The Meaning of FOREX - ( What is Forex )

FOREX - the foreign exchange market or currency market or Forex is the market where one currency is traded for another. It is one of the largest markets in the world.

Some of the participants in this market are simply seeking to exchange a foreign currency for their own, like multinational corporations which must pay wages and other expenses in different nations than they sell products in. However, a large part of the market is made up of currency traders, who speculate on movements in exchange rates, much like others would speculate on movements of stock prices. Currency traders try to take advantage of even small fluctuations in exchange rates.

In the foreign exchange market there is little or no 'inside information'. Exchange rate fluctuations are usually caused by actual monetary flows as well as anticipations on global macroeconomic conditions. Significant news is released publicly so, at least in theory, everyone in the world receives the same news at the same time.

Currencies are traded against one another. Each pair of currencies thus constitutes an individual product and is traditionally noted XXX/YYY, where YYY is the ISO 4217 international three-letter code of the currency into which the price of one unit of XXX currency is expressed. For instance, EUR/USD is the price of the euro expressed in US dollars, as in 1 euro = 1.2045 dollar.

Unlike stocks and futures exchange, foreign exchange is indeed an interbank, over-the-counter (OTC) market which means there is no single universal exchange for specific currency pair. The foreign exchange market operates 24 hours per day throughout the week between individuals with forex brokers, brokers with banks, and banks with banks. If the European session is ended the Asian session or US session will start, so all world currencies can be continually in trade. Traders can react to news when it breaks, rather than waiting for the market to open, as is the case with most other markets.

Average daily international foreign exchange trading volume was $1.9 trillion in April 2004 according to the BIS study.

Like any market there is a bid/offer spread (difference between buying price and selling price). On major currency crosses, the difference between the price at which a market maker will sell ("ask", or "offer") to a wholesale customer and the price at which the same market-maker will buy ("bid") from the same wholesale customer is minimal, usually only 1 or 2 pips. In the EUR/USD price of 1.4238 a pip would be the '8' at the end. So the bid/ask quote of EUR/USD might be 1.4238/1.4239.

This, of course, does not apply to retail customers. Most individual currency speculators will trade using a broker which will typically have a spread marked up to say 3-20 pips (so in our example 1.4237/1.4239 or 1.423/1.425). The broker will give their clients often huge amounts of margin, thereby facilitating clients spending more money on the bid/ask spread. The brokers are not regulated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (since they do not sell securities), so they are not bound by the same margin limits as stock brokerages. They do not typically charge margin interest, however since currency trades must be settled in 2 days, they will "resettle" open positions (again collecting the bid/ask spread).

Individual currency speculators can work during the day and trade in the evenings, taking advantage of the market's 24 hours long trading day

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Five Major Currency Traded on Forex

Five Major Currencies are:

1. U.S dollar - The United States dollar is the world's main currency – an universal measure to
evaluate any other currency traded on Forex.

2. Euro - Euro was designed to become the premier currency in trading by simply being quoted
in American terms. Like the U.S. dollar, the euro has a strong international presence
stemming from members of the European Monetary Union.


3. Japanese Yen - The Japanese yen is the third most traded currency in the world; it has a
smaller international presence than the U.S. dollar or the euro. The yen is very liquid around
the much world, practically around the clock.

4. British Pound - Until the end of World War II, the pound was the currency of reference.
The currency is heavily traded against the euro and the U.S. dollar, but has a spotty presence
against other currencies.After the introduction of the euro, Bank of England is attempting to
bring the high U.K. rates closer to the lower rates in the euro zone.

5. Swiss Franc - Swiss franc is the only currency of a major European country that belongs is
neither to the European Monetary Union nor to the G-7 countries. Although the Swiss the
economy relatively small, the Swiss franc is one of the four major currencies, closely
resembling strength and quality of the Swiss economy and finance.

To have a well focusing, you have to concentrate on less than 5 currency pairs( preferred the U.S. cross-currency pairs.)

Some traders see forex as a business, and some see it as a fortune. And even some traders think forex is an art. But anyway, its highly recommended to use pivot system in your trading plan or else you are trading blind

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Setting Up An Account - Forex Basics

Forex Basics: Setting Up An Account

Foreign-exchange (forex) trading consists of the buying and selling of world currencies, and its marketplace is among the most liquid in the world. The unique aspect of trading forex is that individual investors can compete with large hedge funds and banks - they just need to set up the right account. (For background reading, see Getting Started In Forex.)

There are three main types of trading accounts - standard, mini and managed - and each has its own pros and cons. Which type of account is right for you depends on your tolerance for risk, the size of your initial investment and the amount of time you have to trade the market on a daily basis.

Standard Trading Accounts
The standard trading account is the most common account. Its name derives from the fact that you have access to standard lots of currency, each of which is worth $100,000.

This doesn't mean that you have to put down $100,000 of capital in order to trade. The rules of margin and leverage (typically 100:1 in forex) mean that only $1,000 needs to be in the margin account for one standard lot to be traded.

Pros
Service
Because the standard account requires adequate up-front capital to trade full lots, most brokers provide more services and better perks for individual investors who have this type of account.

Gain Potential
With each pip being worth $10, if a position moves with you by 100 pips in one day, the gain will be $1,000. This type of gain is not possible with any other account type, unless more than one standard lot is traded.

Cons
Capital Requirement
Most brokers require standard accounts to have a starting minimum balance of at least $2,000 and sometimes $5,000 to $10,000.

Loss Potential
Just as you have the opportunity to gain $1,000 if a position moves with you, you could lose $1,000 in a 100-pip move against you. This loss could be devastating to an inexperienced trader with just the minimum in his account.

This type of account is recommended for experienced, well-funded traders.

