily distractions and go to a real classroom. The advantages of taking our courses in our physical locations are many:

1. Hands-On Training

Practice with real data and quotes on state-of-the-art trading software. During our courses, there is an atmosphere you can concentrate in, which is important now that we offer live trading in the classroom! You will participate in live trading with your instructor and call the trades. You will be able to practice the techniques and tactics on your own computer trading station, using the same Platform as your Instructor.

2. Education for Free

Our education programs are recognized, accepted and encouraged by leading FCM's. . You may be eligible for additional tickets discounts through our affiliated FCM's, such as $5 per ticket for 60 days after you take a course - an additional savings over and above the cost of the course.

3. Emphasis on Risk-Management

We help you develop your Risk Management skill through discipline and capital preservation. You will be taught and required to develop a Trade Business Plan that the Instructor will review and comment on to ensure that you develop a winning program.

4. Multiple Locations

Online Trading Academy offers its classes in multiple location throughout the world.

5. Trading Pros in Your Classroom and at Home

Obviously, you will have the "best of the best" in the Classroom. Online Trading Academy’s cadre of Instructors are all screened for their knowledge, past experience and their ability to communicate. Online Trading Academy also offers you a continued education for "after class" – when you need further instruction or have questions about learned techniques.

Always keep your trading systems simple. Too much information at one time on your trading screen could confuse and delay your decision to trade.
Broker - A lot of Forex brokers are in business only to make money from yours. Read forums, blogs and chats around the net to get an unbiased opinion before you choose your broker.
Sample the Environment - It is important to remember that many registered and online trading agents have fictitious platforms which mirror the real-time, live platform clients register and trade on. It is not only advisable, but it is also actively encouraged to initially open a 'dummy' account where fictitious Forex trades can be undertaken that closely reflect what real trades may be like when they are eventually undertaken. Such platforms are designed to give those that are new to Forex a feel and an idea what real trades on live markets will be like when the decision is made to begin trading.
Buy low, Sell high - Forex trading does not involve the physical purchase of the currencies, but rather involves contracts for amount and exchange rate of currency pairs. The potential for profit comes from the fluctuations in the currency exchange market. Regular daily fluctuations in the value of one currency against another give a clear advantage over conventional stock market equities and instruments. See Trading Illustration Only
Manage Losing Positions - Trades will sometimes inevitably on occasion go against you. It is important to accept them as an inherent part of trading. Cut your losses and move on having learned from any mistakes made. Always remember however that you will not be able to trade without losing some positions. It is important to manage these well.
Patience - Do not over-trade your account. Good money management practice is important and will help with profitability. This will go a long way in helping you develop a strategy which fits with your personal trading capital. Operate a trailing stop loss policy say 15 to 20 pips behind the trade. Minimize your good trades as long as you are confident.
Flexible Mindset - Don't set yourself false targets and expectations. Experts will tell you trading is not an exact science and setting oneself unattainable targets will only lead to frustration and feeling of failure when these targets are not met. Always maintain an open mind. The market is a constantly changing environment tunes your mindset to understand this.
And lastly but definitely not least, it is most important for all market participants to remember that unique experiences and past performances do not guarantee future results. Trading results can vary in any combination of circumstances. If you do not have extra capital that you can afford to lose, you should not trade in the foreign exchange market.
Invest wisely and take advantage of the resources and technology available to you in the market.

WHY SHOULD I INVEST IN SHARES

Almost everyone worldwide has an interest in shares, whether they realize it or not. Millions of people around the world own shares directly. However, many millions more have an indirect stake in the stock market through pension schemes, life insurance policies, NIT units, and other mutual funds. All of these, invest in shares traded on the stock market.Today, increasing number of people own shares around the world, while many more invest in pension schemes, have an insurance policy, National Saving Schemes (NSS) or another form of collective savings invested in shares traded in stock markets.However, investing in shares is different from saving in a bank or National Saving Scheme. There is more risk - but there is the opportunity for better reward over the longer term. With deposit accounts, you earn interest on your capital. When you take your cash back, you get back exactly the same amount that you first deposited (plus the interest it has earned). With shares, you may receive dividends but when you sell those shares, you might get back more than you bought them for, which is your reward for taking a risk.Nevertheless, because shares can go up as well as down in value, it is important to understand that taking a risk means you might get back lesser than you had invested initially. You can minimize your risk by investing in different shares or a collective fund. There is, however, the possibility of greater rewards. Funds invested in equities in the long term (five or more years) have outperformed regular saving accounts.You should remember that saving through the stock market should be seen as a long-term investment. Historically, money invested in shares over the long term (ten or more years) has almost always outperformed regular saving accounts.Before investing in stocks and shares, you should understand your own financial position and what you hope to achieve with your investments. Your regular financial obligations should be protected and preparation should be made for unexpected expenses

