Forex Trading is a Marathon - Not a Sprint

Monday, March 15, 2010
Whether you are a Forex scalper who stares at the computer for 4 hours a day or a position trader who looks at the chart once a day, you need to be supremely disciplined to succeed. The secret to successful trading lies in staying motivated, proper money management, and the right mental attitude toward losing.

From time to time, staying motivated can be extremely difficult. When we were introduced to the foreign exchange market, we were told that it is a 24-hour market which offers lots of trading opportunities to make easy money. Once we are knee-deep in the Forex market, we understand that 90% of the trading opportunities occur in the London and New York markets. Yes, you can trade in the Asian or the Australian markets if you are looking for small bounce of several pips to get your blood pumping.

Depending on your time zone, you may need to stay up past midnight to trade the London Market or wake up at five in the morning to trade the New York Market. The hardest part isn't staying up late or waking up early, it is sitting in front of the computer waiting for the market to come to you. For whatever reason, your entry criteria may not be met; hence, you will continue to sit on your hands, waiting for the ever-elusive market to come to you. The art of trading is similar to fishing. If the fish do not cooperate, it is likely that you will come home empty-handed. It is important not to trade when there are no opportunities in the market and to stay motivated each day.

There are many Forex instructors and automated Forex trading software that preach that the risk of each trade should be 5% of your capital. Basically, each time that you win, you have additional capital to risk. This has a compounding effect when you have a string of winning trades, but it is also a formula for disaster. When you increase your trading lot size, you also risk losing more. You need to focus and understand the maximum drawdown of your trading system. Your trading account must be ample enough to withstand a string of losses without affecting you mentally or wiping out your account. If you are using a proper manual trading method or profitable automated Forex trading software, your losses will come to pass and a string a winning will come back again. Remember to have enough funds to enable you to recover and profit from the market.

Traders need to understand that mental attitude is more important than mental capacities or the trading system itself. The mental attitude toward winning and losing is the key to your Forex trading success. It is how you rebound from a string of losing trades that speaks volumes about who you are as a trader. Do you still believe in yourself and your trading system after a string of losses when all the trades were executed with perfection? You need to believe in yourself, and your attitude makes all the difference. After you have acquired the motivation, the money management, and the mental attitude, you will need to maintain these three traits with you month after month. With these characteristics, you will understand why Forex trading is a marathon and not a sprint.

How to Trade Forex Successfully Full Time

Trading Forex can be a very profitable and satisfying experience if done correctly, however it can also lose you a lot of money just as fast as you'll make it if you don't know what you're doing!

To make it a success, there's a few simple, yet extremely important things you need to know, and learn. In this article, I will discuss how you can start trading, and making money just by learning a few simple yet very important things about Forex.

Firstly...

Many articles you'll read will tell you how you need to learn lots of technical analysis, and learn about many different indicators etc, however this is not the case. Infact, using too many indicators can actually confuse you when it comes to trading and make trading far too complicated!

MACD, Moving Averages, Pivotpoints, RSI, ADX, Bollinger Bands... these are just a few of the many indicators available now on most free charting software.

Many people will fill their chart with a bunch of these indicators but to be honest, they are not necessary. After all, the charts (price) is what makes the indicators move, not the other way round. (Some people fail to remember that simple fact).

Ok...Which Indicators Should You Use?

I like to keep it simple, which is why when I trade, I only use the stochastic indicator (full) as well as drawing on my chart various points of support and resistance (If you don't know what support or resistance means, then don't worry, I will explain this soon).

I use the stochastic indicator, and I generally only tend to trade when the stochastic gives a reading of 20 or lower...or 80 or higher! - 20 and lower is an indication that the market is oversold and a correction back upwards (although potentially only short-term) is likely to happen, whereas a reading of 80 or over is an indication that the market is overbought and therefore it is likely to fall.

What Is Support & Resistance?

Support and Resistance are very significant and important levels that MUST be taken into account when trading forex.

Support is when in the past the market has dropped to a certain level, and changed direction.

& Resistance is where the market has risen found "resistance" and changed direction.

Support & Resistance are very important, as past places of Support and Resistance can play
a big part in the way the market moves from day to day.

For Example...

If 1 week the EUR/USD moved up to 1.3700 stalled and changed direction, then a week later, or even 2 weeks or a month later, this may prove to be a key resistance level, as the market could move back up to this level and potentially stall again.

