4/19/13
Building a successful forex trading strategy
To become a
successful day trader you need a specific trading plan, as not all trading
strategies fit the profiles of all traders. Each trader must develop his own
trading strategy that matches their trading style and personality. Some traders
rely solely on technical analysis while others prefer fundamental analysis, but
many traders successfully use a combination of both to get an overview of the
market and for finding entry and exit points.
Technical
analysis relies on a key concept: Prices move with the trend. As stated by the
dictum of all forex traders "The trend is your friend.". Movements in
the markets lead to identifiable patterns that have been studied for many
years, a thorough understanding of these trends and chart patterns provides a
good basis for developing forex trading strategies.
There are
many analytical tools available to understand market movements. The beginning
trader can initially consider each of these indicators separately to obtain a
working knowledge of their concepts and their application. Each tool tends to
reinforce the other, so traders must then examine the trading signals generated
by the confluence of several indicators.
Support and
resistance levels are used in many forex trading strategies. The support means
a lower price level is tested repeatedly, and when the price reaches that
level, it tends to bounce over. Resistance means a price level above which prevents
the course of moving beyond. Levels of support and resistance can contain
prices in a trend channel for a certain period of time before a possible
fracture "break-out.
Moving
averages are also frequently used in forex trading strategies. All forex brokers provide moving averages
in their trading platforms. The simple moving average (SMA) shows the average
price of the market at a given time and over a period of time. Moving averages
serve to eliminate short-term fluctuations in prices to give a clearer picture
of price movements. Traders can plot a SMA to determine the direction of the
trend and possible reversal of course. If prices move above the SMA, the trend
is bullish, conversely, if prices move below the SMA, the trend is downward.
These two
examples of forex trading strategies can be used
individually or in combination. In practice, the trader must have a range of
trading tools to examine market conditions and to confirm his analysis. If
several indicators show that the market moves in a particular direction, the
operator can then act with more assurance than when relying on a single
indicator.
Similarly,
fundamental analysis can be used to reinforce technical findings, or vice
versa. Ideally, the trader must master several indicators to develop a forex
trading strategy effectively.
The
technical and fundamental analysis to determine entry points and exits in a
trend, but the management of risk (money management) is one of the most
important elements to be defined in advance. The trader must know the maximum
risk it takes on each trade. It must ensure cut its losses quickly and let the
trades earn maximum benefit from the trend. The first goal of the beginner
trader must not make profits, but does not lose his money.
Keep a
diary of trading allows the trader to remember the past trades and make an
assessment on the effectiveness of the strategy. It is also useful for
improving the system that must evolve with experience and market fluctuations.
3/22/13
Comparing Forex Brokers
Deciding which forex broker to use can be a tricky task. Although your choice of a regular bank may not be so important (all banks are pretty much the same), forex brokers vary widely in terms of quality and in terms of the services they offer. Here's a quick guide to help you pick the one that's right for you.
Step 1 - Know your needs in relation to your forex trading style
Start by creating your own list of features needed for your forex trading style.
- What instruments are you trading? Currencies, stock indexes, gold/silver, commodities?
- What kind of spreads are used: fixed, variable, how many pips?
- What is your minimum initial investment?
- Do you trade with mini lots of 1000 units or more?
- How much leverage do you need?
- What tools and forex trading indicators do you use for forex trading?
- Do you use trading via telephone and/or trading alerts?
- Do you need a specific trading platform (such as MetaTrader 4 for automated trading)?
- A platform without downloading software to trade in your browser?
- Do you want to use scalping?
- Do you use an easy hedging strategy?
- Do you need a trailing stop?
- Should your broker be an ECN/STP or a dealing desk broker?
- Does the broker have a good reputation on forex-related forums?
- How will you deposit funds (bank transfer, PayPal, credit card, etc.)?
- What are the costs of deposits and withdrawals to fund your account?
- Does customer support speak your language at the broker, is it easily reachable if something goes wrong?
You can of course improve this list with your specific needs.
Step 2 - Make a selection based on your criteria. A comparison of forex brokers and CFD brokers will allow you to make a preliminary selection of several brokers who might meet your expectations.
Step 3 - Visit the broker's website
After selecting a few forex brokers, it is time to do some research by visiting websites to read their respective trading rules and conditions to get an idea of their corporate transparency. An online broker cannot afford to have a website that looks amateur, the site must have a pro design. The presence of information such as address, telephone numbers of customer support, information on accreditation and regulation bodies needs to be present on the broker's site. If a broker has no physical address listed on the website or on the Contact page, do not sign up with them.