Gold....... a valuable physical asset

Gold has been considered a valuable physical
asset for thousands of years, but many people
shy away from buying it because they think they
can only do so by investing. But there is
another option: trading gold.

The most obvious way to invest in gold is to buy gold in its physical form—that is, bars and coins. The problem with buying gold in its physical form is that doing so involves considerable transportation and storage costs. Moreover, physical gold is relatively illiquid, so it is meant for buy-and-hold gold investors only.

Another option, also in the investing category, is investing in gold stocks, such as mining companies, either individually or through mutual funds. While these investments provide investors with exposure to the gold and are more liquid than physical gold, they don’t offer the pure gold exposure many gold traders demand. Moreover, at times gold stocks will move down with the market as a whole when there is no problem with the company or with gold as an asset, and that can add a level of risk to your investment.

Another option is a gold-related exchange-traded fund (ETF). ETFs are pools of investments that trade on an exchange like stocks. Typically, gold ETFs are intended to track a percentage of an ounce of gold, so in that sense they are a way to trade physical gold. While ETFs can be good for speculators who wish to buy gold or sell it short, there are downsides. You don’t have title to the underlying asset—the gold itself—and administrative fees may be unappealing to some investors.

You can invest in a paper representation of gold, such as futures and options. Futures and options are contracts or options to buy or sell a specific security or commodity (such as gold) at a specific price at a specific time. Futures contracts are used to trade gold in the short-term; rarely does a gold trader take delivery of the gold. While trading gold with a futures contract does have “counterparty” risk—the possibility that the person on the other side of the contract won’t deliver—the fact that gold contracts are traded on established exchanges minimize the possibility of losing money when trading gold

One way to trade gold is to make a deal directly with another gold trader. This, essentially, is what gold traders do when they trade over the counter (OTC), which is a computerized off-floor securities exchange. Essentially, you go the store and see the price one seller is offering, but don’t know what prices other stores are offering at that very moment.

To help make gold trade pricing transparent—essentially, to provide the entire world with the current price of gold—an entity called the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) sets the standard benchmark for the price of gold.

The LBMA is comprised of major international banks and bullion dealers—that is, entities that own gold—and loosely overseen by the Bank of England.

Twice a day, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. London time, five of the LBMA’s members meet to conduct what amounts to a private auction. At that meeting—called the London gold fixing—the chair of the meeting quotes a price of gold. The other members scramble to determine if they (and the customers they are representing) are buyers or sellers at that price. If there are more buyers than sellers, or more sellers and buyers, the chair quotes another price. When the buyers and sellers reach equilibrium, the benchmark price of gold, called the “gold fix,” is established and published widely, both in newspapers and on the Internet.

The gold fix can be very helpful: It gives gold traders an idea of the fair price of gold, at least at twice-a-day intervals. But there are problems with the gold fix, including timing, barriers to entry and conflicts of interest. If you are a gold trader or simply think you might like to trade gold, please see “Problems for Gold Traders with the Gold Fix” for more information.

THE GOLD FIX

The gold fix is a good guide to the value of gold at one moment in time, and is designed to allow gold traders to trade gold at a fair price.

And, if you are a gold trader with enough money to be involved at the level of the gold fix, it can be efficient: Since there’s such a large pool of liquidity available at one time, as long as there is not excessively large demand or supply, the price should be fair.

The gold fix does create some problems for gold traders, however.

* First, it is only set twice a day, which can be a problem for gold traders who are trading gold on the world’s various markets all day long.


* Second, the cost of entering the market is high through the gold fix: Since physical delivery and storage of the gold has to be arranged, and can be costly, there is very little enthusiasm anywhere for small quantities, and the smallest trade size is somewhere around $500,000. Although a gold trader may be able to find an intermediary that will take a smaller order and aggregate it up with other orders from gold traders, the intermediary will likely charge you a fee for doing so, which can reduce your profits.


