Beginner’s Overview of Foreign Currency Exchange

Foreign currency exchange trading can be very rewarding, but can also be very intimidating to a beginner. To get started, you will need to know some basics:

1. What is foreign currency exchange?
2. How is it traded?
3. What are the benefits?
4. What are the risks?
5. How can I get started?

What is Foreign Currency Exchange?

The Foreign currency exchange (FOREX) market is a cash (or “spot”) market for currency. Unlike the stock exchange, the FOREX market is not located on a trading floor or centralized on an exchange. Instead, it is entirely electronic within a network of banks and runs 24 hours per day Sunday evening (5:00 pm EST) through Friday evening (4:00 pm EST), excluding some holidays. The fact that it is all electronic means that you can tap into it from your computer.

How is it traded?

FOREX is traded in currency pairs, for example EUR/USD is the Euro base currency and the US dollar counter (or quote) currency. There are six major pairs: EUR/USD, GBP/USD (Great Britian pound vs. US dollar), USD/JPY (US dollar vs. Japanese yen), USD/CAD (US dollar vs. Canadian dollar), AUD/USD (Australian dollar vs. US dollar), and USD/CHF (US dollar vs. Swiss Franc).

Currencies are traded in dollar amounts called lots. For a “standard” account, one lot (called a standard lot) is $1,000 and controls $100,000 in currency. For example, when you place an order to buy one lot of EUR/USD, you are buying the EUR and simultaneously selling the USD. The margin you must put up to place the order is $1000 (for a standard lot). You are going long the EUR and expecting it to strengthen against the USD. For every increase of $0.0001 in the EUR, you make one “pip” (price interest point) equivalent to $10 per lot traded.

Similarly, for a “mini-account” when you place an order to sell one mini-lot (one-tenth of a standard lot) of EUR/USD, you are selling the EUR and simultaneously buying the USD. You are going short the EUR and expecting it to weaken against the USD. The margin requirement is $100.00 per mini-lot. For every decrease in the EUR of $0.0001 you make one pip equivalent to $1 per mini-lot traded.

Note that unlike trading stocks, there are absolutely no restrictions on short-selling in FOREX. Short-selling is exactly like buying – except that you’re selling of course.

The pip value and amount per pip per lot differs when the USD is not the counter or quote currency. For example, when buying the USD/JPY pair with a ask price of 109.00 (meaning 1 USD equals 109.00 yen), a change in the Japanese yen of 0.01 yen is equivalent to 1 pip or $9.17 per pip per lot traded ($9.17 = $100,000 x 0.01 / 109.00).

The broker makes money off the spread which is the difference in the quotation ask and bid prices. You buy the base currency at the ask price and sell it at the bid price. Generally, the major currency pairs have relatively low spreads. The EUR/USD is commonly two to three pips and the GPD/USD is commonly four to five pips. For example, the current bid/ask price for EUR/USD is quoted at 1.2322/1.2324. This means that you can buy 1 EUR (the base currency) for $1.2324 USD (the counter-currency). You buy at the ask price. You can sell 1 EUR for $1.2322 USD (you sell at the bid price). You will pay the broker the spread or $1.2324 - $1.2322 = $0.0002 = 2 pips. For a standard lot, the broker fee (in this example) is $10 x 2 pips = $20 per standard lot for a roundtrip trade (1 buy and matching sell or 1 sell and matching buy). For a mini-lot, the fee would be $1 x 2 pips = $2 per mini-lot for a roundtrip trade. The broker fee is automatically deducted from your account.

Obviously, if you buy (go long) a currency pair, you expect the base currency to increase in price. Your objective is to sell later at a price higher than you purchased and make a profit. On the flip side, if you sell (go short) a currency pair, you expect the base currency to decrease in price. Your objective is to buy later at a price that is lower than the price you originally sold, and thus make a profit off the difference.

There’s more to it than can be explained in this overview, but you should get the basic idea.

What are the benefits?

1. With FOREX trading, there is no inventory, no employees, and no customers. Your overhead can be as minimal as a home computer with internet access.

2. You can get started with a “mini-account” investing as little as $300.

3. Currency prices tend to repeat in relatively predictable cycles creating strong trends. Once you learn how to trade properly, you can compound your money, and potentially turn a little into a lot.

4. You can trade for a few hours per week, or much more if you want to. It’s all up to you.

5. The FOREX market is very liquid, with trillions of dollars traded every day. On its slowest day, orders can usually be placed within a few seconds if you stay with the major currencies. Instantaneous execution (1 to 2 seconds) is the norm during normal trade volume days (for the major currencies).

6. You can trade from just about anywhere as long as you have a computer with internet access to your account.

What are the risks?

1. The market can be very volatile, especially during times of major news releases, also known as “fundamental announcements.” The time of these announcements is usually known in advance. Many traders simply stay out of the market during these announcements and wait until market volatility has settled back down.