Another important factor is to choose a broker and open an account with a broker that is regulated and/or accredited to provide services in your country.
Here is a list of some regulatory bodies:
- USA: NFA, CFTC
- Canada: BCSC, CIPF, OSC
- United Kingdom: UK FSA
- France: MFA
- Germany: BaFin
- Switzerland: SFDF, ARIF, FINMA (As of 2009, all Swiss forex brokers need to have a banking license)
- Sweden: Swedish FSA
- Denmark: Danish FSA
- Spain: CNMV
- Japan: Japan FSA FFAJ
- Hong Kong: SFC
- Australia: ASIC
- Dubai: DMCC, DGCX, DFSA, ESCA This is not a complete list, for other countries, there will be other regulators of financial markets.
Choosing a broker
Step 4 - Open a demo account
Demo accounts don't always reflect reality in terms of timeliness of slippage and higher spreads during economic news announcements, but they help one to become familiar with the trading platform.
During this trial period, you can also seek advice from customer support to see if it is responsive and responsible. After the initial start with a small amount of starting capital, you can then make additional deposits if trading conditions meet your expectations. Remain cautious with brokers who encourage you to deposit more funds or who offer deposit bonuses.
Stay cautious, forex trading is a risky activity that requires a significant personal investment. Follow Forex training to learn the basics of trading and, most importantly, do not use leverage to try to recoup your losses, instead, diversify your positions or increase your exposure during winning trades.
Step 1 - Know your needs in relation to your forex trading style
Start by creating your own list of features needed for your forex trading style.
- What instruments are you trading? Currencies, stock indexes, gold/silver, commodities?
- What kind of spreads are used: fixed, variable, how many pips?
- What is your minimum initial investment?
- Do you trade with mini lots of 1000 units or more?
- How much leverage do you need?
- What tools and forex trading indicators do you use for forex trading?
- Do you use trading via telephone and/or trading alerts?
- Do you need a specific trading platform (such as MetaTrader 4 for automated trading)?
- A platform without downloading software to trade in your browser?
- Do you want to use scalping?
- Do you use an easy hedging strategy?
- Do you need a trailing stop?
- Should your broker be an ECN/STP or a dealing desk broker?
- Does the broker have a good reputation on forex-related forums?
- How will you deposit funds (bank transfer, PayPal, credit card, etc.)?
- What are the costs of deposits and withdrawals to fund your account?
- Does customer support speak your language at the broker, is it easily reachable if something goes wrong?
You can of course improve this list with your specific needs.
Step 2 - Make a selection based on your criteria. A comparison of forex brokers and CFD brokers will allow you to make a preliminary selection of several brokers who might meet your expectations.
Step 3 - Visit the broker's website
After selecting a few forex brokers, it is time to do some research by visiting websites to read their respective trading rules and conditions to get an idea of their corporate transparency. An online broker cannot afford to have a website that looks amateur, the site must have a pro design. The presence of information such as address, telephone numbers of customer support, information on accreditation and regulation bodies needs to be present on the broker's site. If a broker has no physical address listed on the website or on the Contact page, do not sign up with them.
Another important factor is to choose a broker and open an account with a broker that is regulated and/or accredited to provide services in your country.
Here is a list of some regulatory bodies:
- USA: NFA, CFTC
- Canada: BCSC, CIPF, OSC
- United Kingdom: UK FSA
- France: MFA
- Germany: BaFin
- Switzerland: SFDF, ARIF, FINMA (As of 2009, all Swiss forex brokers need to have a banking license)
- Sweden: Swedish FSA
- Denmark: Danish FSA
- Spain: CNMV
- Japan: Japan FSA FFAJ
- Hong Kong: SFC
- Australia: ASIC
- Dubai: DMCC, DGCX, DFSA, ESCA This is not a complete list, for other countries, there will be other regulators of financial markets.
Choosing a broker
Step 4 - Open a demo account
Demo accounts don't always reflect reality in terms of timeliness of slippage and higher spreads during economic news announcements, but they help one to become familiar with the trading platform.
During this trial period, you can also seek advice from customer support to see if it is responsive and responsible. After the initial start with a small amount of starting capital, you can then make additional deposits if trading conditions meet your expectations. Remain cautious with brokers who encourage you to deposit more funds or who offer deposit bonuses.
Stay cautious, forex trading is a risky activity that requires a significant personal investment. Follow Forex training to learn the basics of trading and, most importantly, do not use leverage to try to recoup your losses, instead, diversify your positions or increase your exposure during winning trades.
6/14/10
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