A number of firms are presently offering options on off-exchange
foreign currency contracts. Buying and selling forex options pres-
ent additional risks, many of which are similar to those inherent
in buying options on futures contracts. Therefore, you should
consult NFA’s brochure, Buying Options on Futures Contracts:
A Guide to Uses and Risks, which discusses the mechanics and
risks of options trading.
There are two significant differences between buying off-exchange
forex options and buying options on futures contracts. First, when
you exercise an option on an exchange-traded futures contract, you
receive the underlying exchange-traded futures contract. When
you exercise an off-exchange forex option, you will probably receive
either a cash payment or a position in the underlying currency.
Second, NFA’s options brochure only discusses American-style
options, which can be exercised at any time before they expire.
Many forex options are European-style options, which can be exer-
cised only on or near the expiration date. You should understand
which type of option you are purchasing.
July 22, 2009
Two Great Forex Indicators: Bollinger Bands and Fibonacci Retracemen
Forex trading is a fascinating way of earning a living online, and if you are seriously considering entering this fascinating world of forex trading you must consider, by all means, the learning and understanding of a number of indicators that will give you invaluable help on predicting with a high probability the directions the forex market may take as you carefully analyze the price charts for any currency you are trading at the moment. Two of these important indicators are: "Bollinger Bands" and "Fibonacci Retracements".
The basic interpretation of "Bollinger Bands" is that prices tend to stay within the space formed by the tracings of the upper and lower bands. The distinctive characteristic of "Bollinger Bands" is that the spacing between the bands varies based on the volatility of the prices. During periods of extreme currency price changes (i.e., high volatility), the bands widen to become more forgiving. During periods of low volatility, the bands narrow to contain currency prices. The bands are plotted two standard deviations above and below a simple moving average. They indicate a "sell" when prices are above the moving average (or close to the upper band) and a "buy" when prices are below it (or close to the lower band). The bands are used by some forex traders in conjunction with other analyses, including RSI, MACD, CCI, and Rate of Change. "Fibonacci retracement levels" are a sequence of numbers discovered by the noted mathematician Leonardo da Pisa during the twelfth century. These numbers describe cycles found throughout nature and when applied to technical analysis can be used to find pullbacks in the currency market. "Fibonacci retracement levels" are a quite effective way to see the future (at least in the forex markets), i.e., it involves anticipating changes in trends as prices near the lines created by the Fibonacci studies. After a significant price move (either up or down), prices will often retrace a significant portion (if not all) of the original move. As prices retrace, support and resistance levels often occur at or near the "Fibonacci Retracement levels" (See my articles on "Fibonacci trading" for more detail about this). In the currency markets, the commonly used sequence of ratios is 23.6 %, 38.2%, 50% and 61.8%. Fibonacci retracement levels can easily be displayed by connecting a trend line from a perceived high point to a perceived low point. By taking the difference between the high and low, the user can apply the % ratios to achieve the desired pullbacks.
The basic interpretation of "Bollinger Bands" is that prices tend to stay within the space formed by the tracings of the upper and lower bands. The distinctive characteristic of "Bollinger Bands" is that the spacing between the bands varies based on the volatility of the prices. During periods of extreme currency price changes (i.e., high volatility), the bands widen to become more forgiving. During periods of low volatility, the bands narrow to contain currency prices. The bands are plotted two standard deviations above and below a simple moving average. They indicate a "sell" when prices are above the moving average (or close to the upper band) and a "buy" when prices are below it (or close to the lower band). The bands are used by some forex traders in conjunction with other analyses, including RSI, MACD, CCI, and Rate of Change. "Fibonacci retracement levels" are a sequence of numbers discovered by the noted mathematician Leonardo da Pisa during the twelfth century. These numbers describe cycles found throughout nature and when applied to technical analysis can be used to find pullbacks in the currency market. "Fibonacci retracement levels" are a quite effective way to see the future (at least in the forex markets), i.e., it involves anticipating changes in trends as prices near the lines created by the Fibonacci studies. After a significant price move (either up or down), prices will often retrace a significant portion (if not all) of the original move. As prices retrace, support and resistance levels often occur at or near the "Fibonacci Retracement levels" (See my articles on "Fibonacci trading" for more detail about this). In the currency markets, the commonly used sequence of ratios is 23.6 %, 38.2%, 50% and 61.8%. Fibonacci retracement levels can easily be displayed by connecting a trend line from a perceived high point to a perceived low point. By taking the difference between the high and low, the user can apply the % ratios to achieve the desired pullbacks.
