learn forex first

It is so easy to become completely bogged down trying to keep up with the company news updates, you know, the feeds you get on the financial news channels. This causes you to get frustrated and often confused. There’s a lot of very interesting information, but does it serve to help our trading decisions? Remember, no two people have the same perspective on anything, and that includes the stock market. The analysts you watch and listen might well have very good and valid reasons for talking a stock up or down, depending upon their own investment criteria.

Here are 3 reasons to help you see why technical analysis works:

1. Every day trading decision, and I mean every one of them, without exception, ends up in one and only one result; price. The price of the stock at close of trading is where the whole picture finishes. You can do anything you like with company data; analyse it, pull it apart, listen to speculators, traders, journalists, but the result a closing is always the same.

2. It is correct that history does not necessarily reflect the future, and that’s quite right, no one would argue the case. But, and it’s a big but, it has been proven time over, that human psyche does repeat itself, the brain functions the in the same manner all the time. What you see on technical day trading charts is the result of past thinking, of past psyche. It will be argued until the end of time that you cannot trade for the future, based on historical data. But the technical data that is delivered and shown by these charts does lend itself to narrowing the odds enormously in our favour, IF used correctly. There are too many successful technical traders to suggest otherwise.

3. To see an excellent example, watch the price of a stock that’s moving in a trend, or range, and you can see that same patterns, by and large being repeated, day in, day out. All of a sudden, the price pushes beyond the upper and lower price boundaries that it’s held for the past few days or weeks, and you have a potential buy or sell trading opportunity.

There are traders who use only fundamentals, and still argue against technical trading, but if you have the time, a blend of both is best. The advantage of using chart set ups is that you can better gauge, and fine tune, where you are going to place you entry and exit positions.

How would you like to discover more about the techniques successful traders use to make profitable trades?

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Ian Jackson is an authority on Day Trading information, learning the hard way - and now he reveals how you can learn the business too, without all the growing pains.

Forex trading can be tough if you do not know what you are doing. That is why I have provided the following simple yet helpful forex trading strategy. The Simple Moving Average (SMA) is an extension of the trend line concept. The SMA is plotted on a graph by the charting program of the forex market data. The SMA takes the average of the close price of a given number of the last few periods. Any number of periods can be selected. You can have a SMA 5 or an SMA 20. An SMA 5 will take an average of the previous 5 close prices on the chart and will plot it on the chart along side the other price data. Each bar will use the previous 5 bars worth of data to calculate a point and plot it on the graph.

If the SMA is generated using a large number of periods (like an SMA 50 or SMA 75), you could interpret it similarly to the trend line. But if you select “faster” SMA’s (like SMA5 or SMA20), you need to use a different strategy.

I am about to give you a strategy using the SMA. It is called the SMA Crossover Method. The SMA is one of the most commonly used indicators and can be found on almost any charting package. When you plot the SMA, you will be able to slect a line color to plot it. Make sure to use a different color than the actual prices on the chart.

Step 1: Plot an EMA5 using blue (or any color you like).

Step 2: Plot an EMA20 using red (or any color that is different than step one’s color).

You now have two SMAs plotted on the chart. You also have two signals.

Buy Signal: When the SMA5 Crosses the SMA20 moving upward.

Sell Signal: When the SMA5 Crosses the SMA20 moving downward.

The beauty of this method is that the price of the currency pair cannot go up significantly without triggering the buy signal.

This was a very simple and practical indicator that should really improve your trading results as you implement the strategy outlined above. If you are looking for a really good set of forex trading strategies click on the link below. Good luck trading.

Get an Objective Review of the Most Popular Forex Trading Software Programs. Forex Trading System Review is the place to visit.

See What Forex Trading Software REALLY Works! forex-trading-system-review.com is the place to visit.

To help beginners understand the nuances of the forex market a number of tools are available, which over a period of time assist in accurately predicting currency movements. In fact the need for novices to understand the features and functions of various tools available before zeroing on and making use of on any one or a group of tools cannot be overemphasized.