Fibonacci...Is It Useful?

Fibonacci I find is one of the most useful trading tools you can impliment to make successful trades. Fibonacci retracements are used where the market changes direction from an uptrend or downtrend. They are used to give good entry points back into the market, and can also be used to place strategic stop losses and take profits.

Fibonacci is very important, therefore If you don't know about it or understand it then I suggest you do some research on Fibonacci Retracements. (Youtube is good for this)

Ok... Enough of the info, How Do You Trade & Make Money??

Ok, lets cut to the chase... How do you make money trading forex.

I'm going to put this in the simplest explanation I can, without all the technical rubbish that really is of not much help and is just confusing, so here we go...

1) I get a chart up (I usually trade EUR/USD), so I get a chart up of the EUR/USD.
2) I add the Stochastic Full indicator to the chart (This will usually be on a tab above the chart, or options etc)
3) I add on certain points of Support & Resistance
4) I add fibonacci to my chart, if I feel that it is necessary (Fibonacci works well when the market is more volitile)
5) I switch between the 1hr, 2hr charts for overall direction (where I feel the market will go) - However I use a 5minute chart to actually get entry points into the market, and trade.
6) I look for small profit targets of 10-20 pips, and I only try and make between 10-30 pips a day (You DONT need a lot of pips to make good money in forex)
7) I look for the chart to reach points of support or resistance, and I refer to my stochastic to see whether it is reading a oversold or overbought number.

Currency Trading Tips to a Profitable Venture

If you are determined to succeed in foreign exchange trading, you can actually succeed on it if you have what it takes to be a good trader. Indeed, you will need some tools and technical analysis to be able to succeed in currency trading but you also need to have the right attitude towards trading.

So if you want to be successful in foreign exchange, learn some currency trading tips that will help you in reaching that goal of making money out of trading currencies. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

- Assess if you do have the right attitude to be able to get into trading. Look at how successful traders and find out what is with them that makes them successful. First of all, as the forex market is a high-risk endeavor so if you want to be successful at it, you have to be a person who is comfortable working around risks and uncertainties. You have to be someone who is not afraid to commit mistakes but knows when to stop to avoid too much loses.

- Have a clear understanding on this venture. Although forex trading can have a promising profit, you can also lose everything at an instant, so make sure you have a good grasp of what is it all about. You have to learn the terminologies, the tools and have a strategy for yourself on when you will buy or sell.

- Have a sound plan and a strategy. Like any other business venture, you need to have a business plan to be able to reach for your goals. Moreover, one of the currency trading tips that you need to keep in mind also is to stick to a system or your strategy that works.

- Invest on time to develop your forex trading strategy. It can be difficult to engage in foreign exchange if you constantly change plans and techniques. Re-test your strategy and make sure you have honed it to help you achieve success.

- Choose a currency pair that fits your comfort with risks. Although all currency pairs involve risks, but there are very volatile currency pairs that may test your emotions and ability when it comes to dealing with risks and uncertainties. Keep in mind that currency trading is not just about your technical knowledge on how to use the tools and knowing when to buy and sell, but also dealing with your emotions as you face a lot of risks and uncertainties.

- Choose a good broker. Choosing your broker also matters in your quest to do good in forex. Of course, brokers can sometimes give you recommendations on what is the best option for your investment, thus you have to make sure too that you have the right elements in place to make this venture profitable for you.

Aside from these currency trading tips to remember, remember too that the key to being successful in forex trading is to have a clear knowledge of the venture, good resources and tools, discipline, and confidence in yourself and your decisions.

Learning Some Basics to Help You Get Started

If you are aiming for success in this risky business of trading currencies, you can find out if and learn if you can make more profit out of it and not just incur loses. Due to high risks, successful currency trading is often most coveted by many and although can be achieved, it also need time, effort and discipline.

If you are someone who is just starting or planning to venture currency trading and hoping to make good profits, here are some basics that you can learn to make successful currency trading.

- Learn everything you can about how the currency market operates. You cannot just venture into currency trading and hoping for a good profit without a good grasp of

- Learn the terms and tools of the trade. You will most likely encounter terms and jargon used every now and then in trading and if you want to make money out of this venture, start learning some terms to help you grasp the concepts completely.