Mini Trading Accounts
A mini trading account is simply a trading account that allows traders to make transactions using mini lots. In most brokerage accounts, a mini lot is equal to $10,000, or one-tenth of a standard account. Most brokers that offer standard accounts will also offer mini accounts as a way to bring in new clients who are hesitant to trade full lots because of the investment required.

Pros
Low Risk
By trading in $10,000 increments, inexperienced traders can trade without blowing through an account, and experienced traders can test new strategies without a lot of money on the line.

Low Capital Requirement
Most mini accounts can be opened with $250 to $500, and they come attached with up to 400:1 leverage.

Flexibility
The key to successful trading is having a risk-management plan and sticking to it. With mini lots, it is a lot easier to do this, because if one standard lot is too risky, you can buy five or six mini lots and minimize your risk.

Con
Low Reward
With low risk comes low reward. Mini accounts that trade $10,000 lots can only produce $1 per pip of movement, as opposed to $10 in a standard account. This type of account is recommended for beginning forex traders or those looking to dabble with new strategies.

Note: Micro accounts, the sister account to the mini, are also available through some online brokers. These accounts trade in $1,000 lots and have pip movements worth 10 cents per point. These accounts are typically used for investors with limited foreign-exchange knowledge and can be opened for as little as $25.

Managed Trading Account
Managed trading accounts are forex accounts in which the capital is yours but the decisions to buy and sell are not. Account managers handle the account just as stockbrokers handle a managed stock account, where you set the objectives (profit goals, risk management and so on) and they work to meet them.

There are two types of managed accounts:

1. Pooled Funds: Your money is put into a mutual fund with that of other investors and the profits are shared. These accounts are categorized according to risk tolerance. A trader looking for higher returns will put his or her money in a pooled account that has a higher risk/reward ratio, while a trader looking for steady income would do the opposite. Read the fund's prospectus before investing. (Read Digging Deeper: The Mutual Fund Prospectus if you need help making sense of this important document.)

2. Individual Accounts: A broker will handle each account individually, making decisions for each investor instead of the combined pool.

Pro
Professional Guidance
Having a professional forex broker handle an account is an advantage that cannot be overstated. Also, if you want to diversify your portfolio without spending all day watching the market, this is a great choice.

Cons
Price
Be aware that most managed accounts will require a minimum $2,000 investment for pooled accounts and $10,000 for individual accounts. On top of this, account managers will keep a commission, called an "account maintenance fee", which is calculated per month or per year.

Flexibility
If you see the market moving, you won't have the flexibility to place a position. Instead, you'll have to rely on the account manager to make the right choice. This type of account is recommended for investors with high capital and no time or interest to follow the market.

Conclusion
No matter what account type is chosen, it is wise to take a test drive first. Most brokers offer demo accounts, which give investors an opportunity to not only use an account risk-free, but also to try out different platforms and services.

As a basic rule of thumb, never put money into an account unless you are completely satisfied with the investment being made. With the different options available for forex trading accounts, the difference between being profitable and ending up in the red may be as simple as choosing the right account type.

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Sell and Buy Currencies from Home

If you want to make money working at home, enjoying the beach and the family's company everyday, there are many home business resources online from different gurus involved in mlm, web development and many more. If you want to make money online, there is no such thing as "get rich quick". One of the fastest way to financial freedom is to invest time and learning in one of the most successful home businesses, Forex.


There are two kinds of people earning money that I can think of :

- the one who is earning quite big, but don't have the time to enjoy it;

- the one with a lot of time, but do not have the money to use.


If you really want to learn how to earn money, one thing you can focus on is forex trading education , with this you can make the lifestyle you have always wanted.

In having a business, money is the medium or the means of exchange. The typical business has a product or service in exchange for money.

Forex is the type of home based business without ever having collection problems, maintaining customers and too much competition. All you need is a laptop, internet, and the quality learning, training and the right forex strategies. It takes small amount of capital to get going and you get leverage with it.

This are advantages that are important because people who are entering Forex are serious about making money, hard earned money, not just the change under the couch.

You do not need a degree or any kind of type of learning to be able to be exceptional in forex dealing. All you need is a quality home study course and a reliable forex trading software/broker.

Why would you go into learning to trade Forex?

You can start with a small amount of capital and leverage it.

Leverage is a very powerful tool to make money very quickly.

Leverage is is borrowing money to supplement existing funds for investment in such a way that the potential outcome is enhanced. If you are serious to make money as fast as possible, leveraging is an aspect of Forex that can make you rich.

This is a potential of either large gains or losses. You cannot lose more than what you are willing to risk so it isn't a problem. And if you have been diligently keeping yourself educated, this is a factor you have to be very happy about because of the potential gains.


Other great reasons are:

- It is a 24-hour market and you can do this any time you want, even in your spare time. Trading positions open at Monday 7am, New Zealand time and close 5pm New York time on Friday. It is a continuous currency exchange. This makes it flexible for you.


- With the right learning, you can predict outcomes, technical analysis helps to see if you can be profitable or not.

- Operation cost are low. Unlike Stocks and other investments, mistakes and risks in Forex are manageable. You can risk any more than what you can( also called forex margin). No wonder Forex is becoming so popular.

- You can start small and earn big! Forex has a trading volume of 1.5 Trillion everyday, Equities ( 50 billion everyday) and futures (30 billion everyday), does a fraction of 1.5 trillion everyday change your life?

- In any market condition, you can profit. Because it is traded in pairs, there is no biase to another currency moving up or down.

- This market is very open, you can manage risks and orders in seconds,and be updated with forex news, let's say like... twenty minutes? You watch television longer than this.

If you want to change your life for the better, there is no better investment that you can do know but to learn to trade forex, and practice, practice practice with demo account in a forex platform. If you are looking for legitimate business opportunities, learning to trade forex is a great consideration you must make.

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