HOW TO TRADE FOREX?

Trading foreign exchange is exciting and potentially very profitable, but there are also significant risk factors. It is crucially important that you fully understand the implications of margin trading and the particular pitfalls and opportunities that foreign exchange trading offers. On these pages, we offer you a brief introduction to the Forex markets as well as their participants and some strategies that you can apply. However, if you are ever in doubt about any aspect of a trade, you can always discuss the matter in-depth with one of our dealers. They are available 24 hours a day on the Saxo Bank online trading system, SaxoTrader.

The benchmark of its service is efficient execution, concise analysis and expertise – all achieved whilst maintaining an attractive and competitive cost structure. Today, Saxo Bank offers one of Europe's premier all-round services for trading in derivative products and foreign exchange. We count amongst our employees numerous dealers and analysts, each of whom has many years experience and a wide and varied knowledge of the markets – gained both in our home countries and in international financial centres. When trading foreign exchange, futures and other derivative products, we offer 24-hour service, extensive daily analysis, individual access to our Research & Analysis department for specific queries, and immediate execution of trades through our international network of banks and brokers. All at a price considerably lower than that which most companies and private investors normally have access to.

The combination of our strong emphasis on customer service, our strategy and trading recommendations, our strategic and individual hedging programmes, along with the availability to our clients of the latest news and information builds a strong case for trading an individual account through Saxo Bank.

Terms of trading are agreed individually depending on the volume of your transactions, but are generally much lower in cost when compared to banks and brokers. Your margin deposit can be cash or government securities, bank guarantees etc. Large corporate or institutional clients may be offered trading facilities on the strength of their balance sheet. The minimum deposit accepted for an individual trading account depends on the account type. Trade confirmations and real-time account overview are built into SaxoTrader, while further account information can be produced in accordance with your specific requirements

FOREX TRADING BASIC

The global foreign exchange market is the biggest market in the world. The 3.2 trillion USD daily turnover dwarfs the combined turnover of all the world's stock and bond markets.

There are many reasons for the popularity of foreign exchange trading, but among the most important are the leverage available, the high liquidity 24 hours a day and the very low dealing costs associated with trading.

Of course many commercial organisations participate purely due to the currency exposures created by their import and export activities, but the main part of the turnover is accounted for by financial institutions. Investing in foreign exchange remains predominantly the domain of the big professional players in the market - funds, banks and brokers.

Nevertheless, any investor with the necessary knowledge of the market's functions can benefit from the advantages stated above.

In the following article, we would like to introduce you to some of the basic concepts of foreign exchange trading. If you would like any further information, we suggest that you sign up for a FREE Membership on this website, where you will be able to exchange views with other Forex traders and get answers to any questions you might have.

WHAT IS FOREX ?

FOREX is the world's largest and most liquid trading market. Many consider FOREX as the best home business you can ever venture in. Even though regular people have had the opportunity to take part in trading foreign currencies for profit (in the same way banks and large corporations do) since 1998, it is just now becoming the cool, hip, new "thing" to talk about at parties, business events, and other social gatherings.

Even though it has been somewhat of a loosely guarded secret, every day more and more investors are turning to the all-electronic world of FOREX trading for income and profit because of its numerous benefits & advantages over traditional trading vehicles, like stocks, bonds and commodities.

But, still, whenever something seems new or is just becoming a part of social conversation, news articles, and water cooler gossip, misconceptions have to be overcome, the mind has to be open and the slate has to be clear for starting out fresh with the CORRECT information.So, in this article, it is my attempt to give you some solid, but not over-detailed, information on just what the heck "FX" (FOREX) means, what it is, and why it exists.

As a successful trader said, Trading FOREX is like picking money up off the floor. Not trading FOREX is like leaving it there for someone else to pick up." Others in the industry have also said,

Trading FOREX is like having an ATM machine on your own computer.Here's an explanation (one I feel you'll appreciate) of what FOREX is and how a bunch of traders, profit from it:

The Foreign Exchange Market, also referred to the "FOREX" or "FX" market, is the spot (cash) market for currency.

