The forex market, also known as the foreign currency exchange market, has been around for quite some time. The reason it has become only recently popular is because once upon a time only the financial elite had enough assets and access to the foreign currency exchange market. Only major corporations, banks and opulent individuals who possessed great wealth were allowed entrance into these chambers of currency commerce. Alas, the world has evolved and a new entity has come into existence and altered the human way of life. Technology. The greatest invention being the Internet. Now time and space have practically lapsed and we have the ability to contact anyone, anywhere, at anytime. This makes the world quite different from what it used to be.
Today any individual can open up an online forex account and begin trading. He needs no qualifications, no justifications, just a suffice bank account. One can open up an online forex trading account for as little as $5000. That’s incredible. Whereas the New York stock exchange is centered in New York and has specific trading hours, the forex market is global and not tied down to a specific location. An investor may conduct trades from wherever he is on earth, no matter what the local time is. The forex trading day actually commences in Sydney, Australia. From there it progresses gradually east, sweeping through financial centers like a ghost of finest velvet. Barely tangible yet so lucrative. The average daily turnover in the forex trading market is $2 trillion US dollars. To be part of something that is so fantastic must be great, no?
Surely you have already begun to fantasize about the luscious millions you will earn overnight. Thought this is technically possible and there have been quite a few accounts of individuals who have earned great sums in the span of just twenty four hours, one still needs to take the proper precautions when investing money in such a volatile market. As high as the profit is, so is the risk. That’s why it’s not enough just to know about stocks, bonds and trading strategies. You need an in depth education.
First of all, you need to know basics. Forex trading is an automated system and so you must realize that most of the things you’ll have to learn will be part of a much greater system of signals and signs. The most basic and primary thing you should be aware of is that you buy and sell currencies, at the same time. Meaning, as you buy one currency, you are selling another. Furthermore, you attempt to purchase a currency when it’s value is low and sell a currency when it’s value is high. So far, so good.
Next you need to learn the terminology and currency pairs. You will find them listed in a different chapter on this website and they are explained in layman’s terms so that anybody can understand them. There are so many websites and online tutorials that teach about forex trading. There are also tons of college or university classes that really teach everything you need to know. If you are serious about becoming a forex trader and understanding the automated forex system, you will have to study hard and open your mind to learning.
After abstract theories and learning the nooks, you will be advised to practice forex trading on a ‘dummy’ account. Trying to become a forex trader without this practice would be like trying to become a lifeguard without ever learning how to swim. It would never work. The reason there are so many options for ‘dummy’ forex accounts is simple. It’s because any experienced forex trader or broker know that entering the forex trading system, especially the automated forex trading system, is not an easy task if you’ve never actually done a trade. You would not want to open up a real trading account and spend real money without having any clue how to do so. That’s why there are so many options for these ‘fake’ accounts and you should put them to good use.
After you feel you’ve experienced enough fake trading and demos, you need to decide what sort of automated system you would like to use for your trading purposes. The reason you need a system is because you need constant updates about currency values and alerts for trades you would like to conduct. Automated systems allow you to conduct several transactions at one time through creating different trading platforms. The system you choose will present you with the required charts that express the market trends that have happened within a certain time frame. That’s why you need to know not only how to read charts and understand how to manipulate them, but also which type of automated system will serve your trading needs best.