* More important, perhaps, is that there may be a conflict of interest in the gold fix. Let’s say you’re a gold trader and you want to buy gold, so you go to one of the LBMA members, a producer, involved in the gold fix. This member must acts in two roles: He must get a bargain price for your gold trade, but he also must get a high selling price for himself. And this is happening a lot, with many gold traders and dealers. Think about what happens if most customers are buyers, and a producer on the LBMA knows this it. It would benefit him not to declare as a seller until the price quoted by the chair has gone up a bit.

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.

A FOREX broker needs to be associated with a large financial institution such as a bank in order to provide the funds necessary for margin trading. In the United States a broker should be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as protection against fraud and abusive trade practices.

Before trading FOREX you need to set up an account with a FOREX broker. You may feel overwhelmed by the number of brokers who offer their services online. Deciding on a broker requires a little bit of research on your part, but the time spent will give you insight into the services that are available and fees charged by various brokers.

The best advertising is word-of-mouth advertising, and this is just as valid in FOREX trading as it is for any other type of business. Talk to friends and associates to see who they are dealing with and find if they have any complaints or difficulties in dealing with a particular broker.

You could try selecting a few online brokers and contact their Internet help desks to see how quickly they respond to enquiries and whether or not they answer questions to your satisfaction. Keep in mind, however, that pre-sales service may be better than after sales service. This can be true for any online business, not just FOREX brokers.

Customer satisfaction and safety are just part of the story. You want to find a broker who executes orders quickly and with minimum slippage. All online brokers should offer automatic execution and have clear policies regarding slippage. They should be able to tell you how much slippage can be expected in both normal and fast-moving markets.

Next you want to know the fees involved. What is the spread? Is spread fixed or variable according to the type of account? Are mini accounts subject to wider spreads? Are there any other charges? Smaller spreads mean more profit for the trader, but there may be a trade-off between spread and service. Look at the overall picture before deciding to go with a particular broker.

Margin accounts are the lifeblood of FOREX trading, so be sure you understand the broker's margin terms before setting up an account. You need to know the margin requirements and how margin is calculated. Does margin change according to the currency traded? Is it the same every day of the week? Some brokers may offer different margins for mini and standard accounts.

Trading software is very important for the online FOREX trader. Get a feel for the options that are available by trying out a demo account at a few online brokers. Above all, you are looking for reliability and the ability to perform well in fast-moving markets. The software should offer automatic trading and may have special features such as trailing stops and trading from the chart. Some features may only be available at an extra cost, so be sure you understand what your trading needs are and how much the broker charges to provide them.

Other information to find out about includes the broker's policy regarding minimum account balances, interest payments on account balances, which currencies can be traded and whether or not non-standard sized lots can be traded. You should also find out whether clients' funds are insured and the extent of that insurance.

