Paul Bryan asked:




Spread is one of the most important concepts in forex trading. It is the difference between the bid and asking price. While trading forex, you will note that there will be a difference between the current value of the currency and what you pay for it.

That is where the forex brokers make their profit. Let us assume that the current EUR/USD price is 1.27237 and your forex broker offering you a 2 pip (percentage in point) spread, then you will pay 1.2739 when you buy. The higher the spread, the higher you pay while buying and the lower you get on selling.

Generally, the spread is lower in popular currencies like EUR/USD, USD/JPY, EUR/JPY etc. You will find many brokers who would offer a 2 pip spread for these currencies. But there are few equally important factors like speed of execution of orders and the value the order which can really help you in enjoying the advantages of low pips.

Going from a 3-pip spread to a 2-pip spread may sound small, and going from a 2-pip spread to a 1.8-pip spread may seem even less significant. But for both the cases the impact on profitability can be huge. Therefore a forex 2 pip spread sounds perfect in a fast moving financial market like forex.

An online spread calculator may prove to be useful in quantifying and comparing the impact of different spreads. You will have to key in few parameters like trading activity (deals per day, per week, per month, per year), average deal leverage, account equity, current spread in pips, and the calculator will find out the actual spread you are receiving.

If a broker is offering a spread as low as 1 pip, be cautious. As most of the brokers do not charge a commission, it the spread they use to make their money. In a 1 pip spread, there is very little scope for him to make profit.

It may so happen that they are quoting you a price, which is inaccurate. For example, the price is at 1.2000/1.2003. But the broker is quoting you 1.2002/1.2003. So, you go long at 1.2003. On the other hand, if the price goes up to 1.2007/1.2010 and you are quoted 1.2009/1.2010, you may decide to exit. But you get filled at 1.2007, the real price, instead of 1.2009.

So what is more important to you is not a forex 2 pip spread but an honest small spread broker who will pay you the spread he quotes. Make sure there is no slippage or requites. The broker must be regulated and must have proof of past success rates.

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Toby Smitz asked:




Introduction

At first glance, it may not appear that important, but you will come to appreciate the wisdom of ensuring you have all of the tools necessary to make your currency trading experience a positive one.

Work Station Location

Choosing the right place for trading is your first step. Be sure not to rush into making this decision too quickly. Do you have a spare room? How about an office? The place you choose should be a place where you can concentrate and feel comfortable.

Trading Forex at times can be very stressful, so your trading area should be a place where you can relax. Avoid setting up your trading setup in your bedroom, as this could disrupt your sleep cycle. Having the right amount of rest and sleep is as important as trading forex itself. Keep this in mind.

Trading Computer and Accessories

One of the most frustrating events for a new trader is attempting with outdated computer equipment. The following list must not be ignored in acquiring adequate computer equipment:

Minimum Hardware Requirements:

o Pentium 3

o 256 MB Ram

o 20 GB HD

o 17″ Monitor

o Fast Internet Connection

o Windows 2000, XP

o Antivirus and Firewall Protection

Whether you choose a desktop or laptop computer, be sure it meets the minimum requirements for the best operating results. You’ll also want to have a comfortable chair with adequate lower-back support.

Other useful accessories include: a small calculator, a telephone to call dealing desk if needed and a notebook to be used as a trading log.

Recommended Hardware Requirements:

o Pentium 4 2.6GHZ or better

o 512 MB Ram

o 100GB HD

o 2 17″monitors or 2 19″ (LCD)

o FAST Internet Connection

o Windows XP

o Antivirus and Firewall Protection

Internet Connection

When you are a day trader, you will need a stable fast internet connection, avoid internet services where frequent disconnections are the norm, for longer term traders (such as o daily chart traders), you can use a dial up connection but still preferred is a fast stable connection to the internet such as ADSL.

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John J. Drummond asked:




Forex trading robots have become quite a buzzword in the trading community. Some people swear by them while others remain skeptical. So the question remains: do Forex robots really work?