But, don't mistake FX as trading the futures market, where you buy a contract to purchase a particular currency at a future price in time.What FX traders do is much less risky than trading currencies on the futures market, much more profitable, and a lot easier, than trading stocks.So, you're probably wondering where it's at ... or ... how to access the FX market?

The answer is: FX Trading is not bound to any one trading floor and is not centralized on an exchange, as with the stock and futures markets. The FX market is considered an Over-the-Counter (OTC) or 'Interbank' market, due to the fact that the entire market is run electronically, within a network of banks, continuously over a 24-hour period.

Yes, if that's the first time you've heard about an all-electronic market, I know this may sound somewhat intriguing to you.

Here's what you are actually trading when you participate in the Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market:

Essentially, like the large banks who use the FX market to protect themselves from the fluctuating exchange rate of different currencies, as an investor, what a FX trader is doing is simultaneously exchanging one countries currency for another. So, in actuality, they're electronically trading a currency-pair and the price that is quoted to us is the exchange rate between the two currencies.

In other words, simply the quoted price is how many of the one currency is worth 1 of the other currency.

Example:

EUR/USD last trade 1.2850 - One Euro is worth $1.2850 US dollars.

The first currency (in this example, the EURO) is referred to as the base currency and the second (/USD) as the counter or quote currency.

The FOREX has a DAILY trading volume of around $1.5 trillion dollars - 30 times larger than the combined volume of all U.S. equity markets. This means that 1,498,574 skilled traders could each take 1 million dollars out of the FOREX market every day and the FOREX would still have more money left than the New York Stock exchange every day!

The FOREX plays a vital role in the world economy and there will always be a tremendous need for the FOREX. International trade increases as technology and communication increases. As long as there is international trade, there will be a FOREX market. The FX market has to exist so a country like Japan can sell products in the United States and be able to receive Japanese Yen in exchange for US Dollar.

There's plenty of money to be made using FOREX for plenty of traders that use the right trading techniques / tactics that will allow them to profit immensely. And, with only 5% of the daily turnover of volume coming from banks, government and large corporations who need to hedge, the other 95% is for speculation and profit.

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TIPS TO MAKE MONEY FAST IN FOREX

This is all about making a fortune with Forex. Most traders just go with the flow and make average gains, with this article you will learn what makes some traders stand out and a lot richer than others!
We are going to assume that you know how to trade, and has quite an experience in trading.
With simple changes in your trade selection, money and risk management, and mindset, you can change that average gains into larger ones!
Fast money is in Forex, it is a lifestyle. here is it how its done.
Tip 1 . Embrace Changeability and Risk With a SmileForex systems have instability.
If you cannot manage and calculate your risk, then don't ever think about trading in Forex. Many traders back away from forex because of this ( why do you even traded in the first place?).
But taking manageable risks has its rewards.It's just simple, you know what your losing if ever it doesn't work out, yet what you gain is unpredictable but sure is high!
That is what I call excitement, my friend.To a well-educated Forex trader, this is something you shouldn't be afraid of, might as well embrace it.
Tip 2. Trade Less, gain more
Most traders think that if they don't trade, another door has closed, or miss some move. The tendency, they trade frequently. Most of the trades that come big come a few times in a year. Focus on the trades that make the really big gains. Be alert, and informed.
Tip 3. Diversify is a no-no
Most Investors accept the fact that diversification can make money fast - in reality it does exactly the opposite.
Tip 4. Money and Risk Management
This article has been concentrating on the Big gains, because this is your money, so every penny should be controlled, this is where money management kicks in.Control your risks, but increase your chances of success:-
Give yourself staying power by buying options at or in the money, this prevents you from getting stopped out. Many traders lose not by the market direction, but because they were stopped out by a instable move, and options will give you staying power.- Keep your stop in its original position - until the move is well in profit, before moving it up.- Trading fast and selectively - have the courage to trade when you feel it is good. and enjoy the cash.
Tip 5. Compound growth has its benefits
The way to make money fast in forex, is to understand the power of compound growth. For example, if you target 50% a year in your trading, you can grow an initial $20,000 account, to over a million dollars, in under 10 years.Break the norm, and gain more. Follow some of these tips and make your way into the big gains!
by Ryan Joseph Ferrer

STRONG EQUITIES DRAG U.S. DOLLAR LOWER AHEAD OF NORTH AMERICAN CLOSE

(CEP News) - The U.S. dollar started out strong, but is ending the day weaker across the board as equities prepare to close in positive territory for the third straight day.It has been a volatile day in FX markets as the Swiss National Bank announced that it would intervene in currency markets to depreciate its currency.