Forex chart free downloads are now available which can be used to carry out trend analysis and also in arriving at Support and Resistance levels.

What do support and resistance levels denote in a forex trading?

• Support level is what is considered to be the bottom price for a currency. The currency will fall to the support level and then rise again eventually.

• The resistance level is the highest price that the currency will touch but will normally not exceed this level. Therefore once a currency reaches its resistance point a fall will normally happen.

If you notice sudden movements beyond a currency’s normal support or resistance levels you can safely predict and presume this movement shift to continue at least for some time in the near future.

If a currency is moving up, in market terminology it is considered to be bullish.  To quote an example - if USD becomes bullish and breaks its normal resistance level, we can expect this upward movement to continue for some time.

How do you determine the support and resistance levels for a currency?  By analyzing forex chart free access to some of which is available easily on the internet.  Needless to say accuracy of your analysis will largely depend on the time span you use for your charting. While analyzing and understanding forex chart you must try to identify continuous pattern of high and low prices that the currency has been touching. If you study carefully you will note that these levels will normally not be exceeded. You thus have the levels which you must benchmark as entry and exit points for trading transactions.

Charting is an invaluable tool that indicates what the market is doing at any moment and also the currency’s past history. By understanding the basics of analyzing forex chart you can safely predict price levels at which to enter and exit, where to set your stop losses, limits etc. In fact there are several forex chart free software services that you can subscribe to online.

In addition to forex chart free software services there are a number of forex trading tutorial are now available to get you started. Some of them are with a trial period which will enable you to get a feel of the market before you actually take the plunge. To get more information about one such tool visit http://www.know-to.info/forex/fx2.html

Why do hundreds of thousands online traders and investors trade the forex market every day, and how do they make money doing it?

This two-part report clearly and simply details essential tips on how to avoid typical pitfalls and start making more money in your forex trading.

1. Trade pairs, not currencies - Like any relationship, you have to know both sides. Success or failure in forex trading depends upon being right about both currencies and how they impact one another, not just one.
   
2. Knowledge is Power - When starting out trading forex online, it is essential that you understand the basics of this market if you want to make the most of your investments.
   The main forex influencer is global news and events. For example, say an ECB statement is released on European interest rates which typically will cause a flurry of activity. Most newcomers react violently to news like this and close their positions and subsequently miss out on some of the best trading opportunities by waiting until the market calms down. The potential in the forex market is in the volatility, not in its tranquility.
3. Unambitious trading - Many new traders will place very tight orders in order to take very small profits. This is not a sustainable approach because although you may be profitable in the short run (if you are lucky), you risk losing in the longer term as you have to recover the difference between the bid and the ask price before you can make any profit and this is much more difficult when you make small trades than when you make larger ones.
   
4. Over-cautious trading - Like the trader who tries to take small incremental profits all the time, the trader who places tight stop losses with a retail forex broker is doomed. As we stated above, you have to give your position a fair chance to demonstrate its ability to produce. If you don’t place reasonable stop losses that allow your trade to do so, you will always end up undercutting yourself and losing a small piece of your deposit with every trade.
5. Independence - If you are new to forex, you will either decide to trade your own money or to have a broker trade it for you. So far, so good. But your risk of losing increases exponentially if you either of these two things:
   Interfere with what your broker is doing on your behalf (as his strategy might require a long gestation period);
   Seek advice from too many sources - multiple input will only result in multiple losses. Take a position, ride with it and then analyse the outcome - by yourself, for yourself.
   
6. Tiny margins - Margin trading is one of the biggest advantages in trading forex as it allows you to trade amounts far larger than the total of your deposits. However, it can also be dangerous to novice traders as it can appeal to the greed factor that destroys many forex traders. The best guideline is to increase your leverage in line with your experience and success.
   