July 19, 2009
What to Look for in a Forex Training Program
Should new Forex traders take Forex trading courses or join a Forex training program? Definitely yes; by now you have probably heard that only 5% of traders achieve consistent profitable results when trading the Forex market. The main reason for this is the lack of education. Don't get me wrong here, taking a Forex training program or a Forex trading course won't guarantee profitable results, nothing can, but choosing the right Forex training program or Forex trading course will definitely put the odds in your favor.
Before spending any amount of money on any Forex trading course or Forex training program there are some important aspects you need to take in consideration. There are many training programs available, but not every one of them suits the needs of every trader.
The first thing you should be looking in a Forex training program is the content of the material. Unfortunately, most courses or training programs focus or spend most of the time on basic concepts. Though these basic concepts are important, spending most of the course on them won't help the trader to make consistent results.
The following subjects are what I consider the most important aspects of trading and every training program or trading course should address:
Forex trading basics.
Review basic concepts such as: margin, type of orders, a little background, bid/ask, rollover, etc. You need to make sure you understand every single concept to perfection.
Main drawbacks of Forex traders.
Being aware of the common mistakes made by Forex traders and knowing how to handle them will prevent new traders from making those mistakes.
Technical and fundamental analysis.
These are the two main approaches adopted by Forex traders. Knowing how to properly apply each concept will definitely put the odds in your favor.
The three pillars of Forex trading. I consider that these three subjects have the most impact on every trader trading account.
Forex trading system development.
Having the right system is a must if you want to have consistent profitable results. Having a system that doesn't fit you will cause a series of problems that will make your trading account vanish away (second guessing the system, not following your system, etc.)
Money management.
This is considered by many successful traders to be the most important single aspect of trading. Money management helps to increase your profits geometrically and at the same time limit your losses (i.e. a good risk reward ratio of about 2:1 will make you money in a Forex trading system that is right only 38% of the time.)
Trading psychology.
Being aware and knowing hot to handle the psychological barriers that affect every trader decision will put the odds in your favor.
Other important aspects every training program should include are:
Developing habits for success (such as discipline patience, taking responsibility of every action, commitment, etc.,) understanding and taking our trading as a business, risk and trade management.
Another important aspect you should take into consideration when choosing a Forex training program is the mechanics of it, getting to know how the training program works.
A good course will have the following:
A live conference room, where you can apply everything learned under live market conditions.
One-on-one feedback, every trader has different needs and requires special attention. For instance a trader wanting to improve the system and requires individual feedback from the instructor about it.
Online trading course, a course that could be accessible through internet. A plus is a course where you are able to access the course at the convenient time for you, so you don't have to change your lifestyle.
A forum, where members can talk just about everything related to the Forex market and the Forex training program.
Trading the Forex market is no easy task. It requires a lot of hard work. Making the right decision will definitely put the odds in your favor. Take your time when doing your diligence because it is a big and important step in a trader's trading career.
Before spending any amount of money on any Forex trading course or Forex training program there are some important aspects you need to take in consideration. There are many training programs available, but not every one of them suits the needs of every trader.
The first thing you should be looking in a Forex training program is the content of the material. Unfortunately, most courses or training programs focus or spend most of the time on basic concepts. Though these basic concepts are important, spending most of the course on them won't help the trader to make consistent results.
The following subjects are what I consider the most important aspects of trading and every training program or trading course should address:
Forex trading basics.
Review basic concepts such as: margin, type of orders, a little background, bid/ask, rollover, etc. You need to make sure you understand every single concept to perfection.
Main drawbacks of Forex traders.
Being aware of the common mistakes made by Forex traders and knowing how to handle them will prevent new traders from making those mistakes.
Technical and fundamental analysis.