While currency markets reacted to the central bank news, they shrugged off better-than-expected U.S. retail sales and another increase in U.S. weekly jobless claims. At 9 a.m. EDT, the SNB announced a 25 basis point cut.

"The value of the Swiss franc has increased substantially since the beginning of the financial crisis in August 2007. This currency development has gained momentum since the National Bank's last assessment in December. Under the present circumstances, this represents an inappropriate tightening of monetary conditions. In view of this development, the SNB has decided to purchase foreign currency on the foreign exchange market, to prevent any further appreciation of the Swiss franc against the euro," the bank said in its statement.

While the news supported the euro across the board, it also pushed the U.S. dollar higher across the board. The U.S. dollar index rose almost a full percentage point on the initial reaction. The index hit session highs at 88.545.

The U.S. dollar was able to hold most of its gains throughout the day despite strong equities. The sell-off started at 2:30 p.m. EDT and is picking up momentum into the North American close.

Currency strategists said the U.S. dollar made broad gains because some investors felt nervous about the aggressive action from the SNB, which caused a flight to safety.

"At this point I think the U.S. dollar is acting as a default currency," said Stephen Gallo, head of market analysis at Schneider FX. "Bottom line is that quantitative measures aren't good for currency markets. At the moment the U.S. dollar will continue to benefit.

"Currency strategists will continue to watch equity markets to determine short-term direction for the U.S. dollar. There is a lot of doubt that equities will continue to make gains. Any signs of risk aversion will continue to support the U.S. dollar.

It has been a relatively quiet week for U.S. data. On Friday, markets will receive U.S. trade balance data and Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment results. Economists expect that the U.S. trade deficit will narrow to $38 billion in January, following December's deficit of $39.9 billion.

Economists expect that consumer sentiment will continue to remain weak, falling to a level of 55.0 in March, following February's reading of 56.3.

Euro/USD up 0.58 cents to 1.2894

USD/CAD down 0.48 cents to 1.2804

USD/Yen up 0.54 points to 97.82

GBP/USD up 0.52 cents to 1.3928

AUD/USD up 0.04 cents to 0.6525

Euro/Yen up 1.28 points to 126.14

Euro/GBP up 0.06 pence to 0.9260

GBP/CAD down 0.03 cents to 1.7826

CAD/Yen up 0.72 points to 76.42

Euro/CAD up 0.12 cents to 1.6510

The U.S. Dollar Index is down 0.21 points to 87.66

U.S. STOSKS OFF IN LIGHT TRADE, OIL SLIPS

U.S. stocks slipped on Monday, pulled lower as energy stocks retreated on a decline in crude oil prices to below $50 a barrel and on investors' jitters ahead of the release of U.S. corporate earnings this week.Light volume exacerbated price moves across asset classes, with many financial centers closed in Europe and parts of Asia for the Easter holiday.Large U.S. banks, including Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Citigroup, which have been battered by the financial crisis, report their latest quarterly results this week. General Electric also is set to report this week.

The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note rose 17/32 in price to yield 2.86 percent. The 2-year U.S. Treasury note gained 4/32 in price to yield 0.89 percent.The dollar fell against a basket of major currencies, with the U.S. Dollar Index off 1.02 percent at 84.664. Against the Japanese yen, the dollar fell 0.12 percent at 100.10/ from a previous session close of 100.22.Gold climbed in thin holiday trade as the dollar dropped and stock markets weakened. Spot gold prices rose $12.50 to $893.15 an ounce.The MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 0.73 percent to 268.80.Japan's benchmark Nikkei underperformed the rest of Asia to close down 0.4 percent at 8924.43.