7. No strategy - The aim of making money is not a trading strategy. A strategy is your map for how you plan to make money. Your strategy details the approach you are going to take, which currencies you are going to trade and how you will manage your risk. Without a strategy, you may become one of the 90% of new traders that lose their money.
8. Trading Off-Peak Hours - Professional FX traders, option traders, and hedge funds posses a huge advantage over small retail traders during off-peak hours (between 2200 CET and 1000 CET) as they can hedge their positions and move them around when there is far small trade volume is going through (meaning their risk is smaller). The best advice for trading during off peak hours is simple - don’t.
9. The only way is up/down - When the market is on its way up, the market is on its way up. When the market is going down, the market is going down. That’s it. There are many systems which analyse past trends, but none that can accurately predict the future. But if you acknowledge to yourself that all that is happening at any time is that the market is simply moving, you’ll be amazed at how hard it is to blame anyone else.
   
10. Trade on the news - Most of the really big market moves occur around news time. Trading volume is high and the moves are significant; this means there is no better time to trade than when news is released. This is when the big players adjust their positions and prices change resulting in a serious currency flow.
11. Exiting Trades - If you place a trade and it’s not working out for you, get out. Don’t compound your mistake by staying in and hoping for a reversal. If you’re in a winning trade, don’t talk yourself out of the position because you’re bored or want to relieve stress; stress is a natural part of trading; get used to it.
12. Don’t trade too short-term - If you are aiming to make less than 20 points profit, don’t undertake the trade. The spread you are trading on will make the odds against you far too high.
13. Don’t be smart - The most successful traders I know keep their trading simple. They don’t analyse all day or research historical trends and track web logs and their results are excellent.
14. Tops and Bottoms - There are no real “bargains” in trading foreign exchange. Trade in the direction the price is going in and you’re results will be almost guaranteed to improve.
15. Ignoring the technicals- Understanding whether the market is over-extended long or short is a key indicator of price action. Spikes occur in the market when it is moving all one way.
16. Emotional Trading - Without that all-important strategy, you’re trades essentially are thoughts only and thoughts are emotions and a very poor foundation for trading. When most of us are upset and emotional, we don’t tend to make the wisest decisions. Don’t let your emotions sway you.
17. Confidence - Confidence comes from successful trading. If you lose money early in your trading career it’s very difficult to regain it; the trick is not to go off half-cocked; learn the business before you trade. Remember, knowledge is power.

The second and final part of this report clearly and simply details more essential tips on how to avoid the pitfalls and start making more money in your forex trading.

1. Take it like a man - If you decide to ride a loss, you are simply displaying stupidity and cowardice. It takes guts to accept your loss and wait for tomorrow to try again. Sticking to a bad position ruins lots of traders - permanently. Try to remember that the market often behaves illogically, so don’t get commit to any one trade; it’s just a trade. One good trade will not make you a trading success; it’s ongoing regular performance over months and years that makes a good trader.
2. Focus - Fantasising about possible profits and then “spending” them before you have realised them is no good. Focus on your current position(s) and place reasonable stop losses at the time you do the trade. Then sit back and enjoy the ride - you have no real control from now on, the market will do what it wants to do.
3. Don’t trust demos - Demo trading often causes new traders to learn bad habits. These bad habits, which can be very dangerous in the long run, come about because you are playing with virtual money. Once you know how your broker’s system works, start trading small amounts and only take the risk you can afford to win or lose.
4. Stick to the strategy - When you make money on a well thought-out strategic trade, don’t go and lose half of it next time on a fancy; stick to your strategy and invest profits on the next trade that matches your long-term goals.
5. Trade today - Most successful day traders are highly focused on what’s happening in the short-term, not what may happen over the next month. If you’re trading with 40 to 60-point stops focus on what’s happening today as the market will probably move too quickly to consider the long-term future. However, the long-term trends are not unimportant; they will not always help you though if you’re trading intraday.
   
6. The clues are in the details - The bottom line on your account balance doesn’t tell the whole story. Consider individual trade details; analyse your losses and the telling losing streaks. Generally, traders that make money without suffering significant daily losses have the best chance of sustaining positive performance in the long term.
   
7. Simulated Results - Be very careful and wary about infamous “black box” systems. These so-called trading signal systems do not often explain exactly how the trade signals they generate are produced. Typically, these systems only show their track record of extraordinary results - historical results. Successfully predicting future trade scenarios is altogether more complex. The high-speed algorithmic capabilities of these systems provide significant retrospective trading systems, not ones which will help you trade effectively in the future.
   