The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Some Forex robots do work while others are little more than scams. The thing you should consider is how much money you can make with a good one.

Why is that important?

This is important because even if you go through 3-4 bad robots (and you can find this out without risking real money by trading on a demo account), once you find a good one, you can make back the money you invested in all of the bad ones and more for months and years to come.

The Forex market has so much money in it that a good forex robot that does work is worth thousands of dollars and potentially more. The key is to choose a robot which is recommended, easy to use, and comes with a money back guarantee, so you know your purchase is safe.

How can you tell whether a specific Forex robot works or not?

The answer is to test it on a demo account. A demo account is an account in which you trade the Forex with imaginary money. You can get such an account at practically any broker today. They’re very common. A demo account allows you to test each software over a length of time in various market conditions without risking any of your hard earned money. It also gives you the time to experiment with the robot and make sure you’ve installed it correctly.

Make sure to test each robot for 3 weeks at least to make sure you have a full picture of its abilities and quality. Remember, even if you pick one robot that doesn’t work, there’s a good chance the next one will, so don’t give up so fast.

Forex Trading

Tony Matos asked:




All new traders have heard of forex trading or online currency trading and it is easy to learn once you know the basics.

It’s easy to learn to become a successful forex trader you need to know how forex trading is and how to be successful to trade forex. In order to pull off some of these trades you need to gain knowledge and is important to learn forex trading on from other experts. This can be done in the form of a forex tutorial or companies that are offering online tutorials and guides there are many excellent courses out there.

An online tutorial can explain how the foreign exchange market works and will also explain the types of forex orders that you will be placing. A forex tutorial will also explain nearly technical indicators and what they mean, the economic reports will also be a great guide and keep you up to date with daily strategies that are available to you as a forex trader.

When you start your forex trading it is essential that you figure out your trading plan; before depositing any of your hard earned cash. Many online forex brokers will let you open a demo account for you to practice and become familiar with forex. There are many forex courses available and these are also a top-notch way to learn forex trading as you can refer to these course and you have the opportunity to gain more confidence in your trading.

Finding a forex tutorial or forex trading course is simple. All you need to do is a brief search over the internet and you will own a great deal of information to choose from. If you are serious about succeeding as a forex trader, and begin a new career then it is up to you, so why not start learning the right way and learn how to succeed in forex.

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Kelly Price asked:




There are many forex day trading strategies and systems you can see promoted or for sale online – but which are the best? Let’s find out…

The answer is any forex day trading strategy you try won’t work because day trading and scalping by its very nature is doomed to failure – Why?

It’s simple really if you think about it.

You have to decide in a matter of hours or minutes, what a vast diverse group of traders are going to do and this group is countless millions.

Chaos in the Short Term

They all have different aims, educational levels, some are hedging some speculating, there are long term trend followers, swing traders and day traders and many are governed by their emotions, with greed and fear to the fore, so how on earth can you predict what they will do in short time spans?

You can’t! All short term volatility is random and you have no way of getting the odds on your side and you will lose.

What About the Profitable Track Records You See From Vendors?

You may see track records of profits but they are not quite what they seem.

Hunt around for the disclaimer on any of the forex day trading strategies you see sold online and you will see the worlds “hypothetical”, “simulated” and “back tested” written in the small print.

This means done on paper, not in real time! So these track records count for nothing, there simply made up.

Can You Make Money with any Short Term Trading?

Yes you can and rather than think forex day trading strategies think – forex swing trading strategies. Swing trading looks at longer time frames, normally a few days to a week and here you can get the odds on your side and that means you can win.

It’s still short term trading- but the data is valid and you can calculate the odds which is impossible in day trading.

If you like the idea of trading short term this is the way to go.

You can put together a robust swing trading strategy quickly and be making big profits in less than 30 minutes per day.

So don’t believe the hype about forex day trading strategies, go for a short term trading strategy that works forex swing trading.

