Forex Trading Strategies #1 – The Real Reason.

By  Henry Liu,

Far too many times Forex traders get into the market without the right reason, or for that matter, without a good enough reason. Usually the emotion factor is driving the trade, such as greed or fear of missing out on a potential profitable trade… And I have to confess to this as well, because when you take away all of the technical mambo jumbos, the only reason that sometimes compelled me to take a trade was: greed…

They say that to sell to a man you need to give him 2 reasons, the real reason and the reason he tells his wife why he bought it. Most of us traders tell ourselves the wife-reason, but the real reason is that we just wanted to make money fast…  Of course, fundamentally there is nothing wrong with being greedy or wanting to make money, or we wouldn’t be in this business in the first place. However, we have to be smart greedy, not stupid greedy and get our hands caught in the cookie jar. That’s why it is so important to have a right reason to take a trade, instead of chasing after the market like a chicken without a head…

In a fair game, as defined by 2 players with the same odds, or neither one has an advantage over the other; it is proven that the one with the biggest purse will  win the game. In Forex Trading however, it is NOT a fair game  for Retail Traders because:

1. We enter the market at an immediate loss due to spreads
2. We have limited margin accounts
3. We use methods that are well-known and studied by traders all over the world, and
4. There are so many underlying factors that move the market and no one can be certain at times.

…all of these put us at a great disadvantage in our trading, and it’s no surprise why most traders hit or miss with their trades all the time…

That is why we need to identify The Real Reason behind our trading decisions.  Ask yourself why are you in this particular trade, is it because you saw how the market jumped 30 pips in the last 5 minutes? Or did you have a strong fundamental reason to take this trade?  Is it because you’ve been sitting in front of your PC the whole day and you haven’t made any money? Or you took this trade because it was the entry level you’ve been waiting for the whole day?

So make a habit to always ask yourself when you are about to take a trade, and pretty soon you’ll realize that you no longer look at the 5-min chart and fly by the seat of your pants… And since you are always looking for the real reason, you’ll soon anticipate the market and plan ahead…  It is always a good habit to plan ahead, knowing where you want to get in, why you want to get in, your stop loss, and your take profit levels, so you can see some consistency in your trading.

How to Create a Trading Plan That Works For You

By Alwin Ng

The last two months has been amazing for me as I continue to develop myself in the areas of trading psychology as well as building new trading systems for my portfolio. The idea of continuous learning is utmost important for any trader and I definitely encourage everyone to do so if you can.

In the process of building a new trading system, I had to sit down to write a new trading plan and I had to go through various market scenarios before I could nail down a system that works. Even though I've written past articles around this subject, it still amazes me that I'm still learning and I'm able to discover new trading insights or lessons.

I would like to share this experience with you and to remind everyone the importance of creating a trading plan that works. More importantly, to creating a trading plan that works for you - yes, it must work for YOU! With that, enjoy today's article!

 1. Technical Know-how is a Must

This is probably the most laborious part when creating a trading plan yet this is also the least significant of the entire plan. When writing a plan on a new trading system, you must have the technical know-how before you even consider trading it in the market.

You will also need to take time to understand how the system works. So, ask as many questions and make use of Google as much as possible because everything you ever need to know about trading systems can be found on the internet. Of course, where possible, make sure to check that it is from a reliable source.

If Google doesn't know about it, the chances are it's either something very niche or that system may not exist. While there's nothing wrong with that, it just means that you have fewer resources to use. Either way, do your homework and find out as much as you can.

It goes without saying that you need to test it out. As you test the system, you will generate even more questions. From personal experience, DO NOT ignore those questions during testing because these are the things that you won't learn on the internet. Make sure to find those answers (through coaching or more testings) because trial and errors are the best and quickest way to learn about any thing and that applies to trading the market too.

 2. Risk/Money Management Trumps Technical

Risk and Money Management should be on the top of the priority list when writing a trading plan. Think about it, you cannot make money without learning how to manage money. Make sense?

To keep this simple, I'm going to summarise some rules that I frequently use.


  Do not trade on money that you cannot afford to lose. And I'm not just talking about financial account - this includes your emotional account as well. For example, $1,000 might be a lot of money to a middle income trader. However, sometimes you might find that $500 means even more to a high earner because he/she gets so stress that one cannot make rational trading decisions. If you can't afford to lose (financially and emotionally), then either reduce the pot or keep it to demo trading while you continue to build your confidence.

