Learn Forex Trading: How To Get Started

With the rise of the internet, it is now possible for ordinary people to learn forex trading, set up a trading account and start trading profitably in a short period of time. About $4 trillion (US dollars) changes hands every day on the currency trading markets, and financial institutions are still the major players. However, with the right training and the right forex system in place, opportunities abound for people like you and me to make our mark.

If you have made the decision to learn forex trading, you will need a high speed internet connection, a good system or the time to learn and develop your own system, and some money to invest.

You do not necessarily need a lot of money. Brokers now offer mini forex trading accounts and even micro forex trading accounts which you can open with just a couple hundred dollars. However, it is better to have more, even if you do not put it all into the account in the beginning. Forex trading is risky and if you only have a couple hundred dollars, you probably should be doing something safer with it.

But assuming that you have the funds and you have decided that you want to learn forex trading, let's take a look at why this could be a better option for making money than stock or commodity trading.

1.   No commissions and no fees.

If you have experience of the stock market you will know how your profits can be eaten away by brokers, exchange and even government fees. The global nature of the forex market means that you do not have to pay any of these. Brokers make their money through the spread, which is the difference between the bid and ask prices of a currency. All you have to do is be sure that the price will go your way far enough to cover this.

2.   No fixed lot size.

In commodity futures markets, the size of a lot or contract is set by the exchange and you cannot buy or sell less than one lot. But in spot forex trading you can theoretically set your own lot size. Most brokers have their own standard sizes but you can shop around and look for a broker who offers small or fractional lots.

3.   A 24 hour market, five days a week.

For the whole of the global business week, the forex market never sleeps. This is great if you need to trade outside of normal business hours. You can work at your day job from 9 to 5 and trade currencies in the evenings. Or you can start whenever you get up in the morning, even if it is 5 a.m.

4.   High leverage.

Forex brokers may offer up to 200 times your margin deposit in leverage, although 100 times is more common. This means that you have the chance to make a lot of money from only a small deposited fund. You would only need $100 or even $50 to control $10,000 dollars in a trade. As long as you have good risk management and remember that high leverage also means high risk, this can open up the possibility of a high return on your investment.

5.   A massive market with high liquidity.

The forex market is so huge that even the banks, big as they are, each have limited influence. Insider trading is not an issue. And high liquidity means plenty of money in the markets so that you are never stuck unable to close a trade. You can even set software to close your position for you at a certain level of loss or profit.

 
6.   Free tools and information from your broker.

Brokers are in strong competition with each other to attract retail traders so they are offering more and more features. We will look at how to choose your broker in a later section. They will offer you a demo account where you can practice your trading, sharpen your skills and try out or even develop your own system before you start to use real money. They will also provide the charts that you need to identify trends, and give you access to breaking forex news, all for free.

7.   Low start up costs.

A good modern computer with a high speed internet connection is all that is needed to begin trading currencies. If you want to use a robot for your trading you can find one for $100 to $200. Plenty of information on trading currencies including advice on systems is available for free online.

8.   You are in control.

As a forex trader you will be in full control of your investment. You can access your account through your broker’s software platform and make the trades in real time yourself.

You also have control over the currencies that you buy and sell. You are not limited to dealing in your own country's currency. This means that if your national economy is in a very unpredictable state you can switch to trading two other currencies that are more stable.

So there are 8 good reasons to choose forex over other forms of financial trading. As a first step, ensure that you are familair with the basics and don't run before you can walk!