16 September 2010

Forex Trading: Educate Thyself from Thyself

Forex Trading Journal - Learn From Yourself
by: Casey Stubbs

Making profits as a forex trader needs many things to fall into place. One of the key things is to have the right tools and processes that will give you the necessary structure so that you can trade with confidence. A forex trading journal should be one of the tools that you first look to setup. It will provide a framework of discipline that will allow you to trade like a professional trader.

What Is It?

A forex trading journal is a notebook, spreadsheet, or other record where you keep details about each trade that you make. These details should include the decision-making or strategy behind the trades. You will also want to note down every detail of the trade, including the date, what currency pair was involved, direction of proposed movement, entry price, planned exit price, the trade size, pips target, pips returned, profit or loss, and the relevant trading session. You can also put in a screen shot of the trade if you want to for future reference.

Why Keep This?

If you have a forex trading journal, you won't have to rely on your memory to remember every mistake you have made in the past as well as every profitable trade you've been able to accomplish. As a trader, you should know that trading currency is a non-stop education and experience is often the best teacher. You will give yourself the best chance to succeed by analyzing the various elements of your good and bad trade decisions. This will allow you to emulate profitable trades and, at the same time, avoid the trades that cost you money.

You will find that a forex trading journal provides benefits in many other ways including the way that it will make you think and analyze your activities. You might be the only one that ever reads it but it still will change the way that you approach future trade decisions. Seeing your trades in black and white can be a sobering experience and adds a dash of reality to what can just seem like paper transactions. You'll immediately find that it will make you think more professionally about what it really takes to make profits over a prolonged period. Having to record something will help to stop you from over-trading or gambling.

Learn From Your Mistakes

When you are trading in the world of foreign currencies, making mistakes is unavoidable. Sooner or later, you will slip up. Do not be afraid of this as it can teach you a valuable lesson. In fact, most of the successful traders found their edge through trial and error. Profits won't come without making some genuine effort to educate yourself as much as possible. Eventually, you will have to learn from your mistakes. And what better way to do that than with a forex trading journal. There is a reason that most successful and respected traders have one and use it constantly. Big financial institutions, banks and companies trading in the market also do the same thing. If you choose to have only one tool by your side, then this is what you will need.

About The Author
Casey Stubbs is an experienced forex trader who likes to share his expertise with those wanting to learn more about currency trading. To get free advice and to see Casey's own forex trading journal, please visit his established trader community at => http://www.winnersedgetrading.com

Article source: http://www.articlecity.com/

04 June 2010

Currency Trading for Mental Midgets

Currency Trading For Dummies: A Newbies View Of Forex

by: Andy Guides Jr

There is a lot to learn when you decide to start currency trading. The currency trading market is called the Foreign Exchange Market, the Currency Market, or most commonly, the Forex. This is one of the largest markets in the world. It is traded on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The market is, for the most part high risk, and the more a person knows about Forex, the more successful they will be in trades. This short article cannot begin to give you all of the information you need to begin trading. Even currency trading for dummies will require time and study to accomplish.

In it's simplest terms, Currency traders (traders), bet on currency exchange rates between specific countries. These rates can change by the minute and are based on many factors. The Forex is a completely level playing field. No one gets information ahead of time. Successful traders have systems and indicators that help them to recognize a change in direction for a certain currency and act on it proactively. It takes time and study to learn how to develop this speculative talent.

The most telling impact on currency in a country can be seen by the people of that country. Wars, arms, a death of major leaders, all affect the currency exchange rate. The global economy is affecting currency exchange rates around the world. Individuals who are speculating on when this currency will change direction have an opportunity to see significant gains in their portfolios or to lose substantially.

You will read a lot about "pairs" when you are learning about Forex. The USD is in all of the major pairs that are traded on Forex. When you see "pairs" alone, it is referred to USD/XX (The US dollar/Somebody else's currency). When currency is traded that does not involve the USD, it is a "cross currency pair." EUR, JPY, and GBP are the most actively traded cross currency pairs. EUR/JPY (Euro/Japanese Yen) is an example of a cross currency pair.