  NEVER enter the market without knowing when to exit. You make money by cashing out as well as cutting losses. You'll lose money if you don't know when to exit the market.

  As a rule of thumb, beginners should position size and keep trading risk to 1% (per trade) of your account and one should not go any more than 3-5% per trade. You might wonder, why am I being so vague? Well, to be honest, there's no fix and hard rule about this. Trading is all about your own risk appetite and whether or not you can handle the emotions when things don't go your way. Do not trade what you cannot handle.


The list can go on for awhile but I think you get the point. Again, if you need to, buy books, read or get a coach to teach you about risk/money management.

 3. Emotional Checker

Once you got Pt 1 and 2 sorted, here comes a trading secret/method that I use - I call this the Emotional Checker.

As you go through your trading plan, try to visualise a trade set up happening in the future. This can be any point in time in the future but visualise yourself actually taking this trade. As you see the trade (using your imagination), you place your orders and you let it run. Ask yourself - how do you feel? Comfortable? If yes, good. Now try the following:


  Visualise the trade going in your favour. How do you feel?

  Visualise the trade going against you. How do you feel?

  Visualise the trade going in your favour and now you following your exit plan. How do you feel?


Essentially, this is what I call scenario planning but using your emotions to check that you are fine with it. When ever you feel uncomfortable or fearful, you should consider tweaking your trading plan. Then, repeat the exercise.

Think about this, if you have done your work in Pt 1, you should have a thorough understanding of how the market works. It can work in your favour as well as go against you and you should have captured this in your trading plan. If you haven't done your homework, that's the reason to you feeling uncomfortable or fearful.

 Conclusion

In the end, it's all about trading a system that works for you. The key success factor of any trader is that their trading plan must work for them. Many amateur traders buy trading systems from trading schools and assume that it will work fine. Unfortunately, it might work for some but, chances are, it won't work for everyone.

These traders forget that, at one point in the future, you might not feel comfortable with the system. If you're not comfortable with it, that's when your emotions kick it and followed by a long list of negative actions (which I will not dwell into today).

Forex Trading - Understanding the Dangerous Schemes in Forex

By Onyebuchim C Obike

Forex Trading is one of the highest yielding financial investment in the world. According to the Bank for International Settlements, as of April 2010, average daily turnover in global foreign exchange markets is estimated at $3.98 trillion, a growth of approximately 20% over the $3.21 trillion daily volume as of April 2007. Some firms specializing on foreign exchange market had put the average daily turnover in excess of US$4 trillion of which $1.490 trillion us being generated from spot transactions (i.e. Forex transactions)

The above fact is the key factor that entices most people to invest in Forex. The enormous returns in Forex also gave rise to fraudulent schemes, which have been on the rise since Forex began.

Fraudulent shemes in Forex is also referred to the word "scam".

What is scam?

"Scam is a fraudulent business scheme" or "to deprive off by deceit" - (TheSage's English Dictionary and Thesaurus)

Scam is synonymous with fraud. It is deception, make belief, trickery, pretense, cheating, e.t.c.

A lot of people have fallen one time or the other to scam deals knowingly and unknowingly. Some got out with partial loss, while others lost everything without a single recovery. Scam victims usually suffer unbearable psychological pain due to the level of trust built with the scammer and the loss incurred.

Unfortunately any venture with high potential for money making is always alluring to scammers and Forex is one of those ventures.

Scamming in Forex had been in existence right from when Forex began, only that it has taken a new dynamic dimension in this current era. Forex Scam is the act of fraudulently taking money from a client or customer with the intention of providing a rewarding service for the client or customer, which is not true. In some cases the services provided by the vendor could be rewarding or true, but at the long run, when a glitch occurs due to poor design then the vendor disappears after months of negotiations without making any refunds.

Examples of Forex scams include;


Fake products
Ponzi Schemes
Fake Managed Account Schemes
Pyramid Schemes


These examples are more prevalent in Forex due to the nature of the perceived returns and high rate of unsuspecting traders who patronize them.

Understanding the true perception of Forex scam is very important in detecting and protecting yourself from fraudulent schemes in Forex. A lot of traders have a wrong perception of Forex scams due to their limited knowledge about Forex. A case scenario might look similar when it's being matched with real scam cases. But when you look deeply into such complaints, you'll find wrong perceptions and false alarms.