- Always try your strategy in a demo account. Don't be too excited to get directly into live trading without any practice. It is important to put your strategies into test before trying to get that profit you always want. It is always wise to be prepared well before going into currency trading. Engaging into the venture without proper preparation will only increase the risk of an already high-risk business.

- Learn the tools of the trade, and automate as much as possible. There are charts, software, and other resources that will make your job a little easier, so you can take advantage of that to lessen the stress and the time you need to monitor the currency market. You can find good trading software these days that can do half of your work and thus avoiding you to be glued on your computer all the time, so take advantage of that and make sure you also know how to navigate your programs and tools.

- Stick to a system or strategy that works. Consistency with your purpose and goals is important in a successful currency trading, so make sure you stick to the system that works and not jump from one strategy to another.

- Find a good broker. Of course, your choice of broker also matters in your forex endeavors. Have someone who won't take advantage of you especially if you are a newbie to foreign exchange. Find someone who also has good track records when it comes to the currency market.

Indeed, successful currency trading means giving more time on practice and developing your strategy to be prepared to face the risks, overcome them and be able to make more profits than loses in trading currencies. You have to accept the fact that in trading currencies, you can win some and lose some and you have to strive to make profit and minimize losses.

Learning Some Tips to Become a Successful Forex Trader

Forex trading, also termed Forex trading or currency trading has been known to be a get-rich-quickly venture that has attracted a lot of people to invest. However, it is also a very risky one that can also make you lose all your money as fast as you can gain it.

In fact, forex trading is said to be not for everybody because of its very risky nature. However, if you do have the qualities to be a successful forex trader, and you are not afraid working with risk and uncertainties, you can also check out if you are fit to be a successful forex trader.

If you want to try your luck on foreign exchange trading, you have to make sure that you have considered your investments well including your willingness to accept risks and uncertainties in your ventures. For you to become a successful forex trader, you also need to be disciplined as well. A disciplined forex trader most likely succeeds in this type of moneymaking opportunity. You also have to be one that is not afraid of making mistakes and willing to take risks but also knows when to stop to avoid more losses.

Here are some other tips to help you become a successful forex trader.

- Choose your currency pair wisely. One of the basics that you have to learn in foreign exchange is what currency pair to choose, as some pairs can be very volatile that may lead you to panic or may challenge how you handle risks. If you are not comfortable with the very volatile currency pairs, you may opt for a currency pair that does not fluctuate very quickly.

- Learn to read trends and use forex charts. Having your own tools in analyzing the currency market as well as the analyzing the trends is important in foreign exchange. Together with some knowledge on the economic and general situation of the country of your chosen currency pair, you will be able to at least find some indicators when it is the right timing to buy or sell currencies.

- Only invest an amount that you are willing to lose. This is probably one of the golden rules of investing into currency exchange. Of course, losing a huge sum of money that you are not prepared to lose can be frustrating and disappointing, and a big blow to your finances as well, so keep within your limits.

- Do check your emotional control before going into currency trading. A successful forex trader does not dwell on his loses and mistakes but instead learn from it, move on, and strive to make profit. In this risky business, you should not let your frustrations, disappointments, and emotions mess up your strategies. Accept that in this business, you can win some and lose some but you have to manage to win more than what you lost.

- Stick to a strategy that works. Of course, you won't be trading without a strategy at hand. You have to be prepared with a system in trading and you have to stick to that system and stick to what you have planned.

Aside from these tips, learn everything you can about currency trading before you try your luck on it. It is always wise to be prepared if you want to invest your money, most especially if it concerns a very risky one such as currency trading.

Forex Trading - Getting Set Up and Started

Are you thinking about getting started with foreign currency trading? It's truly not as complex as it looks. If you can read a price chart you're half way home. In Forex trading you can make money whether the market goes up or down. You can even profit if it's moving sideways.

The foreign currency market is the largest in the world, dwarfing all US stock markets combined. Total volume of Forex trading now approaches $4 trillion a day. The Forex is a de-centralized, over-the-counter market similar to the NASDAQ. It does not have a central location where trading takes place as the NYSE does.

The high volume makes the Forex market the most liquid in the world. This is why trades can be executed so quickly. For every buyer it's easy to find a seller. For each trader looking to sell a buyer is readily available. This market is open 24 hours a day from Sunday evening (if you live in North America) continuously through til Friday afternoon...about 5 days a week.