The stronger currency shown on a pair is traditionally shown on the right list the listing. For instance when you see EUR/USD, you know that the Euro is stronger than the US dollar. This is called the "base currency." Buying and selling always starts with your base currency. So, if you sell 1000 EUR, you will be buying 1000 USD at the same time. This is why it's called pairs. Think of it as elementary Algebra. Whatever happens on the left, the opposite happens on the right at the same time.

On paper it would look like this, 10000 EUR/USD. The currency on the right is called the "counter currency" or "secondary currency." The value of this currency when you buy or sell your base currency will determine what your profit or loss is on your trade.

There are thousands of these trades taking place every minute of every day. The rates move and fluctuate very quickly. Your success as a trader depends on your ability to read market fluctuations and make trades proactively. You will find pairs that are extremely high risk and pairs that are very low risk. Knowing the how much risk you can afford to take will determine which pairs you focus on in trading.

As you can see, this is just a teeny little peek at what there is to learn. Currency trading for dummies is not a short topic. You will want to learn about strategies and methods. You will also want to discuss Forex with successful traders through websites and blogs to learn what strategies they use and what they have tried that didn't work. When you are looking at programs and tools, you will need to do some research to make sure they have been written by a person who really is a successful trader and that the program they are selling is consistently successful.

About The Author
If you want to make a little extra money from home you may want to get a currency trading for dummies guide, so that you can start to do some currency trading on the side.

Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com

13 May 2010

Forex Signals: Some Insight

Forex Trading: The Exact Forex Trading Logic

by Tayor Mize

Generally Forex trading systems are made inedible technical indicators (a tender mean (MA) crossover, overbought/oversold conditions inside an oscillator, and that.) But could you repeat that? Are technical indicators? They are solely a run of data points plotted inside a chart; these points are derived from a algebraic formula useful to the fee of one agreed currency duo. Inside other terms, it is a chart of fee plotted inside a uncommon way with the intention of helps us think it over other aspects of fee.

Here is an valuable proposition on this definition of technical indicators. The detail with the intention of the readings obtained from them are based on fee proceedings. Take pro occasion a lengthy MA crossover indicate, the fee has dead up sufficient to get on to the fleeting cycle MA crossover the lengthy cycle MA generating a lengthy indicate. Generally traders think it over it equally ?the MA crossover made the fee energy up,? but it happened the other way around, the MA crossover indicate occurred since the fee went up. Everywhere I?m tiresome to make at this time is with the intention of by the aim, fee behavior dictates how an indicator want play a role, and this must befall taken into consideration on one trading decision made.

Trading decisions based on technical indicators lacking taking fee proceedings into consideration want produce us a reduced amount of accurate results. Pro model, again a lengthy indicate generated by a MA crossover equally the promote approaches an valuable resistance level. If the fee suddenly starts to bounce back rancid with the intention of valuable level here is thumbs down top on taking this indicate, fee proceedings is telltale us the promote doesn?t aspire to energy up. Generally of the calculate, under this circumstances, the promote want take up again to fall down, disregarding the MA crossover.

Don?t make me ill-treat at this time, technical indicators are a very valuable aspect of trading. They help us think it over particular conditions with the intention of are otherwise trying to think it over by watching wholesome fee proceedings. But as it comes to influence the trigger, fee proceedings inclusion into our Forex trading logic want beyond doubt deposit the odds inside our act of kindness, it want generate privileged probability trades.

So, how to create a exact Forex trading logic?

Initially of all, you need to get on to guaranteed your trading logic fits your trading personality; otherwise you want discover it tricky to stay on it. Each trader has uncommon needs and goals, hence here is thumbs down logic with the intention of impeccably fits all traders. You need to get on to your own investigate on various trading styles and technical indicators until you discover a thought with the intention of impeccably facility pro you. Get on to guaranteed you know the nature of whatever technical indicator used.

Secondly, incorporate fee proceedings into your logic. So you single take lengthy signals if the fee behavior tells you the promote wants to energy up, and fleeting signals if the promote gives you indication with the intention of it want energy down.

Third, and generally importantly, you need to be inflicted with the restraint to stay on your Forex trading logic rigorously. Try it initially on a sample tab, at that time move on to a minute tab and irrevocably as feeling comfortably and being regular profitable apply your logic inside a regular tab.