THE PERFECT FOREX TRADING SYSTEM

Trading Currencies has became very popular in the last few years. But how difficult is it to achieve success in the Forex trading arena? Or let me rephrase this question, how many traders achieve consistent profitable results trading the Forex market? Unfortunately very few, only 5% of traders achieve this goal. One of the main reasons of this is because Forex traders focus in the wrong information to make their trading decisions and totally forget about the most important factor: Price behavior.

Most Forex trading systems are made off technical indicators (a moving average (MA) crossover, overbought/oversold conditions in an oscillator, etc.) But what are technical indicators? They are just a series of data points plotted in a chart; these points are derived from a mathematical formula applied to the price of any given currency pair. In other words, it is a chart of price plotted in a different way that helps us see other aspects of price.

There is an important implication on this definition of technical indicators. The fact that the readings obtained from them are based on price action. Take for instance a long MA crossover signal, the price has gone up enough to make the short period MA crossover the long period MA generating a long signal. Most traders see it as ìthe MA crossover made the price go up,î but it happened the other way around, the MA crossover signal occurred because the price went up. Where Iím trying to get here is that at the end, price behavior dictates how an indicator will act, and this should be taken into consideration on any trading decision made.

Trading decisions based on technical indicators without taking price action into consideration will give us less accurate results. For example, again a long signal generated by a MA crossover as the market approaches an important resistance level. If the price suddenly starts to bounce back off that important level there is no point on taking this signal, price action is telling us the market doesnít want to go up. Most of the time, under this circumstances, the market will continue to fall down, disregarding the MA crossover.

Don’t get me wrong here, technical indicators are a very important aspect of trading. They help us see certain conditions that are otherwise difficult to see by watching pure price action. But when it comes to pull the trigger, price action incorporation into our Forex trading system will definitely put the odds in our favor, it will generate higher probability trades.
So, how to create a perfect Forex trading system?

First of all, you need to make sure your trading system fits your trading personality; otherwise you will find it hard to follow it. Every trader has different needs and goals, thus there is no system that perfectly fits all traders. You need to make your own research on various trading styles and technical indicators until you find a concept that perfectly works for you.

Make sure you know the nature of whatever technical indicator used.Secondly, incorporate price action into your system. So you only take long signals if the price behavior tells you the market wants to go up, and short signals if the market gives you indication that it will go down.

Third, and most importantly, you need to have the discipline to follow your Forex trading system rigorously. Try it first on a demo account, then move on to a small account and finally when feeling comfortably and being consistent profitable apply your system in a regular account.

TRADING TEAM

GAIN's market making desk is staffed 24-hours a day during trading hours with experienced former bank traders who are comfortable managing a high volume forex trading operation. Three shifts cover each major trading session - Tokyo, London and NY - and each shift is managed by one or more senior dealers with, on average, 15-20 years of FX market making experience at top tier Wall Street firms. Without a doubt, GAIN's success to date is in no small part due to the talent of our trading team. The desk's mandate is to make tight, aggressive markets and ensure quality execution for our customers. They are also charged with managing GAIN's risk and exposure as a market maker in the highly competitive and price sensitive Forex market. Clients with over $25,000 in account equity have the added benefit of direct access to GAIN's traders for market color and consultation. These same people are frequently asked to provide market commentary to such prestigious news organizations as Dow Jones, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Associated Press, Bloomberg, CBS Marketwatch.