Previously Forex trading was only available to banks and other large financial institutions. However due to the proliferation of the internet -and consequent advances in information technology- in recent years an active 'retail' market has developed where smaller companies and individuals now have access to the Forex marketplace.

A distinct feature of Forex trading is the leverage. This is the amount of money you must put up to control a related amount of currency. When trading stocks you can trade "on margin" where you borrow money from your broker to buy stocks. This can give you leverage of 2:1. In Forex you can easily get leverage of 200:1. Some brokers even offer leverage of 400:1. This can be a two-edged sword. Yes, it can dramatically increase your profits; it can also magnify your losses as well. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is now (spring 2010) considering a measure that would reduce leverage in the Forex market to 10:1.

Understanding these, and other concepts, of the Forex market is why it's crucial to have solid training and some experience before trading the Forex market with real money. Good Forex education is readily available from nearly any broker. You can also find paid training from a number of sources online. Once you have the basics mastered you should open a "paper trading "or demo account offered by most brokers. This will give you experience in what actual trading is like. Paper trade until you're both comfortable and profitable. Only then move into trading with real money.

To get started paper trading you'll need to choose a broker and become familiar with the trading platform they offer. One platform, used by over 200 brokers, is called Meta Trader 4 - MT4. This platform is easy to learn and has loads of indicators available. For these reasons MT4 is a good choice for many traders. Learn the basics of chart reading and how to interpret different price patterns on the chart. This craft is called Technical Analysis. There are tomes of material written on this subject.

Each Forex chart is different although they represent the same price fluctuations. For example, on the daily Forex chart, you can evaluate market trends in the past 24 hours to help you make decisions on the next 24 hours of trading. On the hourly chart, you can spot trends within the day. And, on the 15 minute chart, you get a picture of the recent short-term activity. Using the 5 minute chart gets you closer to the action and is used for very short term trading such as scalping.

These are the basics on how to trade the Forex market. Always remember that aside from the earning potential that is available in the Forex market, there are also considerable downside risks that you have to be aware of. You need to plan your trades and trade your plan. Set rules and guidelines for yourself and then follow them. Discipline is key.

Make Triple Digit Profits in 4 Simple Steps

Using Forex technical analysis and charts is the easiest and most time efficient way, to make big Forex gains. You can learn to trade in a few weeks and soon be creating a great second income and trading like a pro in around 30 minutes a day. To make money with Forex charting simply follow the 4 Simple steps enclosed.

Forex charting means you can just learn and trade high odds chart set ups and the advantage of this is you don't need to know anything about the news or economics - You don't care why prices are moving you just want to lock into and follow trends for big profits.

Step 1 - Decide Your Time Frame

You need to trade the odds so forget day trading and scalping the big profits are made from the big trends which last for weeks or many months on end. You need to lock in and hold these trends and make huge profits so forget, trading a lot and low odds trades and focus on the long term and make bigger gains in less time.

Step 2 - Use a Simple System Rather Than a Complex One!

Simple trading systems work best because, there more robust and less likely to break than complex ones. All you need to learn is the high odds chart patterns which put the odds on your side and a few confirming indicators. You will then have a Forex trading strategy which can make big gains and the good news is the information you need can be learned quickly.

Step 3 - Trade the Reality of Price Change and Don't Predict

Forget trying to predict where prices might go, prediction is no more than hoping or guessing and that won't make you money instead, focus on locking into trends which are already in motion. They last a long time so - forget about the little bit of the trend you have missed and focus on the huge profits ahead. If you want to win at Forex trading focus on trading the odds and this means trading the reality of price change.

Step 4 - Operate Sound Money Management and Trade with Discipline

Set stops before you enter the market and make sure you keep your losses small. Sure you will lose a lot of the time but that doesn't matter if you lock into and hold big trends which will cover your losses and give you big profits on your account. Forget perfection, its not possible and focus on making money.

Forex charting is a Learned Skill and ANYONE can Learn to do it!

Forex charting can be learned by anyone in a few weeks and after this initial education, you could be making triple digit profits in just 30 minutes a day. So become a Forex chartist from home and get on the road to currency trading success.