Introduction To Forex Exchange

Being the main force driving the global economic market, currency is no doubt an essential element for a country. However, in order for all the countries with different currencies to trade with one another, a system of exchange rate between their currencies is needed; this system, is formally known as foreign exchange or currency exchange.
In the early days, the system of currency exchange is supported solely by the gold amount held in the vault of a country. However, this system is no longer appropriate now due to inflation and hence, the value of one’s currency nowadays is determined through the market forces alone. In order to determine the value of a currency’s exchange rate, two main types of system is used which is floating currency and pegged currency.
For floating exchange rate, its value is determined by the supply and demand of the global market where the supply and demand is bound by all these factors such as foreign investment, inflation and ratios of import and export. Normally, this system is adopted by most of the advance countries like for example UK, US and Canada. All of these countries have a similarity where their market is well developed and stable in economic terms. These countries choose to practice this system due to the reason where floating exchange rate is proven to be much more efficient compared to the pegged exchange rate. The reason behind this is because for floating exchange rate, the market itself will re-adjust the exchange rate real-time in order to portray the actual inflation and other economic forces. However, every system has its own flaw and so does the floating exchange rate system. For instance, if a country suffers from economic instability due to various reasons such as political issues, a floating exchange rate system will certainly discourage investment due to the high risk of suffering from inflationary disaster or sudden slump in exchange rate.
Another form of exchange rate is known as pegged exchange rate. This is a system where the value of the exchange rate is fixed by the government of a country and not the supply and demand of the market. This system is called pegged exchange rate because the value of a country’s currency is fixed to another country’s currency. As a result, the value of the pegged currency will not fluctuate unlike the floating currency. The working principle behind this system is slightly complicated where the government of a country will fixed the exchange rate of their currency and when there is a demand for a certain currency resulting a rise in the exchange rate, the government will have to release enough of that currency into the market in order to meet that demand. However, there is a fatal flaw in this system where if the pegged exchange rate is not controlled properly, panics may arise within the country and as a result of that, people will be rushing to exchange their money into a more stable currency. When that happens, the sudden overflow of that country’s currency into the market will decrease the value of their exchange rate and in the end, their currency will be worthless. Due to this reason, only those under-developed or developing countries will practice this method as a form to control the inflation rate.
However, the truth is, most of the countries do not fully practice the floating exchange rate or the pegged exchange rate method in reality. Instead, they use a hybrid system known as floating peg. Floating peg is the combination of the two main systems where one country will normally fixed their exchange rate to the US Dollars and after that, they will constantly review their peg rate in order to stay in line with the actual market value.
The Foreign exchange market, or commonly known as FOREX, is the largest and most prolific financial market because each day, more than 1 trillion worth of currency exchange takes place between investors, speculators and countries. From this, we can deduce that the actual mechanism behind the world of foreign exchange is far more complicated than what we may already know, and that, the information mentioned earlier is just the tip of an iceberg.

Forex Technical Analysis - A Secret to Profitable Forex Trading

Forex Technical Analysis or chart analysis is a process of forecasting price movements by analyzing market data like, historical price trends, volumes, open interest, and so on. Forex Technical analysis is based on the principal of 'history repeats itself'; however, it does not result in absolute predictions about the future.
Instead, observations made through Forex chart analysis will help Forex traders and investors predict and anticipate what is likely to happen to prices over a period of time.
Before this jargon makes you nervous and you develop cold feet, let me assure you that anybody can learn how to day trade in Forex. You would be quite surprised to see the kind of people who make a living, forex trading the market. I am the biggest example I know.
Till about 7 or 8 years back I had no clue about Forex. But over time I learnt the skill and now can confidently say that I am making a better than decent living as a forex trader and enjoy the challenges and comforts of forex Forex trading immensely. I trade in the cafes, on holidays, on the mountains and absolutely whenever and wherever inspiration strikes!
What you must understanding and absolutely need to be convinced about is that Technical Analysis skill is the key to succeed in day trading. And it took me time to learn it. If you want to succeed in forex trading, learning forex chart analysis should be your top most priority.
Forex technical analysis is not just about throwing up a bunch of observations and indicators on your charts, and trading when the indicators align in the same direction. This is not Forex technical analysis, because it is not you who is applying your mind to it, it is the computer that is on the job. As a forex trader it is your job to analyze the markets.
And the only way to do this is by using price action. Price action begins as you start understanding the importance of price patterns.
If you want to be a successful forex trader learn forex technical analysis skill to trade price action. Once you understand that all you should trade forex on a plain chart with no indicators, the profits will start showing. And you could become an expert at Forex trading too!

Real Forex Traders Learn to Like Losses

As a forex trader you have to learn how to take losses. Period. Don't be a crybaby. Learn how to take losses.
Learning how to take losses is one of the most important lessons you must learn if you want to survive as a trader. Nobody is 100% right all the time.
Losses are inevitable. Even Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods lose sometimes and they're considered the best in their field.
There will be trading streaks where you'll have a number of successful consecutive trades, but that will eventually come to an end you will take a loss.
As that point it's very important not to lose your head, you must remain in control of yourself. Don't have a cow man.
Take a break. Calm down and relax. Take a chill pill dude.
Until you've regained a clear mind and an ability to think logically again, stay out of the market.
Don't whine about your loss and never carry a prejudice against a loss.
The key to manage losses is to cut them quickly before a small loss becomes a large one.
I repeat. The key to manage losses is to cut them quickly before a small loss becomes a large one.
Never ever think that you will never lose. That's just ludicrous. Losses are just like profits, it's all part of the trader's universe.
Losses are unavoidable. Get over the loss and move on to the next trade.
by Scottie Pippin