These are the two main approaches adopted by Forex traders. Knowing how to properly apply each concept will definitely put the odds in your favor.
The three pillars of Forex trading. I consider that these three subjects have the most impact on every trader trading account.
Forex trading system development.
Having the right system is a must if you want to have consistent profitable results. Having a system that doesn't fit you will cause a series of problems that will make your trading account vanish away (second guessing the system, not following your system, etc.)
Money management.
This is considered by many successful traders to be the most important single aspect of trading. Money management helps to increase your profits geometrically and at the same time limit your losses (i.e. a good risk reward ratio of about 2:1 will make you money in a Forex trading system that is right only 38% of the time.)
Trading psychology.
Being aware and knowing hot to handle the psychological barriers that affect every trader decision will put the odds in your favor.
Other important aspects every training program should include are:
Developing habits for success (such as discipline patience, taking responsibility of every action, commitment, etc.,) understanding and taking our trading as a business, risk and trade management.
Another important aspect you should take into consideration when choosing a Forex training program is the mechanics of it, getting to know how the training program works.
A good course will have the following:
A live conference room, where you can apply everything learned under live market conditions.
One-on-one feedback, every trader has different needs and requires special attention. For instance a trader wanting to improve the system and requires individual feedback from the instructor about it.
Online trading course, a course that could be accessible through internet. A plus is a course where you are able to access the course at the convenient time for you, so you don't have to change your lifestyle.
A forum, where members can talk just about everything related to the Forex market and the Forex training program.
Trading the Forex market is no easy task. It requires a lot of hard work. Making the right decision will definitely put the odds in your favor. Take your time when doing your diligence because it is a big and important step in a trader's trading career.
Forex Order Types
Once you have decided to enter the Forex trading world, one of the first things you will have to do is downloading the trading station provided by your chosen forex broker for free. When you open your trading station software, you will find there are two main ways to enter a market or, said in another way, there are two ways to place an initial order to buy or sell any currency pair.
"Market order"; this is an order to buy or sell a currency pair at the market price the instant that the order is received and processed (within seconds of hitting the "OK" button on your screen). When a market order is placed, you are simply saying "I'll buy or sell the currency pair at whatever price it is at when my order gets processed." "Entry order"; this is an order to buy or sell a currency pair when it reaches a certain price target. This can be any price in theory. You could set an entry order for the low price of a time period, or the high price of a time period. As an example, one usual recommendation is that you must always set an entry order to be the same price as the 'open price" of the time period. When you place an "entry order" to buy, for example, you are simply saying "I want to buy this currency pair at a certain price, if it never reaches that price, I don't want to purchase the pair." After your "entry order" is placed, you can set a stop and/or limit order if you desire, and for your own security. Stop and Limit orders are two different ways to exit a trade, automatically (i.e., without closing out your position via the click of your mouse - manually), after the trade is entered. A "stop order" (something I will always recommend you) is used to stop losses. A "limit order" (recommended if you can't monitor your open trade) is used to redeem profits. Where these orders are placed, in relation to your open trade, depends on the direction of the entry order. Remember; a "stop order" is always placed below the current market value of that currency pair when you are in a long (buy) trade. And a "limit order" is always placed above the current market value of that currency pair when you are in a long (buy) trade. |
July 16, 2009
Start Trading Forex For Free...
Yes, it's true, you can trade the forex markets for free and using the same state-of-the-art software packages that professional Forex traders, around the world, are currently using to make real-time, live currency trades.
And you can also experience the same dynamic market action and go through the same process of making decisions based on breaking news, reacting to charting patterns, and tracking ones performance the same way professional Forex traders do.
And all this can be done even if you don't put any real money into your account, you won't see any difference in how the market behaves and how you react to the market. In short, at some point, every new forex trader needs to start Demo-trading.
Once you start placing demo trades, you will learn a lot about how Forex transactions are placed. I can't emphasize you enough, that this is a very important step for you in order to be able to learn how to become a trader. A demo account allows one to become familiar with trading procedures, such as placing Market, Limit, Stop, OCO Orders without any risk. All dollar losses or gains on a demo account are imaginary but, as mentioned above, the trading experience you acquire is not.