Main Phases and Types of Currency Market Trends

Initially, the principles set forth by Charles Dow, were used for the analysis of established American indexes: industrial and rail. But with the same result the majority of the Dow theory, the analytical findings can be applied in the currency markets.

 · The indices take into account everything. According to Dow theory, any factor that could, one way or another, affect the supply or demand, always will be reflected in the dynamics of the index. Of course, these events are unpredictable, however, they are immediately taken into account the market and affect the dynamics of the indices.

 · On the market there are three types of trends. With upward trend each successive peak is higher than the previous and each subsequent decline is also higher than the previous one. With each subsequent downward trend below the previous peak and each subsequent "bottom" is lower than the previous one. When horizontal trend (flat) each successive peak (and decline) is about the same level as the previous ones.

Dow also provides three types of trends: primary, secondary and minor. The greatest value he attached to it is the primary or major trend, which lasts more than a year, and sometimes several years. Secondary or intermediate trend is the correction to the basic trends and usually lasts from three weeks to three months. These interim amendments (kickbacks) are from one to two-thirds (often half) the distance traveled prices during the previous (main) trend. Small or short-term trends last for no more than three weeks and are short-term fluctuations in the intermediate trend.

Despite the fact that the most common terms used to describe trends - short, medium and long term - defined by most analysts as time, in our opinion, is more properly a classification proposed by Thomas Demarco. The changes in prices, that used to take weeks or months, now taking place a few hours. With the increasing market liquidity, speed of information dissemination under the influence of the herd instinct of managers of investment funds, as well as many other factors, these timeframes continue to narrow. More correctly use the terms "short", "medium" and "long term" not in relation to time intervals, and in relation to the percentage change in prices.

A move by less than 5% - short-term, from 5% to 15% - medium-term, more than 15% - long-term. There is a special DeMark method for predicting the start of market trends - from medium to long-term. This method is based on a set of special factors - factors trends.

 · The main trend has three phases. Phase one, or the accumulation phase - when the most far-sighted and well-informed investors start buying, because all unfavorable economic information is already covered by the market. The second phase occurs when the game are those who use technical methods of following trends. After the economic information is becoming more optimistic, the trend is in its third and final phase, when the action takes the general public, and the market begins to boom, fueled by the media. Economic forecasts in newspapers and on television are full of optimism. This is the first sign of the end of the trend.

 · Indices must confirm each other. Here Charles Dow was referring to the industrial and railway indexes. He believed that any important signal to increase or decrease in rate in the market must pass in the values of both indices. Regarding modern technical analysis, this assertion means that the signal received from a technical indicator, must be confirmed by the testimony of another technical indicator.

 · The volume of trade should confirm the trend. Increased trade should occur at times when prices are moving in the direction of the main trends, and the reduction - in periods of retracement.

 · The trend is valid for as long as will not give clear signals that it has changed.

Learn Proven Strategies Quickly and Risk Free

If you want to learn currency trading and see if you have what it takes to trade successfully with no financial risk you should try the best Forex courses, let's look at how they can help cut your learning curve and get you on the road to trading success.

The best Forex courses normally come from experienced traders and they will give you proven strategies to get the odds on your side and win. There is no perfect trading system but if you keep the odds on your side and cut losses and run profits you can make huge gains and the best courses give you these and something more -They will fully explain the logic so can have confidence which means you can trade unemotionally and with discipline.

To build your confidence up even more, they will demonstrate in daily classrooms how the system is traded and you can see how successful it is in a live trading environment. They will also provide email support via experienced traders to answer any questions you may have as your learn.

The best courses allow you to learn quickly and you will learn all you need to know in a few weeks and even better, if for some reason you don't like the strategy or you feel currency trading is simply not for you, they will refund your money in full. If you want to win in a market where 95% of traders lose money you need to learn skills and the best courses, will teach you the skills you need which will last you a lifetime.

So try the best currency trading courses and you could be on the road to a great second income in just a few weeks. If you want to learn try them because you have everything to gain and nothing to lose by doing so.

How to Learn to Make Triple Digit Gains Quickly

If you want to make big Forex gains, you can learn to trade in just a few weeks and then be trading with confidence for triple digit profits - Lets look at how to do this in more detail.

The best way to learn Forex is to use charts, you don't need to know anything about economics or even listen the news you just follow and lock into trends on a chart. You can learn all the patterns easily and quickly and add a few indicators for better market timing.