A lot of inexperienced Forex Traders are quick to scream "I've been scammed" due to their level of knowledge in Forex. If you fail to follow the instructions of a product, and experience loss then that is not a scam.

For example when a signal service provider says "use default settings for accounts lower than $1000, and do not adjust the Money Management Settings otherwise you will get undesired results. However you'll make little pips but on the long run your account will grow steadily".

If a user of this signal service gets impatient or greedy, and ignores the warning by tweaking the settings in order to attain short term quick gain in his account, such a trader would unfortunately experience undesired results to his/her account.

Let's assume the trader gets infuriated and sends series of complaints to the vendor about the poor performance of the product and later request for a refund. When the vendor refuses based on the trader's negligence, then a scam alarm is raised. Unfortunately this does not qualify for a scam case.

Every forex product has its threshold or required standards because they cannot be 100% perfect at all times. Most vendors usually state this caution or disclaimer notice on their website in order to protect users from unprecedented loss from market uncertainties. So it is the duty of a customer to keep to the product's limits. When you go against it and face the undesirable consequences then asking for refunds would not work, and establishing a scam case would be extremely difficult.

When a trader uses a Forex product not designed for news trading or for a particular trading session or configures the settings against the design of the Forex Product and gets losses then the trader cannot claim he/she has been scammed.

One of the best ways of understanding and protecting yourself from fraudulent schemes in Forex is to get yourself updated with the Forex regulatory agencies like CFTC, NFA and your local financial regulatory agencies. These regulatory agencies regularly publish red alerts and warnings about fraudulent schemes in Forex to protect Forex traders.

Fraudulent schemes in Forex can be very enticing, cheap, alluring, and certain. Understanding the hidden traps in any alluring offer is the first step of protecting yourself from loss.

10 Differences Between MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 Forex Platform

By Onyebuchim C Obike

10 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MT4 AND METATRADER 5

1. Installation

MT4: Installation is simple, and straightforward.

METATRADER 5: Installation is not as simple when compared to MT4. The manufacturer's demo trading server (METAQUOTE) is a default in the opening account phase of the installation. An option to add new trading server from METATRADER 5 for a demo account is also included.

2. Charts/Timeframe

MT4: There are nine (9) timeframes. There are limitations to the number of charts that can be opened at the same time.

METATRADER 5: There are 21 timeframes ranging from 1 minute to 1 month, and unlimited number of charts. One hundred charts can be opened at the same time without limitations.

3. Fundamental Analysis (news trading)

MT4: Forex Economic Calendar is not included in the news tab.

METATRADER 5: The platform has an inbuilt Forex economic calendar tab with features like news event, schedule, impact, forecast, earlier events, e.t.c.

4. Commerce/Market

MT4: The market utility tab is not integrated into the platform. You have to visit MQL4.com in order to buy any of its product in their market place.

METATRADER 5: The market utility tab is built inside the platform. You can directly buy Forex products through the market tab.

5. Indicators & Analytical Objects

MT4: There are 30 inbuilt indicators pre-installed on MT4 platform.

METATRADER 5: There are 38 inbuilt indicators pre-installed on METATRADER 5 platform. There are 22 analytical objects, and 46 graphical objects added to the platform.

6. Orders

MT4: It has only two (2) market orders, and four (4) pending orders.

METATRADER 5: More order types are included in the platform. There are two (2) market orders, six (6) pending orders, and two (2) stop orders.

7. Expert Advisor

MT4: The MQL code editor and strategy tester are the main utilities used for expert advisor design. Expert advisors are programmed with MQL programming language, and they are faster to compile. It is not possible to transfer expert advisor codes from MT4 to METATRADER 5. Therefore expert advisors designed in MT4 would not work on METATRADER 5.

METATRADER 5: It comes with more utilities for expert advisor design. The strategy tester utility has been upgraded, and a strategy tester agent manager for remote optimization of expert advisors was also added. Expert advisors are designed with C++, and they are slower to compile due to the dynamics of C++ programming language.

8. Interface

MT4: The interface is easier to navigate when compared to METATRADER 5. The one click trading feature, and the drag and drop functionality is included in build 500 version only.