Forex Trading Education: Things You Should Know About Forex Trading

How difficult is it to make money trading the Forex market? How much time does it take to actually be able to make a living trading the Forex market? These and other important aspects of trading are to be discussed in this article.
Trading the Forex market has many benefits over other financial markets, among the most important are: superior liquidity, 24hrs market, better execution, and others. Traders and investor see the Forex market as a new speculation or diversifying opportunity because of these benefits. Does this mean that it is easy to make money trading the Forex Market? Not at all.
Forex brokers agree that 90% of traders end up losing money, 5% of traders end up at break even and only 5% of them achieve consistent profitable results. With these statistics shown, I don't consider trading to be an easy task. But, is it harder to master any other endeavor? I don't think so, consider musicians, writers, or even other businesses, the success rates are about the same, there are a whole bunch of them who never got to the top.
Now that we know it is not easy to achieve consistent profitable results, a must question would be, Why is it that some traders succeed while others fail to trade successfully in the Forex market? There is no hard answer to this question, or a recipe to follow to achieve consistent profitable results. What we do know is that traders that reach the top think different. That's right, they don't follow the crowd, they are an independent part of the crowd.
A few things that separate the top traders from the rest are:
Education: They are very well educated in the matter; they have chosen to learn every single and important aspect of trading. The best traders know that every trade is a learning experience. They approach the Forex market with humility, otherwise the market will prove them wrong.
Forex trading system: Top traders have a Forex trading system. They have the discipline to follow it rigorously, because they know that only the trades that are signaled by their system have a greater rate of success.
Price behavior: They have incorporated price behavior into their trading systems. They know price action has the last word.
Money management: Avoiding the risk of ruin is a primary subject to the best traders. After all, you cannot succeed without funds in your trading account.
Trading psychology: They are aware of every psychological issue that affects the decisions made by traders. They have accepted the fact that every individual trade has two probable outcomes, not just the winning side.
These are, among others, the most important factors that influence the success rate of Forex traders.
We know now that it is not easy to make money trading the Forex market, but it is possible. We also discussed the most important factors that influence the rate of success of Forex traders. But, how much time does it take to have consistent profitable results? It is different from trader to trader. For some, it could take a life time, and still don't get the desired results, for some others, a few years are enough to get consistent profitable results. The answer to this question may vary, but what I want to make clear here is that trading successfully is a process, it's not something you can do in a short period of time.
Trading successfully is no easy task; it is a process and could take years to achieve the desired results. There are a few things though every trader should take in consideration that could accelerate the process: having a trading system, using money management, education, being aware of psychological issues, discipline to follow your trading system and your trading plan, and others.
by Raul Lopez

The Sneaky Way To Managing Losses In Your Forex Trading

One of the cardinal rules of Forex trading is to keep your losses small. With small Forex trading losses, you can outlast those times the market moves against you, and be well positioned for when the trend turns around. The proven method to keeping your losses small is to set your maximum loss before you even open a Forex trading position. The maximum loss is the greatest amount of capital that you are comfortable losing on any one trade. With your maximum loss set as a small percentage of your Forex trading float, a string of losses won`t stop you from trading. Unlike the 95% of Forex traders out there who lose money because they haven`t applied good money management rules to their Forex trading system, you will be far down the road to success with this money management rule.
What happens if you don`t set a maximum loss? Let`s look at an example. If I had a Forex trading float of $1000, and I began trading with $100 a trade, it would be reasonable to experience three losses in a row. This would reduce my Forex trading capital to $700. What do you think those 95% of traders say at this time? They would reason, "Well, I`ve already had three losses in a row. So I`m really due for a win now."
They would decide they`re going to bet $300 on the next trade because they think they have a higher chance of winning.
If that trader did bet $300 dollars on the next trade because they thought they were going to win, their capital could be reduced to $400 dollars. Their chances of making money now are very slim. They would need to make 150% on their next trade just to break even. If they had set their maximum loss, and stuck to that decision, they would not be in this position.
Here`s a perfect illustration why most people lose money in the Forex trading market. Let`s start out with another $1,000 float, and begin our Forex trading with $250. After only three losses in a row, we`ve lost $750, and our capital has been reduced to $250. Effectively, we must make 300% return on the next trade and that will allow us to break even.
In both of these cases, the reason for failure was because the trader risked too much, and didn`t apply good money management. Remember, the goal here is to keep our losses as small as possible while also making sure that we open a large enough position to capitalize on profits. With your money management rules in place, in your Forex trading system, you will always be able to do this.
by David Jenyns