2. If you use too much margin or risk too much on any one trade, your account could suffer badly on a trade that doesn’t go your way. Proper risk management, including sound placement of stops and not risking more than 2 percent of your account on any one trade, can alleviate this risk. Do not risk more money than you can afford to lose.

3. A major world event could trigger a huge volatility swing that could wipe out your account (or even more). However, some brokers limit the loss to the amount in your account. (Of course, a major world event could also cause the trade to go your way.)

4. Trader psychology (fear and greed) can play a big role in your success or failure as a trader. Trading education is one of the keys to overcoming these human flaws.

5. You could fail to place a stop loss with your order. A change in price could force a liquidation of your trade if your account falls below the required margin maintenance. To alleviate this risk, always set a stop loss when you place an order.

This list is not meant to be inclusive. There are other risks.

How can I get started?

You can easily open an online account by selecting one from many available FOREX brokers. You can, and should open a demo account to practice (and learn) for several months for free. The practice account makes simulated trades using real-time data. This is called “paper trading.” You should not trade your real account until you have proven to yourself that you can be profitable in your demo account.

Once you get started, you can trade currencies from just about anywhere. About all you need is a computer with internet access to your trading account. Many brokers also provide free charting software.

Jim McCabe

Currency Trading Tips! Get Rich!

What are you really selling or buying in the currency market?

The short answer is nothing. The retail FX market is purely a speculative market. No physical exchange of currencies ever takes place. All trades exist simply as computer entries and are netted out depending on market price. For dollar-denominated accounts, all profits or losses are calculated in dollars and recorded as such on the trader's account.

The primary reason the FX market exists is to facilitate the exchange of one currency into another for multinational corporations who need to trade currencies continually (for example, for payroll, payment for costs of goods and services from foreign vendors, and merger and acquisition activity). However, these day-to-day corporate needs comprise only about 20% of the market volume. Fully 80% of trades in the currency market are speculative in nature, put on by large financial institutions, multi-billion dollar hedge funds and even individuals who want to express their opinions on the economic and geopolitical events of the day.

Meaning of Trading in Pairs

Because currencies always trade in pairs, when a trader makes a trade he or she is always long one currency and short the other. For example, if a trader sells one standard lot (equivalent to 100,000 units) of EUR/USD, she would, in essence, have exchanged euros for dollars and would now be short euro and long dollars. To better understand this dynamic, let's use a concrete example. If you went into an electronics store and purchased a computer for $1,000, what would you be doing? You would be exchanging your dollars for a computer. You would basically be short $1,000 and long 1 computer. The store would be long $1,000 but now short 1 computer in its inventory. The exact same principle applies to the FX market, except that no physical exchange takes place. While all transactions are simply computer entries, the consequences are no less real.

Great Returns in Currency Trading

The opportunities for unmatched returns and investment protection in the brave new world of foreign currency investing are second to none. In Foreign Currency Trading, financial executives Russell Wasendorf, Sr., and Russell Wasendorf, Jr., describe foreign currency trading in plain terms, and help you understand the risks, benefits, and operational requirements that you will need to take advantage of this market’s tremendous potential. Look to Foreign Currency Trading for clear explanations on the mechanics of foreign currency trading, in-depth discussion of all pertinent foreign exchange rules and regulations, and a comprehensive glossary with literally hundreds of terms essential to forex trading. With formerly imposing currency trading restrictions having been struck down in recent court rulings, the world of foreign currency trading is an exciting and rapidly-expanding field.

Forex Facts

There are many benefits and advantages for trading currencies on the Foreign Exchange, better known as Forex.

The Forex Exchange was established in 1971. This market grew at a steady rate throughout the 1970’s, but in the 1980’s Forex grew from trading $70 billion per day to over $1.5 trillion each day.

There are many huge players in Forex, but it is accessible to the individual trader. Each lot traded is worth approximately $100,000. By using leverage, an individual trader is only required to have a $1000 investment in the trade. This is a 100:1 leverage. No other market offers this amount of leverage.

Forex is also an extremely liquid market. Because it is so large, you can buy or sell in only seconds where your trade is only a mouse click away. You can also preset an automatic close for your position. This means you don’t have to sit and watch your position, just place the trade, set an exit point and go what you want.

Forex trades virtually 24 hours, 7 days a week. It only closes from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening. This makes it possible to set your own trading hours. If you trade part time and want to place your trade at 3am, log into your account and trade. If you are a full time trader, the same applies. No other market lets you pick the hours you trade.

There are no commissions charged on Forex, only a small transaction fee. This is not possible in any other market, as brokers charge a commission on each trade in all other markets.

Because currencies are traded in pairs, so you are buying one currency and selling the other. For example, if an investor believes the US dollar will gain against the euro, you would buy the US dollar and sell the euro. It’s just that simple.

The potential for profit is good as there is always movement between currencies. Even a small change can result in substantial profits because of the large amount of money involved in the transaction.