METATRADER 5: There are slight differences on the platform's interface. A search box has been included on the platform as well as a details tab on the market watch window.

9. Trading (Hedging, FIFO, e.t.c.)

MT4: There are no restrictions on any trading method. However broker regulations is implemented on their proprietary MT4 platforms.

METATRADER 5: It does not support hedging of trades, and it also implements the FIFO policy by default.

10. Brokers

MT4: Most brokers deliver their services on MT4.

METATRADER 5: Fewer brokers deliver their services through METATRADER 5 when compared to brokers who deliver their services on MT4.

It is quite obvious that METATRADER 5 has more features when compared to MT4. But why do most Forex traders use MT4 in trading the Forex despite the improved features in METATRADER 5? Here are the reasons.

1. Expert advisors designed with MQL programming language cannot work on METATRADER 5. They cannot also be transferred to METATRADER 5. The only way out is to rewrite the codes in C++.

2. Hedging, and closing of orders irrespective of their positions is not allowed in METATRADER 5 platform. The platform automatically implements NFA rules

These two reasons are the main discouraging facts of METATRADER 5. This is the reason most Forex traders still prefer to trade the Forex with MT4 rather than trading with METATRADER 5.

Forex Trading has great potentials for success and at the same time high possibilities of loosing funds. Success in Forex requires the best resources and skills, which F provides. Keep in touch with our product updates page where we keep you informed of FREE Offers & New Products.

Online forex trading: Of drawdown and recovery

by ’Kunle Adeyer

There is always downtime in all ramifications of life. It is always a crucial period when survival instincts and strategies come alive to those who want to overcome. My previous articles have been serially written involving education, live trading and discipline. But there comes a time when one goes overboard or something goes wrong. This is the acid test of a forex trader.

Every trader must be in this ‘mess’ once or many times. Drawdown is simply when your equity or trading fund falls short of the initial value. It is psychologically disturbing. It literarily is as if one’s business is sinking. It could still be tolerated if it is just the trader’s account but when it comes to funds or client’s account being managed; it is not a funny story or smiling time for traders.

I can guarantee you as a prospective trader that you will find yourself or your account in this situation, at least once, as compared to the late Tai Solarin’s ‘May your road be rough’. It will definitely be in forex to climb to the top. But for every problem there is a solution. I once wrote in this column about recovery plans and management. Recovery of drawdown to equity level or breakeven point and later profitability is the focus of such trader.

The very first thing is the belief that you can do it. If the courage or confidence is not there, then there is no way you can deploy the techniques even in the face of a sure trend. That is the reason why I proposed that one should start live trading early after training provided good training has been obtained. This refines you as a trader. I always tell my trainees that the difference between me and them is that I have somehow overcome fear and that they will go places if they surmount the market without fear.

In this quagmire, a trader should deploy the following. First, is profit management. I have used this weapon a lot of times to get positive results during drawdown.

A trader who lacks this technique may not have a backup to rely on. Profit management account gives me the psychological boost that something is in the kitty and I can always access, if need be.

The second thing is to adhere strictly to discipline. With discipline you can ride to the top again. Never be too much in a hurry to recover. Rely on the adage that a damaged/wounded skin takes time to heal.

Reduce your lot size in comparison to earlier ones. In addition, if your stop loss is not in place, never find it difficult to close your orders at losses to have fund to trade. It is better than you having a margin call or burn out. 

Thirdly, let your technical skills come alive and be bold to go for your ‘sure’ trade orders. You may also trade economic news to boost your account. Scalping – that is profiting on short trades – can help but never scalp too much not to incur the wrath of your broker if your broker discourages much scalping.

Hedging is another method as proposed in my article dated February 15 in this column.

Best Forex Trading Indicators - 4 Simple Effective Ones For Bigger Profits

By Samuel Leslie Berkovits 

Here we will look at some of the best Forex Trading indicators and how you can combine them into a simple robust Forex trading strategy for long term gains.

No single Forex trading indicator works all the time by itself and the way you combine them is essential. Many traders make the mistake of the thinking the more indicators they combine the better - Wrong!
If you do this the system has too many elements to break; you only need a few and your Forex trading system will be simple and robust in the face of ever changing prices.
Right lets build our Forex trading system and look at some of the best Forex trading indicators to help you build a trend following Forex trading system. First Identify the Trend.