You can avoid an inevitable loss and get on the road to currency trading success.

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Garima Bajoria asked:




If you are a newbie in Forex Trading and would like to understand the forex as well as successfully make profits from it then the best and easiest way to begin with it is through an automated software.

There are many complexities involved in forex trading since it has a highly volatile market. Hence for any human being it is very difficult to keep track of the daily market movements no matter how knowledgeable one is. No one can sit in front of the computer whole day since they have their daily jobs.

In such a scenario this automated software helps us a lot especially for the beginners who do not have proper guidance and are susceptible to misleading information and fake brokers. Therefore this software can be a boon for them.

The best feature of this automated software is that it runs on an auto-pilot without much human intervention. It makes profits from the constantly changing currency market which buys or sells shares for you on 24 hours basis as per your settings. You simply need to set a stop loss and trading profit for every trade so that this automated system locks in profits for that particular trade.

Beginners generally know that investment is done through broker which is the most common way of doing Forex Trading, the minimum balance generally beginning from 500$.Hence it can prove to be costly affairs for newbie to put such a big amount at stake. If they fail they will not only be loosing the money but also the confidence to venture into forex trading again. They will say- “Ah! Forex trading is not meant for me”, thus leaves behind such a lucrative earning prospects.

But with this Automated trading software, before investing their hard earned money one can play with a fake account through the demo features of this software. So that once you master the basics of forex trading and learn how to play safely then you can easily invest your real money.

And for traders who are currently having any Meta trader account but are facing losses they can easily merge that with automated software by importing the package to this trader account.

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Monica Hendrix asked:




There more popular than ever and greedy investors think they are going to get rich quickly with no effort. The reality check is almost all robots will destroy your account equity quickly…

95 – 98% of robots I see on the net have not even been traded!

The track record has this disclaimer on it.

Look for it in the small print if you see it and read it you will understand why it probably will fail miserably:

“CFTC RULE 4.41 – Hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain limitations. Unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not been executed, the results may have under-or-over compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity.

then of course the statement that makes the track record no use at al in determining profitability:

Simulated trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profit or losses similar to those shown”.

Now what is the logic of having a track record that has never been traded and what does it tell you?

Does it indicate anything about the profitability of the system – NO

Of Course it doesn’t and it’s a wonder that these track records are allowed to be used to sell to the public. Most of the time the traders buying the system don’t dig to deep and are generally trusting throw in some good copy and there soon buying the system.

I always read about how these forex robots are sold by ex bank traders etc – there not, there sold by marketing companies looking to tap into the huge market in forex trading products.

You can make money in forex but an automated trading system that has never been traded is not the way to do it. Let’s make one point clear:

Forex trading is NOT as easy as giving a few hundred dollars and buying success in a box – life isn’t like that!

You need to get the right forex education and do your homework – if you want to buy a forex trading system you can find some good ones with track records if you shop around – but never ever buy one with a simulation.

You could trying writing to the vendor and ask for his track record audited over say 2 years and see if you get a reply but don’t hold your breath.

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Joel Ng asked:




Forex trading is one of the hottest markets. This 3 trillion-dollar market can certainly provide you with the profit you want. Getting a good online forex trading software & training material is very important. The Trading from Home is the online home forex trader program. Most people probably do not have the time to attend forex trading course. Thus, an online forex trading education is more suitable.

The Trading from Home program was created by Michael Chase. He is professional Forex trader and a 20 year veteran in the markets. This entire home trader success program including F.R.E.D software and step-by-step training material let’s you get set-up and ready to make money within minutes.

What we like the most about this program is you will get free software upgrade for life. Besides that, you also get life time access to Trading From Home Members Area. You also get special insider tools that will make being a Home Forex Trader as easy and fast as it can be. You’ll always be updated with the latest information you must know as a Home Forex Trader, as well as new resources and tips develop and come across.