8. Get to know one cross at a time - Each currency pair is unique, and has a unique way of moving in the marketplace. The forces which cause the pair to move up and down are individual to each cross, so study them and learn from your experience and apply your learning to one cross at a time.
9. Risk Reward - If you put a 20 point stop and a 50 point profit your chances of winning are probably about 1-3 against you. In fact, given the spread you’re trading on, it’s more likely to be 1-4. Play the odds the market gives you.
   
10. Trading for Wrong Reasons - Don’t trade if you are bored, unsure or reacting on a whim. The reason that you are bored in the first place is probably because there is no trade to make in the first place. If you are unsure, it’s probably because you can’t see the trade to make, so don’t make one.
    
11. Zen Trading- Even when you have taken a position in the markets, you should try and think as you would if you hadn’t taken one. This level of detachment is essential if you want to retain your clarity of mind and avoid succumbing to emotional impulses and therefore increasing the likelihood of incurring losses. To achieve this, you need to cultivate a calm and relaxed outlook. Trade in brief periods of no more than a few hours at a time and accept that once the trade has been made, it’s out of your hands.
    
12. Determination - Once you have decided to place a trade, stick to it and let it run its course. This means that if your stop loss is close to being triggered, let it trigger. If you move your stop midway through a trade’s life, you are more than likely to suffer worse moves against you. Your determination must be show itself when you acknowledge that you got it wrong, so get out.
    
13. Short-term Moving Average Crossovers - This is one of the most dangerous trade scenarios for non professional traders. When the short-term moving average crosses the longer-term moving average it only means that the average price in the short run is equal to the average price in the longer run. This is neither a bullish nor bearish indication, so don’t fall into the trap of believing it is one.
    
14. Stochastic - Another dangerous scenario. When it first signals an exhausted condition that’s when the big spike in the “exhausted” currency cross tends to occur. My advice is to buy on the first sign of an overbought cross and then sell on the first sign of an oversold one. This approach means that you’ll be with the trend and have successfully identified a positive move that still has some way to go. So if percentage K and percentage D are both crossing 80, then buy! (This is the same on sell side, where you sell at 20).
    
15. One cross is all that counts - EURUSD seems to be trading higher, so you buy GBPUSD because it appears not to have moved yet. This is dangerous. Focus on one cross at a time - if EURUSD looks good to you, then just buy EURUSD.
    
16. Wrong Broker - A lot of FOREX brokers are in business only to make money from yours. Read forums, blogs and chats around the net to get an unbiased opinion before you choose your broker.
    
17. Too bullish - Trading statistics show that 90% of most traders will fail at some point. Being too bullish about your trading aptitude can be fatal to your long-term success. You can always learn more about trading the markets, even if you are currently successful in your trades. Stay modest, and keep your eyes open for new ideas and bad habits you might be falling in to.
    
18. Interpret forex news yourself - Learn to read the source documents of forex news and events - don’t rely on the interpretations of news media or others.

John Gaines

online trading, currency trading, financial service

A veteran of online trading, John Gaines offers the financial services industry his perspectives and expertise on a variety of trading systems and financial instruments, including forex, CFDs, futures, options and stocks.

The Number One Forex Trading Strategy is .. actually a combination of strategies. The truth is that there a number of ways to really do well on a consistent basis in the Forex market. instead of loading you up with some non-existent “holy grail,” I would rather provide you with real, proven and reliable Forex trading strategy. Here is the plan:

First, get your trading head on straight. You would be shocked at how many traders come to the currency market with all sorts of distractions and issues in their heads. How on earth can you make a wise decision in this frame of mind. It is actually, a good idea to review some monetary current events and data along with some basic trading principles about a half-hour prior to actually trading. I know this sounds monotonous but trust me, it is what the winners do.