This is obvious by looking at a bar chart but you also want to use moving averages as well. Simple moving averages are great in terms of smoothing out the fluctuations and two great periods to use are first, the 40 day MA to identify the long term trend. Secondly, use the 20 day MA to buy and sell back to in a strong trend and you will find this moving average is excellent for getting in on a trend in motion, with optimium risk / reward. Spotting the Set Ups

We don't have time to cover this in detail here but there are a couple of points that are the key to maximizing profits. Firstly, be patient and only trade high odds set ups and secondly, make sure you trade breaks to new highs and lows all the big trends start and continue from them so you need to trade them.
Bollinger Bands - Check Volatility and Standard Deviation

Ask most traders what standard deviation of price is and you will probably get a blank look but an understanding of standard deviation of price and volatility is something that all forex traders need to know about and if you don't, make part of your forex education and learn about Bollinger Bands.

Bollinger Bands are not used to for market timing - but give you an all round view of volatility price and when you understand this concept, Bollinger Bands can help you in 3 ways:

They can alert you to potential big moves, help set targets and spot market value and entry levels.
Best Forex Trading Indicators for Confirming
When you spot a potential opportunity, you need to confirm the move and make sure price momentum is going the way you wish to trade. There are plenty of momentum indicators but for the last 25 Years I have found the following two the best. There easy to learn and apply, lets take a quick look at them.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI)
A great leading indicator to time your trading signals with. If the RSI supports your view of the market you can use it in strong trends - or when it diverges from the prevailing trend ( from over bought or over sold) to enter trades against the prevailing trend.

The Stochastic Indicator
The best Forex trading indicator of all for better market timing and when combined with the RSI you have a dynamite combination. The stochastic is a simple indicator but is the ultimate timing tool for timing trading signals in my view. If you use stochastic crossovers to confirm your move, you will get the odds on your side.

It's also very effective for timing contrary positions. A stochastic cross, from over bought or oversold levels, against the trend is a highly effective way of getting in on the big contrary trades.
Simple and Effective

There are other great indicators around such as the ADX indicator, MACD and many others but as a blend the above 4 indicators with a bar chart are my best forex trading indicators for profit and they have served me well over the last 25 years.

The indicators are easy to learn, apply and if blended correctly, can add a new dimension to your forex trading strategy.

Proper Forex Risk Management

By Amanda L Stucky 

For those involve in foreign exchange, it is important that you know proper Forex risk management so you can sustain the pressure and for you to succeed in the long run. When you know what the risk involved, you will also be able to find ways on how to lower these risks.

Everyday there are numerous companies and sole traders who exchange currencies on the Forex or foreign exchange. If you are involve in the buying and selling of foreign currencies then you are already participating in spot market. Buying and selling simply means exchanging your currency for another.
To manage the Forex risk, you should know how to use responsibly factors such as leverage, stop loss, lot size and risk reward ratio.


Leverage enables you to use small amount o money to control larger ones. Although this can bring increase your wins, it can also accumulate your losses. So if you're new with Forex exchange, it is best if you work with lower leverage first.
As with stop loss, it serves as your insurance when you are trading. A stop loss can prevent too much loss when exchanging rates.

The risk reward ratio would help you determine whether it is good to trade or if it's better to wait until the next trade. When you know how to work with reward risk ratio, you will still get profits even if there are only 50% chances that you win with the trade.

If you are new to Forex trade there are still things that you should get to know first. You should understand what the difference is with spot market vs. future Forex trading. Although there are risk involve with Forex management, there are several strategies you can use in order to lessen the danger involve. The more you know about these strategies, the more advantageous it is for you.

Forex pathfinder Thursday, September 19 Tradable News.

UK Retail Sales    -    9:30am Paris time   (Thursday, September 19)

--–––––————————————————————–––––--

	Traded pair	Expected figure	Deviation trigger
	GBPUSD	0.4 (%)	±0.4 (%)

	Buy	GBPUSD	if actual figure is or is above	0.8 (%)
	Sell	GBPUSD	if actual figure is or is below	0.0 (%)

Expected move during first 20 minutes after the release is 20 pips or more.


Review historical charts where the same deviation of at least 0.4 (%) occurred:

UK Retail Sales history of charts.

Once there, set filter to Difference Actual-Forecast >= 0.4 and click "Filter" to see list of charts.