Timothy O'Sullivan, Chief DealerTim manages the day to day operation of GAIN's trading desk. With GAIN since its founding, Tim has 20 years of experience trading spot & forward FX in the Interbank market. Previously, Tim was director of the NY Sterling desk at Merrill Lynch. Hired in 1994 to establish a presence in Asian Exotic spot & forward currencies, Tim subsequently assumed responsibility for the EMS currencies desk. In 1997, he launched the Mexican Peso desk and provided liquidity to develop customer business. Tim started his career at Standard Chartered Bank, spanning an eight-year tenure that included running forward books in DEM, and trading spot Far East and exotic currencies.Stephen Reilly, Senior TraderStephen's 20+ years of forex trading experience includes stints at several top brokerage houses. Prior to joining GAIN in 2000, Stephen managed the 14-person Euro desk at Tullett & Tokyo, the world's largest FX broker at that time. Before that, Stephen spent 10 years at Noonan Astley & Pearce as vice president of foreign exchange. Previously, Stephen traded at Harlow Meyer Savage, and started his FX career in 1982 at Lasser Marshall, leaving four years later at vice president of foreign exchange.David Leaver, Senior TraderDave joined GAIN in 2001 from BankBoston, where he was the bank's primary EUR/USD dealer, handling both proprietary and customer business. Prior to that, he traded the majors and Euro crosses on the New York FX desk at Credit Commercial de France (CCF), which averaged $1B in daily turnover. Before that, he was at Fuji Bank in New York, trading on the USD/DEM desk. Dave started his FX career in 1991 at Exco Noonan, as a broker on the USD/DEM desk.

Brian Dolan, Chief Currency StrategistBrian is an 18 year veteran of the currency market, having worked as a senior trader and analyst at some of the world's leading international banks, including Dai-Ichi Kangyo, Credit Suisse and American Express. In addition to overseeing fundamental and technical research at GAIN, Brian publishes a daily technical analysis report and weekly macro research report for the exclusive use of GAIN Capital clients. Frequently sought after by the financial press for his insights into currency movements, Brian is a frequent guest on CNBC and Bloomberg TV. Brian has also published numerous articles on short-term trading strategies and risk management in journals such as Futures, Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities, and SFO. In the fall of 2007, Brian co-authored Currency Trading for Dummies, a sophisticated, educational resource for traders new to the Forex markets. Brian is a graduate of Dartmouth College

EASY TRADING

Pivot point in my own opinion represent the best and most reliable way to trade this market as it is only when price gets or come close to a pivot line that all professional traders in the world will be looking to take action. In my own opinion pivot point is the best trading style or strategy to trade the foreign exchange market profitably.So the question of all questions is when to buy and when to sell.

My answer is when you see price break through a pivot point going up for example only at that point should you wait for price to go back to the broken pivot point that was recently penetrated. Plus of course the secondary inputs of the other indicators to clarify and support your decision that you were right. Then if the other indicators confirm an upward continuation as in this example, then you will seek to enter as close to the pivot point that was penetrated as possible. Then take your profit by targeting the next pivot point in your calculated points, or you can move your stop loss to the next point to take more profit in the trade as it continues in your favor.

Foreign exchange trading can be very profitable and may mark the end of your 9 to 5 job with little time to spend in front of your computer. This is because if one is to consider the size of the market it will give a well trained and tutored trader the opportunity to make a huge profit, not to talk of the leverage the market gives you. Learn all you can and demo trade, before going live and you will surely quit your 9 to 5 job.

TRADING MACHINE

Forex trading presents a real opportunity to achieve huge financial profits. All that you need is to tread in the market sensibly and use the tools available. Forex trading machine is one such tool. They are automated trading platforms through which you can trade into the market without having in-depth knowledge on forex.Day by day, forex trading is becoming the most popular alternative career for people from every walk of life. Forex trading machines or the automated trading platforms are making life easier for them. To them it is the dream machine to trade forex that helps them to take each and every decision for their trading.

For veteran traders, forex trading machines are a place for experimenting different trading strategies. According to seasoned forex traders price driven forex trading or PDFT is one such strategy that works like a forex trading machine, churning out profits from every trade.

PDFT is a method free of technical indicators or any other trading tool. Therefore, according to experienced traders, this system works like a forex trading machine which is perfectly mechanical. Anyone will be able to trade following simple instructions given by the automated system.

But this exceedingly powerful forex trading machine can be exploited to its fullest potential with little innovation and understanding. If you learn the tricks of the trade, you will be able to use the ‘machine' even better. You must try to learn the essential basics of the forex trade before you actually start the trading.

An e-book by Avi Frister titled "Forex Trading Machine" introduces the readers to the forex market without bothering them with technical and fundamental indicators. The book is easy to understand and use. "Forex Trading Machine" will not teach you pivots, chart patterns, MA's or other techniques that demands your experience or judgment.

