If you are new to Forex trading, but not to stock investing, then this guide should help you to get a feel for the differences between trading on the foreign exchange market versus trading on the traditional Stock market.
If you are new to investing in general, then this guide can open your eyes to a world you never knew existed, while not overwhelming you with too much complicated financial jargon.There are a lot factors unique to the Forex market which make it a very exciting, fast-paced alternative to traditional investing:
· The market runs 24 hours a day, but it depends what times are best to trade.
· The market is affected by world events and news more so than others
· There are no commissions to be paid out on your trades
· Extremely high-liquidity
· 100:1 Leverage (move $100,000 in currency using only $1,000 of your own money!)
These factors alone make Forex a fun and intellectually stimulating challenge. If you love to watch the news, keep up with politics and piece together all of the ways that the 'powers that be' influence the global economy, then you will really love the foreign exchange market.
In order to be a good trader, you must learn to see how events in one part of the world create ripples that affect the economies of nations all the way on the other side. It is truly a study in the interrelatedness of us all.
If you want to know more about what are quality trading times for the Forex, you should check out the link below:http://www.forexmarkethours.com
My hope is that you will be truly excited about Forex after reading this report, and come away with enough knowledge and confidence to pursue additional education on the subject if you so choose.
2The term 'Forex' is short-hand for 'foreign exchange.' The Forex Market = The Foreign Exchange Market.
What are being exchanged on this market are not stocks or bonds, but currencies (monies) from around the world.
In other words, the Forex market is the place where U.S. dollars, Euros, Yen and other major currencies are bought and sold. It represents the largest financial market in the world by volume.
The origins of the foreign exchange market date back to 1944, when The United Nations Monetary Fund convened in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire to devise a plan for stabilizing the world economy.
The British Pound had been, up until World War II, the monetary unit of choice when comparing the relative value of foreign currencies. However, Hitler's regime managed to devalue the Pound by way of a massive counterfeiting scheme. Something had to be done quickly in order to avert a worldwide economic depression.
Out of this meeting came the Bretton Woods Accord. This new policy implemented the Gold Standard, tying the value the U.S. Dollar to the price of one ounce of gold ($35.00 per ounce at the time). It was further agreed that the Dollar would replace the British Pound as the benchmark “currency of exchange”.
All other currencies were aligned to the Dollar, and a 'fixed exchange rate” of +/- 1% was established.In other words, a foreign currency could fluctuate up to a maximum of 1% higher or lower than the Dollar. Any fluctuations beyond this limit required that the 'offending' nation's central bank step in to correct the imbalance.
The Bretton Woods accord remained in effect until 1971, when it was determined that the U.S. dollar could no longer hold steady relative to gold. At this time, the 'fixed exchange rate' model was abandoned in favor of the 'floating exchange rate' we still use today.
Note: If any of these terms are unclear or confusing, don't worry. We'll look at them more closely when we get into the nuts and bolts of Forex.3
The important thing to understand right now is that Forex trading among private investors is still relatively new. The market once operated almost exclusively between government (central) banks and commercial banks until advances in communication, such as the Internet and PC banking, allowed speculators easier access to the market.
The major players involved in these trades are:
ü Banks
ü Governments
ü Speculators
ü Corporations
ü Other, related financial markets and
Now, one of the first things you must understand is that these institutions are NOT all on a level playing field with one another.
Unlike the stock markets, the Forex market is divided into restricted levels of access.
In other words, not all Forex traders have equal access to the same prices. The bid price and asking price (also known as the “spread”) between currencies is in part determined by the size and volume of the trade.
The more money a trading entity can put on the line, the better the 'spread'.As you might surmise, the central and world banking institutions (the 'inter-bank' market) are at the top of the tier. They are followed next by governments and large financial institutions or corporations.
A Typical 'Top 10' List of Currency Traders By Volume:UBS AG - 14.85%
Citi - 9.00%
Royal Bank of Scotland - 8.90%
Barclays Capital - 8.80%
Bank of America - 5.29%
4 HSBC - 4.36%
Goldman Sachs - 4.14% JPMorgan - 3.33 %
Morgan Stanley - 2.86%
These are the '800 pound gorillas' of the foreign exchange market. They turn serious profits even on the most razor-thin of margins due to the amount of currency they can move on even one trade.
How Do Individual Traders Fit In On The Forex Market?The short answer to this question is: they don't. Not on their own. Individual traders like you and I are known as “Retail Traders”, and must go through retail brokerage firms in order to buy and sell currencies on the foreign exchange market.
You should know up front that online retail trading by individuals (represented by online retail brokers) is still in its infancy. Prior to the Internet, and subsequent availability of real-time market data, it was virtually impossible for the average person to get involved in the foreign exchange market with any degree of success.
Today, however, you can buy and sell currencies at the click of a button, in much the same way as you buy and sell stocks. Everything has been automated and linked up electronically.
In the interest of full disclosure, you should also know that Forex trading is not as straightforward as trading stocks on the stock exchange. There are many, many variables to take into consideration when it comes to determining fluctuations in currency values. There is a lot of 'jargon' to learn, and a fair share of complex concepts which must be mastered.
Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous companies out there who take advantage of this 'learning curve', and attempt to scam would-be retail traders. Forex opportunity scams are still prevalent - some estimates place the number as high as 90%.
Therefore, it is imperative that you learn the basics of Forex before you get involved with any 'advanced' training courses, trading systems or online brokers!While a full crash course on Forex is beyond the scope of this report, you will learn the basics here. I can't make you an expert, but I can give you the knowledge you need to make an informed decision about whether to get involved - and whether the retail broker you're dealing with is on the up and up.
5What Will 'The Complete Newbies Guide To Online Forex Trading' Teach Me?
This guide will teach you the absolute basics of Forex. You'll learn the fundamental concepts and terms involved in an average trade, as well as...
ü How currency values are determined
ü How and why currency values are relative
ü Why currency is traded in 'pairs', and what that means
ü The difference between the 'bid price' and the 'ask price' of a currency
ü The relationship between 'Pips', 'Lot Sizes' and 'Spreads', and what each of those means
ü What your broker means by 'leverage', 'usable margin' and 'margin calls'
ü Factors affecting currency valuations
ü Where to get more information
What Will 'The Complete Newbies Guide To Online Forex Trading' NOT Teach Me?
Forex trading is such a complex topic that it would be impossible to cover all aspects of it in a short report. Even some of the basics are too complex to dive into completely here.
So, you should be aware of the limitations of this guide:
1) We will not cover the trade of precious metals, futures or derivatives.
2) We will not cover the use of technical tools or 'charting' programs used in spotting patterns.
3) Advanced vocabulary and concepts are not covered
4) This is not a 'how to get rich quick' report!
Again, my goal here is to give you the 'big picture' so that you can get a feel for what Forex 6 is all about, and decide whether investing on this market makes sense as a part of your
long-term financial strategy.
There is a wealth of great, free information online at sites such as:
http://www.fxstreet.com/
However, I also recommend investing in at least one training course. There are a number of excellent courses available online that will take you by the hand, and guide you step-by-step through your first trade.
7 Some Highly Recommended Forex Resources