  UK Retail Sales    -    9:30am Paris time   (Thursday, September 19)

--–––––————————————————————–––––--

	Traded currency pair	:	GBPUSD
	Initial spike duration limit	:	15 seconds
	Initial spike price action threshold	:	12 pips
	Triggering retracement percentage	:	35 %
	Retracement duration limit	:	40 seconds
	Maximum trade hold time after release	:	10 minutes
	Stop loss	:	10 pips
	Take profit	:	10 pips
	Maximum spread	:	2 pips

USA Existing Home Sales    -    3:00pm Paris time   (Thursday, September 19)

--–––––————————————————————–––––--

	Traded pair	Expected figure	Deviation trigger
	USDJPY	5.25 (M)	±0.40 (M)

	Buy	USDJPY	if actual figure is or is above	5.65 (M)
	Sell	USDJPY	if actual figure is or is below	4.85 (M)

Expected move during first 30 minutes after the release is 30 pips or more.


Review historical charts where the same deviation of at least 0.40 (M) occurred:

USA Existing Home Sales history of charts.

Once there, set filter to Difference Actual-Forecast >= 0.40 and click "Filter" to see list of charts.

  USA Existing Home Sales    -    3:00pm Paris time   (Thursday, September 19)

--–––––————————————————————–––––--

	Traded currency pair	:	USDJPY
	Initial spike duration limit	:	30 seconds
	Initial spike price action threshold	:	12 pips
	Triggering retracement percentage	:	40 %
	Retracement duration limit	:	80 seconds
	Maximum trade hold time after release	:	15 minutes
	Stop loss	:	10 pips
	Take profit	:	10 pips
	Maximum spread	:	2 pips

Forex Risk Management Precautions

By Tony Scalf 

The foreign currency exchange industry is one of the most unpredictable, liquid and volatile business industries ever operating worldwide. It accommodates to approximately 1.5 trillion U.S. dollars worth of transactions and it becomes a chance for banks, large corporations, business companies of all size and even individual investors to gain profit through forex.


The forex risk of losing or gaining profit in the market is as inevitable as the rising and setting of the sun daily. There is no way that a trader can fully and perfectly go about his trading business without undertaking risks of any sort. Because of this very sensitive and crucial topic in the forex trading industry, all traders must at least exercise some form of forex risk management in order to avoid unnecessary and devastating losses that can kick you out of the game completely.

There are a few things an investor must remember before he or she makes any trading decisions. One among which is cash flows, liabilities and assets are directly affected by any change in the exchange rates that may occur and of course since the exchange rates can change in a snap of a finger, international transactions especially dealing with finances will consequently greatly affect businessmen, traders and investors.
It is important that a trader must perform forex risk management measures especially on economic exposure, translation exposure, accounting and real operating exposure.


Because of the unpredictable changes in exchange rates, the transactional exposures are one among those that contribute highest risks to forex because cash flows, import and export services, lending and borrowing of foreign currency can greatly affect the exchange rates of involved currency pairs. A wise investor must therefore remember to incorporate this in his forex risk management strategy.

There are two general types of risk when dealing with forex risk management and these are: systematic and unsystematic risk. Systematic risk is the risk affecting business aspects such as inflation risk, interest rate risk and market risk. On the other hand unsystematic risks are more specific to the individual events happening to a particular transaction such as business risk and financial risk.

For all the traders out there it is always a good habit to have a trading strategy and you must see to it that both your online broker and your trading platform have forex risk management procedures incorporated into the system. There are many advanced software that contain reliable risk analysis features.

Please check my website Forex Risk Management [http://forexriskmanagement.net/] if you looking for forex risk management tips.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6325793

Planning and Discipline in Forex Trading

by ’Kunle Adeyeri

The last two articles on education and live trading are a build-up to this one. Education as the bed rock, live account trading as the launch pad and closing on these two to cap it all is planning and discipline in forex trading.

Planning (also called forethought) is the process of-thinking about and organizing the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning involves the creation and maintenance of a plan. As such, planning is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior.

This thought process is essential to the creation and refinement of a plan, or integration of it with other plans; that is, it combines forecasting of developments with the preparation of scenarios of how to react to them.

An important, albeit often ignored aspect of planning, is the relationship it holds with forecasting.