The foreign exchange market has become the most profitable and certainly one of the most accessible in the world. In fact, thousands of people earning a full-time income trading the Forex market from the comfort of their own home. However, there are also some who have failed in it miserably, due to lack the knowledge & without strategy.

Getting a thorough Forex Trading Education is all you need to become successful at online forex currency trading. You need to find a mentor who’s got a proven record and stick to the system. The Trading From Home program can provide you with improved results, make more money easier and faster, also a much better trading experience.

To read more about forex trading at home program visit : The trading from home [www.squidoo.com/thetradingfromhome]

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Zachary Bradford asked:




It is easy to understand why the concept of an automated forex trading system would be so appealing to the vast majority of traders. Although the first market to see this type of technology implemented was the futures exchange market, the currency exchange market was quick to take the second place in implementing the automation technologies.

The automated forex trading system allows instant execution of all the transactions, at any time of day or night, while still abiding to the same trading rules and following the same indicators.

This type of software assists the trader by offering access to various functions, such as account equity management, automatic trailing stops, discretional market orders, limit and / or stop orders, as well as various indicators for technical analysis which provide the trader with the possibility to study trends and develop complex trend-based strategies.

Depending on the technological support and the available features, an automated forex trading system will support most if not all of the indicators used on the currency market: various types of averages (exponential moving average, weighted moving average, simple moving average, triangular, variable and time series moving average), as well as wilder’s average true range, standard deviation, mass index, trailing stops, vertical horizontal filter and fixed stops and limits, among many others.

The automated forex trading system is able to perform trading operations in real time, at the same time allowing for a greater diversification. These traits, along with its capabilities for analyzing data over extremely short periods of time, have contributed to its success on the market.

The execution of real time operations allows traders to perform transactions within seconds. Until now, the limitations of manual trading only allowed closing trades after hours and hours.

Diversification creates opportunities for investment and profit not only on the local market, but internationally as well. The trader is able to close deals at any time of day or night with partners from around the globe.

Short term data analysis was impossible until the introduction of the automated forex trading system. This function gives the traders a greater edge in their trades, allowing them to easily predict market trends on short notice.

One of the most important benefits of the automated forex trading system was the great increase in the amount of daily trades. It was a logical result of the execution times dropping from a few hours to a few fractions of a second. Not only that, but the number of traders is constantly increasing, further expanding the market.

With the rapid progress of technology, it is clear that the forex market will only continue to develop, attracting more and more investors every day and making it ever easier to turn a profit through foreign currency trading.

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Ahmad A Hassam asked:




Combining forex trading with gold trading can be highly lucrative. If you have been following gold prices, you must know that gold prices have reached their historical peak in the recent times. Gold prices recently broke the historical barrier of $1,000 per ounce and now hovering around $ 1,150 per ounce. Market is anticipating a US Dollar depreciation.

Whenever, the markets become jittery, investors start buying gold as a hedge against the US Dollar. Last year, after the stock market crash, many investors started investing in gold as a safe haven against the turmoil in the financial markets. Gold and US Dollar have an inverse correlation relationship.

Gold and US Dollar are almost near perfect mirror image of each other. US Dollar depreciation during the global financial uncertainty has been the primary reason for the gold appreciation as it is viewed as the ultimate form of money. Gold is also seen as the primary safe haven commodity. Countries like China, Russia and India are converting there US Dollar reserves into gold. This is putting upward pressure on the gold prices. Gold market has been in fact in a secular bull market for the last many years.

Now the good news, if you are a forex trader or if you have just started trading forex, then you should know this fact that you can also trade gold alongwith forex. The technical analysis basics for both markets are almost the same. The details may vary but if you can trade forex, you can also trade gold. As said before, US Dollar and the gold prices have an inverse relationship so combining forex trading with gold trading can be a perfect hedge. Both compliment each other. Most of the brokers allow gold trading from the same platform that you use to trade forex. If you want to take part in this latest gold rush, you can start trading gold along with forex.

Forex Trading