Second, use your technical analysis tools properly. Trade on the Forex market with proven technical indicators. I like to start off with the 200 day moving average. This is the standard by which the “big money” judges the worthiness or timeliness of currencies for trading against another. It is obviously not the end- all- be- all but it is a great place to start. I then move on to the indicators that show me if a currency is severely over bought or over sold. If this is the case and the currency lines up with the 200 day moving average then I start to become very interested. Here is an example: The dollar is trading above the 200 day moving average. It is severely over sold. Now I am very interested in confirming this. How?

Third, use a reliable Forex trading software program with proven results and a positive reputation. I need clear and reliable signals from my software program and if these line up with the aforementioned indicators than I am feeling confident and ready to gain some significant pips. By the way, I have provided a link below for an objective review of the three leading software programs, I think it will help.

This method I just laid out is not pie-in-the-sky but it is proven and will more than likely make a winner out of you on the Forex market.

Get an Objective Review of the Most Popular Forex Trading Software Programs. Number One Forex Trading Strategy is the place to visit.

See What Forex Trading Software REALLY Works! forex-trading-system-review.com is the place to visit.

I wanted to share with you some foreign currency exchange market tips. These can be very helpful because this is a very unforgiving market for people. With the three trillion dollars a day moving around, this attracts a lot of profit seekers, but the sad part is that most of them end up losing money. You have to know what you’re doing and be prepared to protect yourself from massive losses. You have to be willing to spend time to learn, as well as having skills to adapt to the market place. I’ve been doing this for a good few years now and I’ve learned a lot in that time.

The best thing you can do is become a “news rat”. All that means is that you’re watching the news all the time, for the purpose of economic news. This is the news that inevitably filters to the price of currency. Being on top of this can protect your money and being able to anticipate the news will make you very profitable. Pay particular attention to news about the Federal Reserve, GDP, unemployment, etc. If it is good economic news, it is good for the currency. If it is bad, than it is bad for currency.

You’ll also want to get some proper tools for trading. The most important is an automated trader. The reason for this is that you’re in a 24hr market. Obviously, you have to sleep at sometime and dumping all your trades for this can be quite unprofitable. The best thing to have is an automated trader watching these trades. If it needs to make a decision on, it can, completely independent of yourself.

I use Forex Factor X because it is the best mechanical trader out there. It makes all its decisions based on what is most profitable at the time. This makes it a great asset.

Learn more at Forex Factor X.

I wanted to take the time to talk to you about the simple actions you can do for currency trading that will ultimately lead to your success. This is a big market with a lot of money moving around. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t have some of that money coming to you, but you need to learn how to do it correctly for the long term.

In this business, you need to be determined. This is a long term game. Rarely do people take a step in and get rich. You have a lot to learn and that means you’re going to have some very rough times. Most people that attempt forex are not determined, they lose a little money, then quit. If you want to be successful, you have to keep making steps forward during the good times and keep making steps forward during the bad times. No matter how bad it gets, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

There are a million different reasons why you can make a trade, but there should really only be one reason, profit. You shouldn’t make a trade unless you’re going to make money. I know that sounds obvious, but when you’re in the heat of the moment, you’ll find all sorts of reasons to trade. I remember having a bad trade and I felt like I needed to make an immediate trade to win the money back. It didn’t go so well. Sometimes if you don’t see a good trade, you feel like you have to do one because you’re a currency trader. Not smart. You should only be trading when their is profit to be made.

The Forex Loophole makes things a lot easier for you by simplifying the trading process and putting profit at the forefront. Check out my review on the Forex Loophole.

Back in 1997 major financial slump rocked number of countries in Asia, an event that became known as “Asian currency crisis”. Effected countries included Taiwan, Thailand South Korea and others. One of the memorable comments of the time came from one of leading Thai politicians. He blamed this whole mess on speculators, with George Soros being the main culprit. The remarks went so far as to public statement of “not being able to guarantee his safety if he visited Thailand”. Quite ominous.

The fallout in South Korea was brutal. The US Dollar has about doubled in value against the Won, with USD-KRW moving from just above 800 in early 1997, to 1600 by the year’s end. Local stock market suffered similar fate, as did all areas of economy. Perhaps most telling was an enormous spike in unemployment, as the jobless rate soared to almost double digits, with about 9 million people out of work.

