Foreign Currency Exchange (Forex) Trading allows an investor to participate in profitable fluctuations of world currencies. Forex trading works by selecting pairs of currencies and then measuring profit or loss by the fluctuations of one one currency's market activity compared to the other. For example, fluctuations in the value of the $ U.S. Dollar are measured against another world currency such as the £ British Pound, € Eurodollar, ¥ Japanese Yen etc. Being able to discern price trends in market activity is the essence of all profitable trading and this is what makes foreign currencies so exciting, currencies are the world's 'best trending' market. This gives Forex investors a profit making edge that is unavailable in most other markets.

Forex Trading is being called 'today's exciting new investment opportunity for the savvy investor'. The reason is that the Forex Trading Market only began to emerge in 1978, when worldwide currencies were allowed to 'float' according to supply and demand, 7 years after the Gold Standard was abandoned. Up until 1995 Forex Trading was only available to banks and large multinational corporations but today, thanks to the proliferation of the computer and a new era of internet-based communication technologies, this highly profitable market is open to everyone. The Forex Trading Market's growth has been unprecedented, explosive, and continues to be unequaled by any other trading market.

Unlike traditional trading which brings buyers and sellers together in a central location (trading floors) in Forex Trading there is no need for a centralized location. Forex is a market where worldwide traders conduct business by high-speed Internet connections with the Interbank Foreign Currency Exchange via Forex Clearinghouses (also called Forex Brokerage Firms). Forex has not only become the fastest growing trading market, but also the most profitable trading marketplace in the world.

Simply stated, Forex is the most profitable because it is the world's largest marketplace. The Foreign Currency market as a whole accounts for over 1.2 trillion dollars of trading per day (as determined by the fourth Central Bank Survey of Foreign Exchange and Derivatives Market Activity, 1998. This figure is understood to be significantly higher today). To put this into perspective, on any given day the Foreign Currency Exchange Market activity is vastly greater than the Stock Market. It is 75 times greater than the New York Stock Exchange where the average total daily value (using 1998 figures) of both foreign and domestic stocks is $16 billion, and much greater than the daily activity on the London Stock Exchange, with $11 billion.

Furthermore, in addition to being the world's largest and most profitable market, The Foreign Currency Exchange Market is the world's most powerful and persistent trading market regardless of negative economic indicators. This is because currencies 'trend' better than every other market due to their macro-economic nature. Unlike many commodities whose supply and demand fundamentals can literally change overnight (as we found in the sudden dot com 'market adjustment' and even more abruptly on September 11, 2001), currency fundamentals are much less random, and far more predictable. This is well illustrated in the way interest rates are changed gradually and only in small increments.

Other examples of fundamental predictability are illustrated by the following statistics. Of the $1.2 trillion day trading in Foreign Currency Exchange, 83% of spot foreign exchange activity and 95% of swap activity involves US Dollars. The Euro is the second most active currency at 37%. The Japanese Yen (24%) and the British Pound Sterling (10%) are ranked third and fourth. The Swiss Franc is 7%, and the Canadian and Australian Dollars account for 3%.

Spot Forex is the type of forex trade in which self-traders concentrate most of their investment activity for reasons that are self-explanatory. By definition, a Spot Forex transaction is a currency trade transaction that has a settlement (liquidation) within a maximum of 2 working days following the closing of the trade. Therefore Spot Forex allows the self-trader high liquidity. Another popular feature for well-advised Spot Forex self-traders is the strong profit potential from continual market fluctuations by buying a specific currency when it is weaker and selling it when it is stronger, and the continual pairing of strong currencies against weak ones. This potential for profit or loss is amplified by the effect of leverage. Leverage is a term that describes what can be achieved when a smaller amount of money controls a much larger amount of money. With regards to Forex Trading for example, a leverage-factor of 100 can allow the trader to hold a 100,000 US Dollar position with a modest 1,000 US Dollar margin deposit. Online Forex day trading focuses its investment activity largely on Spot Forex because of the 'risk manageability' of in-and-out trading plus the potential to generate excellent and highly liquid profits.