You need to decide the time period you want to trade in and many traders make the mistake of scalping or day trading. This takes a lot of time! In addition you will be taking low odds trades as daily volatility is random and that means losses. Instead follow the big trends which last for weeks or months on end - lock into them and hold them then, sit back and wait for profits to unfold.

Never make the mistake of trying to predict prices in advance! Forex markets cannot be predicted and if you try this method, you are hoping or guessing and will lose. Instead do what the pros do WAIT for a trend to be confirmed and in motion and then enter. Sure you miss a bit of the move but that really doesn't matter focus on the profits ahead of you.

Never over complicate your trading system! Simple strategies work best as there more robust with fewer elements to break than complex ones. Use high odds chart patterns and just a few indicators and your all set.

To make money at Forex trading, you need to take losses quickly, most traders let losses get of control and lose. Keep leverage down and take your losses but don't worry, if you keep your losses small the market will reward you with some great trends, you can run for an overall profit on your account.

There you have it - Forex trading made simple - many traders think being clever and working hard will help them win but this is not the case. Only work as hard as you need to and make sure you trade with discipline and Forex trading success can be yours.

Forex Trading - The True Secret to Forex Success

It's really simple actually. Have you ever noticed that most traders don't make the jump from paper trading to real money trading? Either they never move over, or when they do, they lose all their money.

Something is different about trading with real money and it trips up almost all traders. Yet, no one seems to do anything about it. So, each month thousands of new traders fail...

There has to be a better way. The key question is what is different about real money trading? Many traders will want to point the finger at the brokers and say that the quotes on the paper trading system are different.

Believe it or not, that is often true. But the quotes aren't that different that they should cause thousands to fail, right?

That's not the case. That's trying to place blame when the blame belongs somewhere else. I truly believe the reason so many fail is because they want to succeed.

They put too much pressure on themselves, and they are trading with so much money (compared to their net worth, etc.) that they care too much.

This causes a negative amount of stress on them, and they end up failing due to that stress. You can only successfully trade if you are stress free.

The problem is, how do you move from a non-stressful environment like paper trading to real money trading? I think the key lies in these brokers called 1 cent brokers. You can search for them online.

They will let you trade 1 cent per pip. It's so little money that you really don't care if you win or lose, and that's the secret to success in forex trading. Just as an example, if you lost 10,000 pips on a trade (not really even possible), you would only have lost $100 in this kind of an account.

Trade With This Simple Method and Make Huge Profits

If you want a Forex trading method which is simple to understand and makes big gains - then you need to base it on the strategy we will outline here. Most traders ignore this method despite the fact it makes big gains but that's not a problem as most traders fail to win! Read on and you will discover a simple trading method which will always work.

When most people start trading, they believe the myth, that you need to predict prices in advance to win and they continually try to buy bottoms and sell tops - but prediction is hoping and guessing and they soon lose.

The fact is if you want to win, you need to trade the odds and get them on your side and that means waiting for a trend to start before getting on board. The old saying a "trend in motion is more likely to continue than reverse" is very true. You may miss the start of the move but don't worry there will be plenty of profit ahead of you when trade the odds.

How ALL Major Trends Start and Continue!

If you look at charts of currency pairs you will see all big trends start and continue the same way - by breaking out to new highs and they will continue breaking to new chart highs as the trend evolves - so to win, forget buying "low and selling high" instead "buy high and sell higher"

Sounds simple? Yes it is but most traders fail to do it. They hate not being in at the start and want the price to come back so they can get in where they wanted too! This of course doesn't happen the trend continues on good breakouts and this trader is left thinking what might have been.

Breakout Strategies for Profit

They can be very simple and you can use just resistance levels and wait for them to break and add a few oscillators in, to time your trading signals better and that's it. When trading breakouts only trade levels which have been tested a lot of times before the final break - the more tests the better then breakout.

If you focus on levels the market considers strong and the level breaks you have a great trading set up.
Breakout trading is simple, logical and will never go out of data because markets will always trend and strong trends always start and continue from breakouts and if you look at a chart you will see why breakout trading is so effective.

So trade the breakout, catch the big trends and hold them and you will have a timeless, Forex trading method which makes money in 30 minutes a day.