About The Author

Tayor Mize Forex dealer Info provides detailed in turn on forex brokers, forex trading and marketplace makers, and other forex-related topics. Forex dealer in place of inside depth in turn visit: http://www.best-forex-robot-review.com/

Article source: http://www.articlecity.com/

05 March 2010

Forex Options - Don't Miss This One

Using Forex Options to Their Full Potential

Aside from signals, you can use another equally useful instrument in forex trading. Options can mean a world of difference when used wisely.

What is an option? Essentially, an option is an agreement or contract that gives power to trade currency at a pre-determined specific price. It is called such because this power is optional- the holder of the contract is not obligated to use it.

In the forex market, there exist two kinds of options:

1. Call Options
Call options gives the power to buy currency at a specific price. It increases in value when the underlying stock goes up. In a nutshell, what you need to do is to buy call options on a stock when you predict its price is about to go up.

2. Put Options
Put options, on the other hand, is the power to sell the currency to someone else at a pre-determined price. You buy Put options if in your prediction, the stock of that currency is about to go down.

Here is the point: you buy or sell the stock to make a profit by buying the options and then selling them in turn those options to someone else for a profit.

At the end of the contract, the value of those options will be what is indicated in that contract. Other than that, anytime the value of that option is the value in the current market, where the holder has deemed that he would be making a profit. He has foreseen that his call options would go up and/or his put options will go down.

It may seem complicated at first, but it will all make sense once you get the principle. Remember that call options go up and put options go down.

Now add the concept of leveraging to the idea of options and the possibilities of profit would be staggering. Leveraging is the chance to borrow your broker's assets to trade for currency. So in effect, if you can buy put options at the right time, and sell them at the right time, your profits would greater.

Companies also use options to lower the risk in forex trades. Think of it, you can buy without being bound by the rules of the current fluctuation in the market. It just adds a new dimension to forex trading. Whether the underlying stock moves up or down, there is possibility for profit. Add to that the power of leveraging, and then we can make more profit. This only works if we can correctly call the movements of the currency stocks in mind.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. The idea gets more complicated as we compute the intrinsic values of the stocks and how companies use options to protect themselves from risks. Nevertheless, the basic principle remains the same: by trading options instead of stock, bigger returns are possible. On the other side, leveraging can also put you in a big risk.

This is why you have to have a sound forex trading strategy first, and you are confident enough to call the movement of the stock values. Once you are ready, then the possibilities of huge profits will all open for you. Learn more about options and the flow of forex trading; they will be your prime weapons to attain market success.

19 January 2010

Domo Arigato, Forex Roboto

Forex robot - good or bad?

by Mike Bordon

Forex robots are booming expert advisors in the forex business. Especially for those who have just entered the field and have just started to understand the rules and knacks in the trade find forex robots to their advantage. Automated forex robots use software that in turn uses complex algorithms which trade currency for you, day and night. There are many kinds of robots in the field, they are ranked as gold, silver, bronze and new& testing according to how accurate they prove themselves to be.

The trade takes place when a set of parameters set by the developers of the software are met in the market. It works by means API that is application programming index. This program receives information on the most current trade trends from your broker's account and then the software plans its trade according to this. Forex is a very fast paced market and whatever business strategies you are using have to run along with it. Forex robots are fast and are being updated by their developers 24*7.

All the forex trading automated software in the market today claim to turn into a genie and buy you heaps and heaps of quick money. But, while choosing a software you have to be very careful as along with all these promise forex scams are also rising. People are being cheated with assurance of success, but failure was the result. Therefore, while going to buy a forex robot, you have to always try it on a false or a demo account. When it has proved its accuracy, you can directly apply it to you real account, but otherwise not.

There are many developers who take advantage of the newcomers to the currency trade and try to sell them faulty software. This will not get you huge profits but heavy loss. So stay away from scams, and before taking on a forex automated program give it a trial and only after you are satisfied, apply it to your real forex account.

About the Author

Forex Robot will help you to earn real profits in the forex trading. For more details you can visit http://www.forexrobot.com/

Article source: http://www.goarticles.com

14 December 2009

Forex Trading Platforms--What's the 411?