This author observed the aftermath first hand, during one of his business trips to South Korea at that time. Collapse of once high flying conglomerate Daewoo under burden of debt. The sight of many construction projects suspended or stopped all over Seoul and Pusan. Daily failure of scores of small business. It was good time to visit South Korea, due to low prices, but very difficult period for residents.

The country has rebounded nicely since then and became one of Asia’s most dynamic economies. KRW strengthen considerably reaching level 900 against USD in 2007. The stock market has recorded double digit gains in four of the last five years, gaining 32% in last year alone. Korean companies like Samsung Electronics Co, and Hyundai Motors Co, have established themselves as some of the world’s leading corporations.

Things have changed in 2008. Challenges like high oil prices, inflation, external debt and account deficit have shaken investors confidence. While many countries have seen outflow of funds into the dollar, this process became especially painful in South Korea. The Won has become the Asia’s worst performing currency, loosing 20% to date. Stock market was no better, falling 25%, with farther sell off of equities expected.

These developments created widely spread comparisons to situation from 1997 and were quick to be picked by the press. International Monetary Fund disagrees with this assessment and expressed confidence by saying that South Korea is a mature and resilient economy with country’s fundamentals much stronger than a decade ago. Korean financial authorities, however, felt obligated to act by intervention on Wons behalf in the open market. This seemed to stop the bleeding for now.

What can be expected next? In all reality, 1997 type sell off is extremely unlikely. As South Korean economy is cooling down together with the rest of the world, Seoul might not be able to stop bleeding of the stock market but there is one thing they can do- keep intervening on behalf of its currency. Unlike before, there are huge foreign reserves, about 250 billion dollars worth of, and they can be used to support Won.

Very likely scenario, as of this writing, is continued fall of Korean equities, in tune with broader stock declines. The Won should also keep dropping, but in much more measured and steady pace. Central Bank has not mentioned what the comfortable level for USD-KRW is, but as we noticed over last few years, major trends are very powerful and can go through any “line in the sand’ drawn by anybody.

Current rate is around 1150. Even with expected interventions, Won can easily weaken to 1300 and maybe 1400, but far short of the previous low of 1600. Also, one shouldn’t look for a fast move, but rather steady depreciation, lasting a year or two. This is not a situation for active traders, but for those who prefer longer term positions current development might present good opportunity for farther selling of KRW.

Mike P. Kulej is a Chief Forex Strategist for Spectrum Forex LLC. He specializes in mechanical trading systems as explained on http://www.spectrumforex.com . Spectrum Forex LLC offers numerous services to individual traders. He also publishes trading blog http://www.fxmadness.com. With questions and comments e-mail him at kulej@spectrumforex.com

Trading without a strategy is like driving without brakes. Any trader going into the markets without a strategy or system is destined to crash and burn.

To be a Dynamic Trader, every trader should know why they are about to enter a trade and the strategy they are applying. In addition they should know where they are coming out of the trade and the reasons behind it.

Entering on a hunch is not trading, it is simply gambling your money away. Without knowing these fundamental basics of trading will make it almost impossible to capture profits from the markets on a consistent basis.

The trader needs to know the strategy he or she is going to use and then stick to it. Many traders chop and change strategies and it is a good idea to use one strategy consistently to identify if it works for you. It is important to not that the same strategy will not neccessarily work for different traders. This is mainly due to the traders profile and as we are all unique our trading will be personalized.

To trade and consistently profit from the currency markets a trader must have discipline. A forex trader especially must trade with discipline and rules. Of course this holds true for any financial market but due to the liquidity in the forex world it is more important for a froex trader to be a disciplined trader. Discipline will help become a dynamic trader by removing the emotion from trading.

Our free trading blog at www.fxcps.com/blog will provide further information on forex trading and forex strategies.

Javid Shaik and Anne Chapman perform FREE daily trading analysis at http://www.fxcps.com