Saturday, April 14, 2007

Learn Forex Trading - a guide for beginners


One can learn f
orex trading as easily as one would like to learn other subjects or train in other professions. The criteria for learning forex trading is an analytical / logical bent of mind and some number crunching abilities. Reading specialized books on the subject matter, enrolling for college and other programs, which specifically teach one to do forex dealing, one can understand Forex trading. Still other ways are through the Internet and training under a forex dealer / professional. Essentially the forex market comprises of currencies, which are bought and sold according to certain parameters.
There are major currencies in the market, which are trade and are the most liquid. These are US Dollar, Japanese Yen, Euro, British Pound, Swiss Franc, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar. Then there are other currencies, which are not so liquid. However currency trade is done in almost all currencies across the world. The forex market is truly a twenty-four market with only a minor break during the weekend. It opens in Sydney, then in Tokyo and then in London and New York in that order according to the way that the Earth rotates and the sun rises. Therefore forex brokers and investors can choose their time of operation.

Essentially it's a matter of selling and buying the currencies. The goal is very simple, that of making a profit in the currency transactions that you participate in. The currency market operates like most other markets and therefore for many traders 'migrating ' form other trades such as stock market can be quite simple.

Essentially one can learn forex transactions by creating a virtual account. The first lesson is that currency trade is done in pairs only like Euros / US$, Japanese Yen/ Canadian Dollars etc. When you have set up a virtual account with the amount of initial investment, keep the following pointers in mind

· According to your investment strategy and time frame, choose the currency pair best suited to your needs. Some currency pairs can be very aggressive and the changes can be quite volatile. While others may not show any movement. Therefore choose the currency pair with care.
· Decide the time frame. Do you want to spend a few minutes on the forex trade or you want to go the whole hog and devote the entire week to the forex trade (swing trade)
· Have an exit plan ready before you start the currency transactions. Know when to place your 'stops' and do so accordingly.
· No risk no gain. Be willing to take risk. You can take calculated risks in order to earn good profits. Know whether you want to be an aggressive trader or are you happy being a safe trader.
· Read and analyze the news and the technical data that is generated on the currencies that you deal in to understand the market conditions better.

Of course you can grasp the modus operandi of the forex trade. But for doing the real thing, you need to be in the forex transaction market for real.