Instead, it focuses on strict entry and exit rules on basis of price action that eliminates subjectivity from trading. The author claims that after going through the steps, you would be able to trade like a ‘robot' with guaranteed profits.

Introductory chapters of "Forex Trading Machine" informs the reader about basics of the forex including explanation of currency quotes, pips, margins, daily ranges, technical and fundamental analysis etc. The book also describes how one can develop a disciplined trading strategy, control over emotion like fear and greed, watch the market for assessing the trends etc.

The book "Forex Trading Machine" outlines specific strategies following which you can develop a disciplined trading practice. These strategies are supported with risk management measures, which prevent you from incurring losses.

The main Forex trading strategy described in the book is ‘Cash Cow' which is perfect for a person who does not have time to analyze the forex market and forex charts or to sit in front of the terminal throughout the trading hours. Advanced traders, who are capable of employing more than one strategies will be immensely helped with the book in understanding technical or fundamental indicators.

SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS

The first synthetic diamonds were produced by General Electric in 1954. A synthetic diamond is basically a rock that has the durability, refractive index and hardness of a natural diamond – but it is made by man.

A synthetic diamond should not be confused with stimulant diamonds, such as glass, cubic zirconia, or moissanite.

Although the technology for synthetic diamonds came into play in 1954, no synthetic diamonds were ever seen on the market until the 1990’s. This was due to the fact that it took many years for General Electric to produce a synthetic diamond that could compare with the quality of a natural diamond – and when they figured out how to do it, they found that it cost more to produce a synthetic diamond than it did to mine and cut natural diamonds.

Finally, a small company by the name of Gemesis Corporation figured out a way to produce synthetic diamonds that were of the same quality as natural diamonds, at a cheaper price.

Today, Gemesis produces synthetic white diamonds, and colored diamonds as well. These diamonds sell for about 1/3 of the cost of a natural diamond, but there is a shortage of them, and they are hard to find. In fact, it seems that synthetic diamonds are rarer than natural diamonds!

FOREX (Foreign Exchange Market)

The foreign exchange market is also known as FX or it is also found to be referred to as the FOREX. All three of these have the same meaning, which is the trade of trading between different companies, banks, businesses, and governments that are located in different countries. The financial market is one that is always changing leaving transactions required to be completed through brokers, and banks. Many scams have been emerging in the FOREX business, as foreign companies and people are setting up online to take advantage of people who don’t realize that foreign trade must take place through a broker or a company with direct participation involved in foreign exchanges.

Cash, stocks, and currency is traded through the foreign exchange markets. The FOREX market will be present and exist when one currency is traded for another. Think about a trip you may take to a foreign country. Where are you going to be able to ‘trade your money’ for the value of the money that is in that other country? This is FOREX trading basis, and it is not available in all banks, and it is not available in all financial centers. FOREX is a specialized trading circumstance.

Small business and individuals often times looking to make big money, are the victims of scams when it comes to learning about FOREX and the foreign trade markets. As FOREX is seen as how to make a quick buck or two, people don’t question their participation in such an event, but if you are not investing money through a broker in the FOREX market, you could easily end up losing everything that you have invested in the transaction.

Scams to be wary ofA FOREX scam is one that involves trading but will turn out to be a fraud; you have no chance of getting your money back once you have invested it. If you were to invest money with a company stating they are involved in FOREX trading you want read closely to learn if they are permitted to do business in your country. Many companies are not permitted in the FOREX market, as they have defrauded investors before.

In the last five years, with the help of the Internet, FOREX trading and the awareness of FOREX trading has become all the rage. Banks are the number one source for FOREX trading to take place, where a trained and licensed broker is going to complete transactions and requirements you set forth. Commissions are paid on the transaction and this is the usual.

Another type of scam that is prevalent in the FOREX markets is software that will aid you in making trades, in learning about the foreign markets and in practicing so you can prepare yourself for following and making trades. You want to be able to rely on a program or software that is really going to make a difference. Consult with your financial broker or your bank to learn more about FOREX trading, the FX markets and how you can avoid being the victim while investing in these markets.