You should notice that making big gains in a demo-account does not guarantee profits in live trading; however, those who are not successful trading on paper rarely are successful when money is on the line. So, yes, just playing around and getting familiar with a demo account can be a great learning experience; however, you will not learn how to become a trader this way. You need to have a trading strategy.
Once you sign up for a mini-demo account, you will need to try one of the trial charting packages from the broker you choose. Any demo software you choose will do because they all have the necessary indicator tools you need. Once you have downloaded the software you can then set up your demo account and start drawing trendlines, marking support & resistance levels, monitoring moving averages, etc. This is also a very good way to get used to how orders are placed. Once you have a real trading system, you will already know how to place orders properly.
And remember, everyone makes mistakes placing orders. So you need to experiment before in a demo account so you can make your mistakes without losing any real money.
And you can also experience the same dynamic market action and go through the same process of making decisions based on breaking news, reacting to charting patterns, and tracking ones performance the same way professional Forex traders do.
And all this can be done even if you don't put any real money into your account, you won't see any difference in how the market behaves and how you react to the market. In short, at some point, every new forex trader needs to start Demo-trading.
Once you start placing demo trades, you will learn a lot about how Forex transactions are placed. I can't emphasize you enough, that this is a very important step for you in order to be able to learn how to become a trader. A demo account allows one to become familiar with trading procedures, such as placing Market, Limit, Stop, OCO Orders without any risk. All dollar losses or gains on a demo account are imaginary but, as mentioned above, the trading experience you acquire is not.
You should notice that making big gains in a demo-account does not guarantee profits in live trading; however, those who are not successful trading on paper rarely are successful when money is on the line. So, yes, just playing around and getting familiar with a demo account can be a great learning experience; however, you will not learn how to become a trader this way. You need to have a trading strategy.
Once you sign up for a mini-demo account, you will need to try one of the trial charting packages from the broker you choose. Any demo software you choose will do because they all have the necessary indicator tools you need. Once you have downloaded the software you can then set up your demo account and start drawing trendlines, marking support & resistance levels, monitoring moving averages, etc. This is also a very good way to get used to how orders are placed. Once you have a real trading system, you will already know how to place orders properly.
And remember, everyone makes mistakes placing orders. So you need to experiment before in a demo account so you can make your mistakes without losing any real money.
Forex Markets and Its Trend Patterns
As you start analyzing forex charts you will realize that the market often display's some very familiar patterns of price movement. Once a pattern is established, it becomes the most probable course of future price action until the market changes.
There are two types of markets which will become very important for you to identify and understand; these are: trending and trend-less markets. Each market type has two specific patterns which you will also notice over time.
These market types and patterns are defined as follows:
Trending - Steady elongated price movements with less than a 45 degree angel with occasional pauses, profit taking, or resting periods.
In a Trending market, you have also other patterns:
- Uptrends - A pattern of higher highs and higher lows.
- Downtrends - A pattern of lower lows and lower highs.
Trend-less - Erratic price movements which are often steep ( greater than 45 -degree angle ) and cannot sustain and therefore must reverse. Although the movements can move many points in a short period of time, they often result in very little net price movement over time.
In a Trend-less market, you have these patterns:
- Choppy - An erratic pattern of higher highs and lower lows.
- Sideways - A narrow pattern of lower highs and higher lows.
While up-trend and down-trend days can offer excellent trading results, choppy markets often create stop outs, while sideways markets produce for little in either direction making them hard to trade and to make any profit during these periods.
Your trading objective is to get into a trending market and ride the trend until you make your target profit objective.
There are many Trend Trading Strategies that you can find in a number of sources listed in my website. You will learn how to identify and draw your own channel trendlines, support and resistance lines, triangle patterns, chart key top and bottom formations, etc.
Remember, knowledge in the Forex markets is power, and more than power; money.
There are two types of markets which will become very important for you to identify and understand; these are: trending and trend-less markets. Each market type has two specific patterns which you will also notice over time.
These market types and patterns are defined as follows:
Trending - Steady elongated price movements with less than a 45 degree angel with occasional pauses, profit taking, or resting periods.
In a Trending market, you have also other patterns:
- Uptrends - A pattern of higher highs and higher lows.