"Few financial industries generate as much excitement and profit as currency exchange. Traders around the world enter trades for weeks, days or split seconds, generating explosive moves or steady flows, and money changes hands quickly at a staggering daily average of a trillion US dollars. Forex profitability is legendary. George Soros of Quantum Fund realized a profit in excess of 1 billion dollars for a couple of days work in September 1992. Hans Hufschmid of Soloman Brothers, Inc. netted $28 million for 1993. Even by Wall Street standards, these numbers are heartstoppers".*

Despite its high trading volume and its fundamental role in the world, the Forex Market is rarely in the media limelight because its method of trading transaction is less visible than the Floor of a Stock Exchange. However, trading on the Foreign Currency Exchange Market is today surging into the public awareness, as flocks of internet traders are attracted by the market's inherent profitability and risk manageability. Add to this the absence of geographic or temporal boundaries and vibrantly active Forex market is open to all players.

Forex Workshops

Fast-track your forex skills - free of charge.

Before diving into the world's most traded market, FOREX.com invites you to attend a free informational workshop, Getting Started in Forex.

Every day, world events impact currency prices. Let us help you understand how to identify opportunities in the Forex market and diversify your investments.

Join the forex team of insiders.

Led by seasoned forex traders, these workshops bring you practical insider advice on trading the currency markets to win. You'll walk away from these sessions with an understanding of:

• Five secrets every forex trader should know for success
  
  
• Applying your trading skills from other markets to forex's unique challenges and opportunities
  
  
• Reading price charts for key trend formations - and translating them into trading opportunities
  
  
• A primer of the major currency pairs, plus anticipating the factors driving their movements

Drawing on real-world trading experiences, FOREX.com will bring you up to forex speed quickly and effectively. Reserve your seat today!

FOREX.com is a registered Futures Commission Merchant (NFA ID #0339826) and a division of GAIN Capital Group. A pioneer in online foreign exchange, GAIN Capital Group provides forex trading & asset management services to institutional investors and professional money managers in over 140 countries.

At FOREX.com, individual forex traders can take advantage of the market expertise and financial strength of GAIN Capital Group and access an institutional currency trading platform, FOREXTrader, along with powerful real-time forex charts, professional forex market research, and a suite of advanced forex trading tools.

For traders new to the forex market, FOREX.com offers forex training programs, forex minis, and information about trading the forex market.

If you plan to start trading with Forex online you will need the right software system to give you the ability to collect information on market prices and make Forex trades quickly and easily. There are two types of Forex software available. One is web based while the other is client based.

The Forex market is a high paced fast moving market and to make good trades you need good information and with the right software and a high speed internet connection everything you need is only mouse click away. You just need to decide on which software is best for you.

Client based Forex trading software is downloaded and then installed on your computer. The biggest draw back to a client based system is that you can only access it from the computer on which it is installed. You also need to be concerned with the security on your system.

Web based software lets you login in with an internet connection and you can use any computer anywhere. Web based software tends to less vulnerable to viruses and hackers because of the high security implemented.

Whether you use web based or client based it needs to provide you with real time quotes and the means to quickly buy and sell on the market. If you choose client based software it pays to pay the fee that ensures you software updates because there are regular changes.

Brokers house your client information on two servers in two different locations for security and safety of your data. So for example if a server has a power failure the data is automatically transferred to the other server and you won’t even realize there was an interruption. Brokers also back up their server using an ongoing system so nothing is ever lost.

You may have found your calling with Forex. There is plenty of money to be made on the currency market. The first step is taking a little risk, the next step is choosing the right Forex trading software, and finally you’ll reap the rewards in profits.

Comments

 Choosing Forex Trading Software

If you plan to start trading with Forex online you will need the right software system to give you the ability to collect information on market prices and make Forex trades quickly and easily. There are two types of Forex software available. One is web based while the other is client based. The Forex market is a high paced fast moving market and to make good trades you need good information and with the right software and a high speed internet connection everything you need is only mouse click away. You just need to decide on which software is best for you. Client based Forex trading software is downloaded and then installed on your computer. The biggest draw back to a client based system is that you can only access it from the computer on which it is installed. You also need to be concerned with the security on your system. Web based software lets you login in with an internet connection and you can use any computer anywhere. Web based software tends to less vulnerable to viruses and hackers because of the high security implemented. Whether you use web based or client based it needs to provide you with real time quotes and the means to quickly buy and sell on the market. If you choose client based software it pays to pay the fee that ensures you software updates because there are regular changes. Brokers house your client information on two servers in two different locations for security and safety of your data. So for example if a server has a power failure the data is automatically transferred to the other server and you won’t even realize there was an interruption. Brokers also back up their server using an ongoing system so nothing is ever lost. You may have found your calling with Forex. There is plenty of money to be made on the currency market. The first step is taking a little risk, the next step is choosing the right Forex trading software, and finally you’ll reap the rewards in profits.