First and foremost, before just opening an account and blindly making some trades, you need proper training. Study the market, learn the terms used in trading, set up a demo account with a currency broker. Then, and only then, use real money to trade.

Currency Trading or Dogs-of-the-Dow.

Have you ever heard of the Dogs-of-the-Dow system. It’s a well known system in the stock and trading business. There are several stock brokers who have earned a lot of money by working with this system. They are using at for several years now. They think it’s a safe way to let your money grow slowly but consistently.

If you know the Dogs-of-the-Dow system you know that the system makes yearly a better percentage then the index.

If you have started using the system several years ago and used it properly for those years you would have earned a nice percentage each year. Double figures are more then ones made. A high yield income of 17.7 % average annual return since 1973 has been made.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average overall return was 11.9 % during that same periode.
So you would have made almost 6 % more each year. Not bad at all.


If you never heard about it let me explain how that system works.
At some point in the year, mostly early January, you take a look at all the companies that gives you the highest dividend payment.

You make a basket (several companies added together) then you decide how much percentage you will spent on each company. Next you buy stocks of each company to a curtain amount of money you have available and wait until the year passes.
When the year has passed you make op the balance and see how much you have earned.

If you don’t want to trade frequently the Dogs-of-the-Dow system is a very relaxing and defensive and profitable way of money investment.

If you want to make a higher profit, trading is a better and faster way. Foreign currency trading in particular. Foreign currency trading requires little more than just knowing the currency course rate.
You have to understand some basics techniques of how the market trades those currencies.


With the right knowledge and techniques you can easily turn $ 50 into $ 1000.
Trading then isn’t just making money it’s also fun.
The fun is that it can be done 24 hours a day. When one market closes the other opens up. So you go from New York to Amsterdam to Tokyo to Sydney and back to New York.

Want to hear about the benefits of trading foreign currency instead of other money investment products.

Find out and http://www.powerfulltradingcourse.com

What Is Forex? Get Rich!

Although forex is the largest financial market in the world, it is relatively unfamiliar terrain to retail traders. Until the popularization of internet trading a few years ago, FX was primarily the domain of large financial institutions, multinational corporations and secretive hedge funds. But times have changed, and individual investors are hungry for information on this fascinating market.

What makes the relative value of Currency fluctuate?

There are two reasons the relative value of a currency fluctuates. The first is because of a 'real' market: as outside investors or visitors wish to buy things within a country, they are forced to convert their domestic currency into the currency of the country they are buying within. Similarly, as money leaves the country, people must sell their currency for the foreign currency they will need to spend or invest abroad.

The second force for currency fluctuation is speculation. As investors feel a given currency will act strongly or weakly, they will buy or sell accordingly. This speculation can have drastic consequences on a national currency and consequently on a country's economy. During the East Asia Crisis in 1997, for example, as nations in Asia began facing economic downturns, speculators used currency trading to realize enormous profits and in many analysts' view helped to exacerbate the problem.

Benefits of Currency Trading

Currency trading has many very real benefits over equity trading like the stock exchange. The spreads for currency trading are extremely low, making the cost to a trader very low as well. The volatility of the currency market is extremely high, which means that a trader can generate enormous return on a given exchange. The ratio of volatility to spread is approximately 500:1 for the currency trading market, as compared to 100:1 for even the most ideal of stocks.

Until recently, the currency trading market was very closed to small investors. Banking conglomerates and large multinationals were the main movers of this market place. In the past few years, however, new technologies have opened the doors to investors of all stripes. It is difficult to miss the enormous benefit of this 'new' market for the individual investor: higher returns with lower risk given the same amount of market knowledge have a very small downside.

Should You Use a Pareto Chart

What? you don't know what it is

Unless you are familiar with manufacturing management principles, you probably have not heard of a pareto chart. It is a very effective tool managers use, to manage and effect outcomes in manufacturing environments. You're saying, How in the heck will this help my trading? Well it can, if you use it right.

Another name for using pareto charts is, managing by exception. It brings focus on the problem areas, you then try to change these areas to produce different results in the future. With this chart you will quickly see the weakest areas in your trading. On the other hand you also identify your strongest. This allows you to put maximum effort in areas where you need the most improvement.

To build a pareto chart for trading you should start with 3 columns and 12 rows. Place the words; System, Psychology, and Emotion across the top. (one in each column) Down the side you will track each trade. This chart will be used with your trading log. You should all keep a trading log, you can enter information from prior log entries also.

There are three things that directly affect your trading, they are now listed at the top of your pareto chart. After you have listed trades in the side rows. Put a check in the column that corresponds to the main reason you think that the trade was a success or a failure. Once you have completed your list, take a look at the failed trades. You will probably see a pattern of the same reason again and again.

With this simple chart you have quickly identified your main weakness. With this knowledge you can analyze the problem and form solutions to change that outcome. A valuable tool for this is called a root cause analysis.