- Downtrends - A pattern of lower lows and lower highs.
Trend-less - Erratic price movements which are often steep ( greater than 45 -degree angle ) and cannot sustain and therefore must reverse. Although the movements can move many points in a short period of time, they often result in very little net price movement over time.
In a Trend-less market, you have these patterns:
- Choppy - An erratic pattern of higher highs and lower lows.
- Sideways - A narrow pattern of lower highs and higher lows.
While up-trend and down-trend days can offer excellent trading results, choppy markets often create stop outs, while sideways markets produce for little in either direction making them hard to trade and to make any profit during these periods.
Your trading objective is to get into a trending market and ride the trend until you make your target profit objective.
There are many Trend Trading Strategies that you can find in a number of sources listed in my website. You will learn how to identify and draw your own channel trendlines, support and resistance lines, triangle patterns, chart key top and bottom formations, etc.
Remember, knowledge in the Forex markets is power, and more than power; money.
July 14, 2009
Forex Trading - A Simple Tip to Increase Your Profits and Reduce Your Effort Instantly!
The tip is based on the 80 - 20 rule which is used in a wide variety of areas of life for example, in business it says 80% of your profits will normally come from just 20% of your clients. In Forex terms it means - 80% of your overall profits will come from just 20% of your trades.
The reality is that most Forex traders take far too many trades, if they cut back on their trading frequency and only hit high odds trades their profits will increase dramatically.
They hold the following beliefs which are simply not true
- They can make money by scalping or day trading
These short term trades are low odds trades in fact - the odds are you will lose, as you are trading the market noise.
- They need to be in the market just in case they miss a move
If course this is rubbish, you can spot a move and enter when the time is right!
- The harder the work and the more trades they make the more money they will make
The work ethic doesn't apply in Forex; many people think with effort they can force money from the market and they lose.
Be Smart and Aim for 100% Annual Profits
I know traders that trade less than once a month yet still turn in triple digit annual profits! There not interested in working hard or trading all the time, their interested in making money and that means hitting the high odds trades and milking them for all their worth. These traders make a lot of money, not by working hard but working smart.
Less is More Hit the Big Trends
The high odds trades don't come around every day and you need to wait for them but when they do, they will give you high odds set ups, greater chances of success with less work and that is something all Forex traders want!
The reality is that most Forex traders take far too many trades, if they cut back on their trading frequency and only hit high odds trades their profits will increase dramatically.
They hold the following beliefs which are simply not true
- They can make money by scalping or day trading
These short term trades are low odds trades in fact - the odds are you will lose, as you are trading the market noise.
- They need to be in the market just in case they miss a move
If course this is rubbish, you can spot a move and enter when the time is right!
- The harder the work and the more trades they make the more money they will make
The work ethic doesn't apply in Forex; many people think with effort they can force money from the market and they lose.
Be Smart and Aim for 100% Annual Profits
I know traders that trade less than once a month yet still turn in triple digit annual profits! There not interested in working hard or trading all the time, their interested in making money and that means hitting the high odds trades and milking them for all their worth. These traders make a lot of money, not by working hard but working smart.
Less is More Hit the Big Trends
The high odds trades don't come around every day and you need to wait for them but when they do, they will give you high odds set ups, greater chances of success with less work and that is something all Forex traders want!
Ways to Read Forex Chart
If you are planning to trade in currency then you should know the different ways of reading the forex chart. Due to this reason you should try to gain the knowledge about reading the charts. If you know this then you would be able to earn huge profits in short duration of time. You would find that the experienced trader would always take the proper training before entering into the market of forex. If you are a learner then you should always start the trade with the nominal amount. You should no invest huge amount at a particular point of time.
If you want to learn the ways of reading the forex chart then you can purchase this software that would provide you required knowledge about the forex market. This software would aid you to keep the track of the money that you invest in this market and it would also keep the track of your time that you spend in this market. This software would help you to keep a track of the amount that you have invested in the firm. This software is handy. If you are interested to become a forex trading pro then you should try to take the maximum use of this software. If you use this software then you chart using this software then you would get the perfect knowledge about the forex trading that is offered by the forex market.