FOREX Trading Strategies

The world of trading and investment can be as frustrating as it can be rewarding! And Forex (Foreign Exchange) is no exception — often described as risky, profitable and complicated.
Forex is the largest trading market in the world.
Forex is the worldwide market for buying and selling currencies. These markets were developed to cater for the supply and demand of different currencies by governments, companies and individuals — for international trade and assisting importers and exporters.
Therefore those who trade in this market include consumers, businesses, investors, speculators and the banking industry.
Different countries use different currencies — which vary in their values against each other. Forex trading involves the buying and selling of two currencies — trading pairs — you are selling one and buying another e.g you may use the US dollar to purchase British pounds — if the supply of the pound lessens — it will cost more dollars to buy pounds — the Forex trader hopes to sell their pounds at a higher price than the purchase price.
A speculator in Forex is someone who accepts the possibility of adverse exchange-rate movements in the hope of making a profit from favorable movements in currency.
As a speculator you should always start trading with a small amount and have a trading system — which tells you when to get in and out of the market. It is a favorite option for currency traders as you can trade the Forex market 24 hours per day and the transaction costs are minimal.
This market — because of its sheer size — is hard to be manipulated — which stocks can be — it is more likely to be influenced by global news or events. Hence, the opportunity for 'insider trading' is eliminated.
However — beware -Forex brokers estimate that 90% of traders lose their money; 5% break even and only 5% achieve profitable results!
by Gay Redmile

How To Loose Everything — The Worst Forex Trading Strategy Ever That You Might Be Using

You may be wondering, `Why would David Jenyns write about the worst Forex trading strategy around?`
There are a couple of reasons:
First, to warn you about the worst Forex trading strategy, because you really don`t want to end up using this system.
Second, because once you know the worst possible Forex trading strategy, the one that is designed to maximize your losses over the long run, then you can reverse it to craft a strategy which does the exact opposite.
With what you learn from the worst Forex trading strategy, you will be able to create a system that will produce some tremendous long-term gains. The worst Forex trading strategy I`m referring to, which is simply the worst Forex trading strategy I have ever encountered, is known as averaging down. This horrifying Forex trading strategy is the process of buying more shares that you had previously acquired, as the price drops.
Traders often purchase shares this way in an effort to reduce their initial entry price.
Only bad investors average down by buying shares of a sinking assests to decrease their overall average price per share. This Forex trading strategy is hardly ever effective, and is often like throwing good money after bad. It also magnifies a trader`s loss if the share keeps dropping. Remember, just because a share is cheap now that doesn`t mean it`s not going to get any cheaper. However, let`s examine how this devastating Forex trading strategy works. Say you bought one thousand shares at $40.
The novice investor may not have a stop loss in place, and the share price falls to $30 dollars. Here comes the stupidity of this Forex trading strategy — to average down the novice trader might by another thousand shares at $30 to lower the average cost per share that he`d already purchased. So, his average cost per share would now be $35.
Unfortunately, the share price may fall even further, and the novice trader will again buy more shares to reduce the average cost per share. They end up buying more and more into a share that`s losing their money.
Now, imagine this Forex trading strategy being applied to a portfolio of assets. In the end, all the capital will automatically be allocated to the worse performing assets in the portfolio while the best performing assets are sold off. The result is, at best, a disastrous under performance versus the market.
If a trader uses an averaging down system and uses margins, their losses will be magnified even further. The biggest problem with this Forex trading strategy is that a trader`s gains are cut short, and the losers are left to run. My advice is — never average down. The process of buying a share, watching it fall, and then throwing more money at it in the hopes that you`ll either get back to break even or make a bigger killing is one of the most misguided pieces of advice on Wall Street. Never be faced with a situation where you`ll ask yourself, Should I risk even more than I originally intended in a desperate attempt to lower my cost and save my butt?`
Instead, design a simple, robust system with good money management rules. I can practically guarantee the results will be better

SELECTION OF FOREX BROKER

With currency trading becoming ever more popular, the number of brokers is growing at a rapid rate. What should one look at when deciding which broker to open an account with? These are the important points to consider.