Forex Trading Platforms And Forex

by: Phil Jarvie

Think of the "platform" as the roads and freeway system that connects all traders to the finanical markets including forex. At the base level, everyone must be connected to the Internet. On top of that layer of connection, all programs and systems must be able to talk to each other.

All data must be stored some where, and all users must connect to that some where - which is where the "platform" comes in. So, there are many data-centers around the World, and they all update each other so that there are many copies of the same information in many places.

When anything ever happens - either a trade or a piece of news - all the servers are updated super-fast, and all of us are connected to this information by means of the platform.

Every vendor of a forex trading robot or expert advisor has chosen to make his pruct "talk to" the World via a platform. By a very large margin, MetaTrader 4 is the platform of choice used by almost every company I have found so far.

It overcomes language issues, computer operating system issues, and works across all Internation jurisdictions.

Therefore, MetaTrader 4 is the best and most widely used solution for brokers, the banks and financial companies, dealing centers and of course the vendors of robots/advisors. The main advantages of the system are:

Coverage of financial markets

The trading platform MetaTrader 4 covers all International brokerage and trading activities at Forex, Futures and CFD markets. It is what is used for all reporting and news services.

Multi-currency basis

The system is designed on a multi-currency basis. It means that any currency can serve as a general currency used in the operation of the whole complex in any country and with any national currency.

Economy and productivity

the data transfer and processing protocols used by MetaTrader4 are notable for their economy. This means that low powered server such as a Pentium 4 2 GHz, 512 DDR RAM, 80 GB HDD can handle several thousand traders at the same time. Its new protocols reduce both the demands on datalink and the cost.

Reliability

Everything at the server end is backed up in several places. And these backups are synchronized. So if there ever was damage to the history it allows everything to be restored. Historical databases can be restored within several minutes, with the help of another MetaTrader 4 server.

Safety

To provide safety, all the information exchanged between parts of the complex is encrypted by 128-bit keys. Such solution guarantees safekeeping of information transferred and leaves no chance for a third person to use it. A built-in DDoS attacks guard-system raises the stability of operation of the server and the system as a whole.

DDoS is where a person may use thousands of infected computers to attack the MetaTrader4 server. DDoS-attacks resistance is therefore very important. What they do is hide the IP address of the server, and filter the incoming attacks. Data Centers also have a built-in DDoS-attacks protection systems. So the DDoS protection is at many levels.

Multi-lingual support

MetaTrader 4 supports different languages, and a Multi-Language Pack program is included into distributive packages. It provides translation of all program interfaces into any language. With the help of Multi-Language Pack you can easily create any language and integrate it into the program. This feature of the system brings MetaTrader 4 nearer to end-users in any country of the world.

Application Program Interfaces

Think of it as a "plug-in". MetaTrader 4 Server API makes it possible to customize the role of the platform to meet your requirements. Forex Robot vendors use the API to get their program to communicate with the platform. The API standardises everything and can solve a wide range of problems of:

creating additional analyzers for finding a trend of monthly increase of traders;

* creating applications of integration into other systems;

* extending the functionality of the server;

* implementing its own system work control mechanisms;

and do much more.

Integration with web-services

To provide traders with services of higher quality, the system supports the integration with web services (www, wap). This feature allows real-time publishing of quotations and charts on a website site, dynamic tables containing contest results and much more. This is also a very powerful feature relied upon by Expert Advisor vendors.

Flexibility of the system

The platform possesses a wide range of customizable functions. You can set all the parameters, from trade session times to detailed properties of the financial instruments of each user group.

Subadministration

Subadministration mechanisms allow many Introducing Brokers (IBs) on one server quite easily. For processing all accounts and orders of the clients of the IBs, only one server is needed.

Because of the power and flexibility of MetaTrader 4, that it can be used by all groups of people Internationally, and that all groups of users can talk to the server equally, it is the default choice for most Forex robot expert advisors.


About The Author

Phil Jarvie is a professional forex day trader with vast experience using and testing expert advisor forex robots. Visit http://www.forex-robots-reviewed.info where you will find 40 such robots have been tested and reviewed (good and bad), and also to find other useful articles and training materials.

Article source: http://www.articlecity.com