Currency trading market is considered to the largest market in the whole world and it one of the busiest markets. You would have problem of keeping the track of the forex market. You would be able to keep the track of the various trends that are prevailing in the market. if you are using the this software as a tool then you should study the changes that are taking place in the forex market. The knowledge that you have gain would aid you to trade in the market.
If you want to install this software then you need to explore yourself to net. You can use different trends and pattern of the forex chart. You can use the special tools that can be generated in short duration of time. You can use this tool to examine the software that you are using. The forex charts would help the trader to take the decisions about the market in which you are dealing. Forex charting software would provide relief to the people that want to become successful and want to get the deal that they want. There are different methods that can help you to the knowledge that you want to have. This would help you to make the future predictions about the forex market. This would help in charting the different types of software. There are various types of software in the market. You need to select the software as per your needs and requirements. You need to be careful in selecting the software for your deal.
If you want to learn the ways of reading the forex chart then you can purchase this software that would provide you required knowledge about the forex market. This software would aid you to keep the track of the money that you invest in this market and it would also keep the track of your time that you spend in this market. This software would help you to keep a track of the amount that you have invested in the firm. This software is handy. If you are interested to become a forex trading pro then you should try to take the maximum use of this software. If you use this software then you chart using this software then you would get the perfect knowledge about the forex trading that is offered by the forex market.
Currency trading market is considered to the largest market in the whole world and it one of the busiest markets. You would have problem of keeping the track of the forex market. You would be able to keep the track of the various trends that are prevailing in the market. if you are using the this software as a tool then you should study the changes that are taking place in the forex market. The knowledge that you have gain would aid you to trade in the market.
If you want to install this software then you need to explore yourself to net. You can use different trends and pattern of the forex chart. You can use the special tools that can be generated in short duration of time. You can use this tool to examine the software that you are using. The forex charts would help the trader to take the decisions about the market in which you are dealing. Forex charting software would provide relief to the people that want to become successful and want to get the deal that they want. There are different methods that can help you to the knowledge that you want to have. This would help you to make the future predictions about the forex market. This would help in charting the different types of software. There are various types of software in the market. You need to select the software as per your needs and requirements. You need to be careful in selecting the software for your deal.
It's Only A Point Of View
‘US consumer confidence jumps in April’ - Perceptions, perceptions and perceptions is all that this seems to be about. Just last week the results of the Conference Board index were interpreted to be not so hot, though an indirect reference was made to a likely inflexion point being reached in the recession. These issues were highlighted in my article last week. Though no such reference was made last week, this week the Conference Board is beating the drums about consumer confidence being at its best in the last three years. Has the Conference Board woken up suddenly to a new methodology of interpreting the same data? Unlikely! This seems to be plugged in, due to the economy not showing any major improvements and the onset of the swine flu, which is likely to have a negative impact on the economy. Policy makers, analysts and decision makers amongst others are attempting to pump up human psyche to ease the effect of recession. Not that there is anything wrong in this approach, its just that a currency trader needs to be aware of such practices and factor in the likely impact of such announcements.
In any case it is worthy to analyze the new stance taken by the Conference Board and understand its relevance in the current economic scenario. As per the latest stance taken by the Conference Board, consumer confidence in the US shot up in April as the Board’s consumer confidence index jumped to 39.2 from 26.9 in March. This was the largest gain in a single month in the last three years. On this development, the Conference Board stated that consumers believe that the economy is bottoming out of the recession phase. This reasoning of the Consumer Board seems to be questionable. One may ask if consumers are well equipped to make such a judgment! In fact, one may ask if this is really what the consumers are saying or is this just a twisted interpretation to make some positive remarks on the economy.
It may also be noted that six of the Conference Board indicators for the particular index were in the negative, while three were in the positive and one demonstrated no change. Please refer to the chart in my previous article to view the status of the indicators. When all of them are read together, it is hard to state that the recession may be starting to bottom out. It then appears that the Consumer Board’s new stance is just a smart public relations exercise at the behest of policy makers to pump some confidence into the economy.
