Friday, August 22, 2008

What Is Forex Trading? Is It Right For Me?

Foreign Currency Exchange (FOREX) Trading is an exhilarating way to tradeforeign currency in a market that runs 24 hours a day, five days a week. TheForex market is also the most volatile financial market in the world. It doesn thave a physical location, trading floor or central exchange like the NYSE orfutures market does, but instead it functions and operates amid a global networkof banks with trades taking place over an electronic network or by phone. Withits nearly nonstop currency market where Forex brokers trade in the currenciesof the world, profits are made or lost depending on how various nationscurrencies increase or decrease relative to each other. Current, real timeevents can influence currency prices and thus Forex trading brokers typicallykeep track of worldwide events on a minute by minute, hour by hour basis eachday.Even though Forex trading is volatile, there are many things to like about it.Since the Forex Trading System is open 24 hours a day, the majority of eachweek, it allows for ample time and numerous trading opportunities around theclock. This means Forex Brokers are not under as much pressure to initiate atrade as quickly as if they were playing the stock market. Also, since worldgovernment currencies are very liquid, they are much easier to trade than othersecurities. As with the stock and option markets, profits can be made eitherway, whether in a rising or falling market. And since Foreign Currency Tradingis volatile by nature, it can afford even more profit opportunities than othermarkets.Of course a person s Forex Trading Strategy should be to profit from themovement in currency values. As with any financial market, the more times aperson gets it right , the more money they will make. In Forex or FX Trading,currency pairs are always used. FX Traders will try to determine, for instance,if the U.S. Dollar will rise in value over the British Pound, or vice versa.This is called a Currency Pair. Another trader may have some Forex informationthat informs them that the Euro will increase in value against the Dollar. Theywould then pay X amount of Dollars for X amount of Euros. As time went on andthe Euro did strengthen against the Dollar then they could sell the Euros foreven more Dollars than they had invested originally. Foreign Currency Exchangeis essentially the simultaneous buying of one currency and the selling ofanother.There is no doubt that the Forex Currency Trading System is unique. It has itsown set of rules and opportunities. It can be as fast moving or slow as a traderwould like. A big advantage is the number of hours in a week that a trader canplace and execute trades. It can be volatile just as with any market. If aperson studies their options and does their homework, a great deal of profitmaking opportunities exists in Foreign Currency Trading. As with any financialmarkets, a good Forex Trading Strategy will go a long way in determining whatkind of profits you will make.

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