Spread

Because currencies, unlike futures and stocks, are not traded through a central exchange, the spread can be different depending on the broker you use, so it's well worth checking a few out before you open an account. Most forex brokers publish live or delayed prices on their websites so you can compare spreads, but check if the spread is fixed or variable. A fixed spread means exactly that — it will always be the same no matter what time of day or night it is. Some brokers use a variable spread, which might appear to be nice and small when the market is quiet, but when things get busy they can widen the spread which means the market must move more in your favor before you start to make a profit. Fixed spreads are generally slightly wider than the variable spreads are when at their narrowest, but over the long term fixed can be safer.

Execution

Some brokers will show live prices on their trading platform, but will they honor them when it comes to pushing the Buy or Sell button? The best way to find out is to open a demo account and give them a test drive. This will also give you the opportunity to see what the speed of execution is like — when you want to buy, you want to buy now, not sit around waiting for ten minutes whilst your order is confirmed!

Trading Platform

Good trading software will show live prices that you can actually trade at, not just indicative quotes. It will offer Limit and Stop orders, and ideally will let you attach these to your entry order. One-Cancels-Other orders are another useful feature — they mean you can set up your trade and then leave the software to get on with it. And the most important feature of all — can you actually understand the platform? Having all the bells and whistles is of no use if you can't use them, so again, get a demo account and give it a go.

Support

Forex is a 24 hour market, so your broker should offer 24 hour support. You might not be trading at 3am, but that could be what time it is in your brokers head office on the other side of the planet, so make sure there will be somebody there to pick up the phone if things go wrong. You should also check if you can close positions over the phone — essential in case your PC or internet connection crash at a critical moment.

Backing

Finally, before opening an account do a little homework and find out about the company. Forex brokers are regulated, but that doesn't mean they all have equal backing. If the market collapses, you want to know that they've got the reserves to cope with it and will still be around when you decide to withdraw your cash. If a broker is elusive when it comes to questions about their parentage and financial backing, then steer clear.

In Conclusion

Choosing a forex broker isn't difficult, but don't rush the decision. Check out a few, and always get a demo account first to make sure you're happy with the way everything works before sending off your opening balance.

HOW TO CHOOSE A FOREX BROKER.

Most investors who trade Forex stocks use a broker. A broker is an individual or a company, who buys and sells stocks according to the investor's wishes. Brokers earn money by collecting commissions or fees for their services.

You should check that a broker is registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as protection against fraud or abusive trade practices. A Forex broker also needs to be associated with a financial institution, such as a bank in order to provide funds for margin trading. Picking the right Forex broker for you will take some work on your part. There are brokers who charge a flat fee and some that charge commission. It may be a good idea to talk with friends and business associates about their brokers. You may get some good leads, and you're certain to hear who to stay away from. There is nothing like word of mouth advertising.

If you are thinking of investing online, you could choose several online brokers and contact their help desks. Seeing how quickly they respond to your questions could be key in how they will respond to their customers needs. If you don't get a speedy reply and a satisfactory answer to your question you certainly wouldn't want to trust them with your business. Just be aware that as in other types of businesses, pre sales service might be better than after sales service.

Before you choose an online broker get a copy of their online demo account. What features are included? Is the software reliable? Does it offer automatic trading? Are there extra software features that cost more?

Before setting up an account with a Forex broker you will need to do further investigation. How quickly will these brokers execute your buy/sell orders? What is their policy on slippage? What are the transaction fees? What is the spread, fixed or variable? What are the margin requirements and how are they calculated? Does the margin change with currency traded? Is it the same for mini accounts and standard accounts?

Don't forget to ask about minimum account balances and interest payments on account balances. Make sure that your funds will be insured

FOREX ORIGIN

The origin of Forex trading traces its history to centuries ago. Different currencies and the need to exchange them had existed since the Babylonians. They are credited with the first use of paper notes and receipts. Speculation hardly ever happened, and certainly the enormous speculative activity in the market today would have been frowned upon.