Having reviewed that, it is also worthy to note that the down slide in home
In any case it is worthy to analyze the new stance taken by the Conference Board and understand its relevance in the current economic scenario. As per the latest stance taken by the Conference Board, consumer confidence in the US shot up in April as the Board’s consumer confidence index jumped to 39.2 from 26.9 in March. This was the largest gain in a single month in the last three years. On this development, the Conference Board stated that consumers believe that the economy is bottoming out of the recession phase. This reasoning of the Consumer Board seems to be questionable. One may ask if consumers are well equipped to make such a judgment! In fact, one may ask if this is really what the consumers are saying or is this just a twisted interpretation to make some positive remarks on the economy.
It may also be noted that six of the Conference Board indicators for the particular index were in the negative, while three were in the positive and one demonstrated no change. Please refer to the chart in my previous article to view the status of the indicators. When all of them are read together, it is hard to state that the recession may be starting to bottom out. It then appears that the Consumer Board’s new stance is just a smart public relations exercise at the behest of policy makers to pump some confidence into the economy.
Having reviewed that, it is also worthy to note that the down slide in home
July 10, 2009
How much money do I need to trade forex?
Forex dealers can set their own minimum account sizes, so you will
have to ask the dealer how much money you must put up to begin
trading. Most dealers will also require you to have a certain amount
of money in your account for each transaction. This security
deposit, sometimes called margin, is a percentage of the transaction
value and may be different for different currencies. A security
deposit acts as a performance bond and is not a down payment or
partial payment for the transaction.
Dealers who are regulated by NFA are required to calculate and
collect security deposits that equal or exceed the percentage set by
NFA rules. Although the percentage of the security deposit remains
constant, the dollar amount of the security deposit will change
with changes in the value of the currency being traded.
Some dealers guarantee that you will not lose more than you
invest, which includes both the initial deposit and any subse-
quent deposits to keep the position open. Other dealers may
charge you for losses that are greater than that amount. You
should check your agreement with the dealer to see if the agreement
limits your loses.
have to ask the dealer how much money you must put up to begin
trading. Most dealers will also require you to have a certain amount
of money in your account for each transaction. This security
deposit, sometimes called margin, is a percentage of the transaction
value and may be different for different currencies. A security
deposit acts as a performance bond and is not a down payment or
partial payment for the transaction.
Dealers who are regulated by NFA are required to calculate and
collect security deposits that equal or exceed the percentage set by
NFA rules. Although the percentage of the security deposit remains
constant, the dollar amount of the security deposit will change
with changes in the value of the currency being traded.
Some dealers guarantee that you will not lose more than you
invest, which includes both the initial deposit and any subse-
quent deposits to keep the position open. Other dealers may
charge you for losses that are greater than that amount. You
should check your agreement with the dealer to see if the agreement
limits your loses.
July 7, 2009
The Dollar is Still King
The most stable replacement for the dollar as a reserve currency is gold or the gold standard. But the gold standard has severe limitations that hamper the independence of monetary policy. The gold standard restricts the amount of currency that can be in circulation by linking it to the gold held by the central bank. This linkage was broken first by Britain in 1914 in order to fund its operations during World War I. The UK did return to the gold standard in 1925. However, with the US becoming the dominant power towards the Second World War, the dollar became the predominant currency, with other major currencies being pegged to the dollar. The dollar itself was pegged at $35 to an ounce of gold. In 1971, in order to fund the Vietnam War, Nixon removed the peg with gold, which enabled the US to induce a massive expansion of dollars in circulation for funding the war. Thus, reverting to a gold standard seems improbable as it curtails the independence of monetary policy.
A proposed alternative is the IMF's SDRs. Though China and Russia have backed the SDR proposal vehemently, the SDR seems to be an unsuitable candidate as it is not an independent currency. Moreover, the IMF is not a bank, which can borrow and lend in private markets and is only for governments. Thus it cannot pass for a currency and cannot be traded. These factors make it difficult for the SDR, in its current form, to be instituted as a substitute to the US dollar as a reserve currency.The dollar has been able to serve as a reserve currency due to the strength of the US economy and the nation's political dominance in the world. Thus, the future of the dollar as a reserve currency is largely dependant upon how the economy shapes up and how the balance of economic and political power take shape. With China determined to play a more dominant economic and political role and its economy supporting such a move, in the long run the dollar may eventually lose some of its sheen to be substituted to some extent by other currencies like the Euro amongst others. However, there seems to be no ready replacement available at present. While this denotes a long term trend, in the short run, the dollar is likely to continue with its status of predominance. Profiteering lies in following short term money flows between asset classes of equities and currencies and assessing trends by tracking the upward and downward movements in the dollar.