Forecasting can be described as predicting what the future will look like, whereas planning predicts what the future should look like. The counterpart to planning is spontaneous order. – Wikipedia

Wikipedia also explains that the phrase “to discipline” carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order – that is, ensuring instructions are carried out–is often regulated through punishment. Discipline is a course of actions leading to a greater goal than the satisfaction of the immediate. A disciplined person is one that has established a goal and is willing to achieve that goal at the expense of his or her immediate comfort.

Discipline is the assertion of willpower over more base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with self-control. Self-discipline is to some extent a substitute for motivation, when one uses reason to determine the best course of action that opposes one’s desires. Virtuous behaviour is when one’s motivations are aligned with one’s reasoned aims: to do what one knows is best and to do it gladly’.

The bane of colossal loss in forex trading has to do with lack of proper planning and much more discipline. A forex trader is expected to have a trade plan before execution.

This has to do with determining entry point, size or volume of his trade, entry and exit points, stop loss, trailing profit etc. All these come under planning to achieve a set goal.

Discipline now will focus on executing the plans to the letter. Discipline involves sticking to your trade plan which is backed up by what you have put in the risk management. No matter how your plan is, executing it to the letter is another thing. Supposing you have a trade plan and strategy to roll in an order, discipline will come in if you have the willpower to do so. It will also test if you can stick to your targets in case when price moves in counter direction.

A to-be successful trader must be disciplined. It is a virtue and can be cultivated as well. A disciplined trader will not be too happy because he has winning traders nor be emotionally down if he loses if all were to fall within his keeping to his plans. A disciplined trader will not add more to winning or losing trades. Plan well and be disciplined. Happy trading.

Types of Forex Brokers You Need to Know About

By Dragan Lukic

There are various types of Forex brokers available for you to choose from when you start Forex trading so it can be difficult to pick out the best one, especially if you are a beginner. They range from illegal trading floors to international award-winning Forex brokers that have direct access to the market.

 You may be one of the lucky ones that has been told which broker to use through your schooling or you may be a beginner that simply doesn't know where to even start searching. Whatever your situation, the list below will simplify and direct you towards various types of Forex brokers that are available to you:

Retail Forex brokers (market makers) - these are used the most, especially with new traders. Accounts can be easily created online and deposits as small as $100 can be made in order to start trading. The functionalities available are great and the process of trading is quite simple. Be advised to shop around and find out what each broker offers. This could be factors such as live support or instant buy/sell into the market; some could have a small delay depending on their market access which can be quite frustrating.

Institutional Forex brokers (market makers) - The sales angle these types of brokers use is their even more direct access to the market. Unfortunately, because of this feature they require large amounts of capital in order to start trading. Similarly to the above they are also perfect for beginners but because of the large capital requirement, they are usually side-lined until people acquire larger amounts of cash.

Institutional Forex brokers (non-market makers) - unless you are working in a bank you will not have access to these brokers. Large number if international banks trade in this manner where the access is direct to the interbank market.

Spread betters -these are currently only legal in a few countries - this does not include USA. The way in which they make money is different to the traditional manner. Instead of making money on their winnings, they make their money on the spread between two currencies. They usually also include the ability to trade other products like stocks, indices or commodities. As the trade you are putting is a bet in this instance your winnings are not taxable; if you have another form of employment.

The above list and explanations should give you a good idea about the different type of Forex brokers available for your perusal. Just remember to do your research and speak to a few brokers first; before you make a decision on which one to go with. You should probably review your account every year to see if better offers are available elsewhere to make your Forex trading cheaper.

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15 Most Common Forex Trading Mistakes

By Danielle Franklin 

Starting forex trading career is an exciting journey. The mind-blowing financial challenges, economic riddles, potential sky rocking profits and psychological effects - all assembled together in one profession. As a new forex trader you need to recognize the universal mistakes which can easily turn your forex trading adventure into unnecessary, costly ride. What are the common mistakes traders make and how can you avoid making them?
Here is the summary of slip-ups every trader should avoid:

1. Risking Too Much
There is no way of getting rich quick in forex trading. You have to be consistent and disciplined, and by no means try to compare forex to gambling. Every dollar you invest in forex must be a dollar you can afford to lose, a dollar which will not leave you butt naked on a street. Every successful forex trader protects ones capital, and therefore instead of risking too much and praying for it to turn into a goldmine, it is more important to focus on good entry techniques and understanding of trend.