In those days, the value of goods were expressed in terms of other goods(also called as the Barter System). The obvious limitations of such a system encouraged establishing more generally accepted mediums of exchange. It was important that a common base of value could be established. In some economies, items such as teeth, feathers even stones served this purpose, but soon various metals, in particular gold and silver, established themselves as an accepted means of payment as well as a reliable storage of value. Trade was carried among people of Africa, Asia etc through this system.

Coins were initially minted from the preferred metal and in stable political regimes, the introduction of a paper form of governmental I.O.U. during the Middle Ages also gained acceptance. This type of I.O.U. was introduced more successfully through force than through persuasion and is now the basis of today's modern currencies.

Before the First World war, most Central banks supported their currencies with convertibility to gold. However, the gold exchange standard had its weaknesses of boom-bust patterns. As an economy strengthened, it would import a great deal from out of the country until it ran down its gold reserves required to support its money; as a result, the money supply would diminish, interest rates escalate and economic activity slowed to the point of recession. Ultimately, prices of commodities had hit bottom, appearing attractive to other nations, who would sprint into buying fury that injected the economy with gold until it increased its money supply, drive down interest rates and restore wealth into the economy.. However, for this type of gold exchange, there was not necessarily a Centrals bank need for full coverage of the government's currency reserves. This did not occur very often, however when a group mindset fostered this disastrous notion of converting back to gold in mass, panic resulted in so-called "Run on banks " The combination of a greater supply of paper money without the gold to cover led to devastating inflation and resulting political instability. The Great Depression and the removal of the gold standard in 1931 created a serious lull in Forex market activity. From 1931 until 1973, the Forex market went through a series of changes. These changes greatly affected the global economies at the time and speculation in the Forex markets during these times was little.

In order to protect local national interests, increased foreign exchange controls were introduced to prevent market forces from punishing monetary irresponsibility.

Near the end of World War II, the Bretton Woods agreement was reached on the initiative of the USA in July 1944. The conference held in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire rejected John Maynard Keynes suggestion for a new world reserve currency in favor of a system built on the US Dollar. International institutions such as the IMF, The World Bank and GATT were created in the same period as the emerging victors of WWII searched for a way to avoid the destabilizing monetary crises leading to the war. The Bretton Woods agreement resulted in a system of fixed exchange rates that reinstated The Gold Standard partly, fixing the USD at $35.00 per ounce of Gold and fixing the other main currencies to the dollar, initially intended to be on a permanent basis.

The Bretton Woods system came under increasing pressure as national economies moved in different directions during the 1960's. A number of realignments held the system alive for a long time but eventually Bretton Woods collapsed in the early 1970's following president Nixon's suspension of the gold convertibility in August 1971. The dollar was not any longer suited as the sole international currency at a time when it was under severe pressure from increasing US budget and trade deficits.

The last few decades have seen foreign exchange trading develop into the world's largest global market. Restrictions on capital flows have been removed in most countries, leaving the market forces free to adjust foreign exchange rates according to their perceived values.

The European Economic Community introduced a new system of fixed exchange rates in 1979, the European Monetary System. The quest continued in Europe for currency stability with the 1991 signing of The Maastricht treaty. This was to not only fix exchange rates but also actually replace many of them with the Euro in 2002. London was, and remains the principal offshore market. In the 1980s, it became the key center in the Eurodollar market when British banks began lending dollars as an alternative to pounds in order to maintain their leading position in global finance.

In Asia, the lack of sustainability of fixed foreign exchange rates has gained new relevance with the events in South East Asia in the latter part of 1997, where currency after currency was devalued against the US dollar, leaving other fixed exchange rates in particular in South America also looking very vulnerable.

While commercial companies have had to face a much more volatile currency environment in recent years, investors and financial institutions have discovered a new playground. The Forex exchange market initially worked under the central banks and the governmental institutions but later on it accommodated the various institutions, at present it also includes the dot com booms and the world wide web. The size of the Forex market now dwarfs any other investment market. The foreign exchange market is the largest financial market in the world. Approximately 1.9 trillion dollars are traded daily in the foreign exchange market. It is estimated that more than USD 1,200 Billion are traded every day. It can be said easily that Forex market is a lucrative opportunity for the modern day savvy investor