July 3, 2009
How to Use the Tunnel of 5's ?
The Tunnel of 5's is a combination of two moving averages:5-period smoothed moving average applied to the highs5-period smoothed moving average applied to the lows(If your charting package doesn't have smoothed MAs, then use exponential)The idea is that you want to be trading outside of this tunnel. The tunnel can also show you a "squeeze" prior to a break-out forming, which is part of the reason I do no need Bollinger Bands up on my chart (in fact, John Bollinger himself once told me that the best use of his bands is in option spread pricing, not in fx trading).Many people "over trade" in that as soon as they get out of a long, they look to go short, and vice-versa. The Tunnel of 5's forces you to wait, to see if the reversal is really in fact a reversal. Sort of acts as a buffer zone. And, by the time price works it's way across and comes out the other side of this tunnel, chances are if you compare with your longer timeframe (multiple timeframes, don't forget), that will give you permission to change directions as well. The two work together quite nicely. You will find many moves accelerating once price moves to the outside of the Tunnel of 5's - this is because most bank traders are watching these levels, and consider a move "confirmed" (and jump on board themselves) once they see this.The other function of the Tunnel of 5's is to distinguish between the end of a move and normal market "breathing". So if you're already in a trade, and price starts moving against you, the Tunnel of 5's can either give you the confidence to stay in longer (as long as candle bodies continue closing back outside of it), or tells you to perhaps consider abandoning your position early, ahead of target (if the Tunnel of 5's is breached with a candle body close).
July 1, 2009
Understanding the Trends of Forex Mark
Forex is actually the foreign exchange and deals in the goods, services and currency trading. Forex trading has gained prominence with the passage of time and more and more people have started chasing the trend. This concept of forex is purely based upon investment whether they are small, or big one.Forex is also considered the economic indicator of economy and help to ascertain the financial picture of the nation. Also, forex market is the biggest financial and economical market of the world. Its money capacity is considered even larger than the equity and treasury markets.Currency trading is the chief work undertaken in this market and thus, great risk factors are involved with them. It is also said that it reflects the true financial and economic condition of the country in a defined way. Moreover, currency trading also highlights the factors connected with the assets that country store.It is generally said that forex is a very volatile market and prices fluctuate very quickly in fraction of seconds. So, while trading meticulous concentration should be paid so that you do not miss out any prominent moment where price has gone steeply upwards. This is considered as the most important forex trading strategy which can bring you huge sums of profits.As per the different forex trading signals, emphasis must be paid upon the mediums through which you can get instant information. Thus, internet and mobile phones can serve the purpose in the most appropriate way. These different forex trading signals can get you access to the forex alerts all 24/7. This makes them highly convenient and hassle free service mediums.Forex strategy system works on the economic driving force of demand and supply concept. Once the demand f any product increases steeply, it directly influences the supply side. On the overall picture of the forex trading system, it highlights the profitability of the forex market.Forex alerts are also needed for the awareness about the changes that take place in the financial market of forex forex signals so that economic feasibility of that country can be determined accordingly. This in turn helps the economists for analyzing the different trends that influence the market. They after bring the new theories of economics that can help in understanding the forex strategy system in a better way.Currency trading also help in exchanging the most used currency in which most of the trades of the country can be undertaken. In case, company wants to trade with any other country, at that time it requires its currency so that it can further undertake the business. Also, currency trading forms a vital part of investment that can help to earn profits.Forex signals, forex strategy system, forex trading signal, forex alerts, forex signal and current trading are all important components often market of forex and influence the financial position of a country in a big way. So, Forex signals, forex strategy system, forex trading signal, forex alerts, forex signal and current trading should be studied in details so that you can trade in the financial markets in the most appropriate way.
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