The basics of Forex trading
by Steve Gargento
This article will give you a brief description of what forex trading is, how it's done and what strategies you can apply on the market.
FOREX means "foreign exchange trading market." On the FX market, brokers make financial transactions by selling one currency in order to buy another to make profit by anticipating that the currency they are buying will reach higher values compared to the one they have sold. The facts that make Forex a truly outstanding market is that it's non-stop, 5 days a week and it's the world's largest market considering the amount of money being traded per day. FX is 24 hours a day, because as the market closes in Asia, the European one opens, then comes the US.
As mentioned, in this business, currencies are the most important asset. If you notice a typical forex chart, you will see that currencies are grouped in pairs, noted by XXX/YYY (international three letter codes of the currencies). For example, EUR/USD is the price of the euro expressed in US dollars. Stats show that over 80% of all currencies are traded against the USD, making the USD the currency that is being traded the most. The next most traded currencies are the Euro (EUR), Pound Sterling (GBP), Japanese Yen (JPY), and Swiss Franc (CHF), those currencies are called majors.
Other forex related reports unveil that just over 5% of all traders are able to make consistent profit. This market is a difficult one to master, so if you want to be successful at it, you must have strong knowledge, strategy, trading system and the psychology if a winer. Some of the factors which determine the movement of currencies are political situations, news, official government statements and reports and economic trends.
The forex trading system is absolutely unreiveled considering all the different advantages it provides, starting with the fact that it has no boundaries so you can participate in it no matter where you are located, as long as you have an internet connection available. Nowadays, there are hundreds of websites at which you can open a forex account. You just have to upload funds and you will be ready to start trading in minutes.
However, there are certain aspects of the trade to consider. This is a serious business and chances of winning or loosing are 50/50. To increase your chances of success, it's a very good idea to trade following a certain strategy that has been proven to work. Some strategies are based on mathematical calculations and analysis. Other strategies rely on political events and situations. The best idea is to combine both.
In order to start trading on the FX market, the first step is to open an account with a broker company. Such companies can be easily found online, all it takes is a simple Google search on 'Forex Trading.' Of course, terms and conditions vary for the different websites. The first condition to watch out for is the minimum deposit required.
The evolution of the Internet has made it possible for current brokers to provide their services through a website, where you register, upload funds with a credit card and receive access to an online trading platform. Trading platforms vary from one broker to another, of course they all serve the same purpose but the menus, options and features could be different. Therefore, get familiar with the given system by opening a demo account.
You can use this website as a complete guide, for example if you want to know how to open a Forex account and get started, then go to
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