2. Over trading
Most new traders think that in order to make huge profits you have to trade all the time. It is important to realize that forex market is volatile and changes direction all day long. You cannot expect profitable trades from every price movement. It is so easy to get addicted to winnings which can lead to sloppy trading. Depending on your trading style, the opportunity to profit strikes a few times a day and it is your job to figure out when it happens. After each win, give yourself a time out to ensure that you make right decisions based on your trading plan and not on the luring crave to win again! As soon as you learn to ignore all market swings, control your emotions and focus on profitable movements, you will become consistently profitable trader.

3. Errors in Order Entry
There is a time in every forex trader's life when the wrong order entry is made. Whether the clumsy fingers or lack or alertness are to blame, awkward errors happen to all of us. To save yourself a lot of stress, avoid heart attack and evade losing money, take two extra seconds to check that everything is correct before you click!

4. Not Having Your Own Trading Plan
I believe that every trader is unique and requires different set of approaches when it comes to forex trading. Just because other traders succeed in scalping, for example, it doesn't necessary mean that it is suitable for you. It is your responsibility to figure out what kind of trader you are. Are you a quick thinker or rather analytical? Are you aggressive or rather patient? Can you devote enough time to forex or you plan to trade part-time? What is your investment capital? Do you have a full grasp of fundamental analysis? What are your psychological weaknesses? The sooner you figure out who you are, the faster your trading plan will materialize and the better forex trader you will be.

5. Losing is The End of the World!
There is no such thing as forex trading system that works 100% at a time. You can become crazy rich by being right only about 10% of a time. Kick the perfectionist out of your mind and open mind to a larger picture. The most important thing in forex trading is win/loss ratio. It doesn't matter how many times you win or loose; what really matters is how much money you gain when you win and how much money you loose when you lose! Concentrate on monthly profits, and not on every single trade.

6. Ignoring Money Management
Money management is very important in forex trading. The purpose of money management is to protect you from risking too much and therefore grow your profits in a stable, consistent manner. Without a proper money management technique, you can empty your trading account within 5-10 clumsy trades.

7. Ignoring Psychological Issues
Psychology is a big part of forex trading. You have to train yourself to control your emotions, deal with losses and understand that success does not depend on every trade. Many traders keep a journal and write down not only the trading outcome, but their feelings and emotions during the trading hours. This can significantly help to analyze yourself and avoid, for example, over-trading, revenge trading, greed trading, ego trading etc.

8. Constructing Complicated Indicators
Simplicity is the best way in forex trading. You don't have to keep adding indicators or come up with extraordinary trading plan. Many indicators only add chaos and unnecessary information. Try not to overdo it; the basic idea behind indicators is to give hints to direction of a trend, support/resistance levels and buying/selling pressure.

9. Trading News
Unfortunately, in most cases even the most straightforward news releases are used as a tool to affect the investment psychology of the crowd. This is, in a way, a manipulation used by governments and traders. Analyzing only the news can be quite problematic, since often a forex market that seems extremely bullish can actually be an undercover bear! It is close to impossible to predict how the market will react to the news. I personally have seen markets going down more than 100 pips in one second and rising 100 pips back up within couple of more seconds. That's like playing a Russian roulette!

10. Using Too Much Leverage
The beauty of forex trading is the ability to use leverage or margin, however too much leverage can be extremely harmful. Having a small trading account and making big trades using leverage can turn into a complete disaster whenever the market moves against your positions by just a tiny swing.

11. Demo Trading The Amount You Don't Have
Most forex brokers offer demo account for practice. My personal advice is to trade demo account with the amount of money you actually plan to invest. Usually practice account comes with hundreds thousands of dollars, so in order to actually learn how to trade and understand the forex market reality, it is important to demo trade the amount of your actual capital. It doesn't make much sense to practice trading with thousands while you plan to invest $500.

12. Switching Strategies Like Pair of Gloves
You shouldn't jump from one strategy to another the moment you experience couple of losses. Your forex strategy should not be discarded the moment things get rocky. Every strategy need time to be optimized. Changing strategy from one to another will not turn you into successful trader. Give it time, consider losses as a down payment for the future wins.

13. Seeking Shortcuts to Learning about Forex
There is no shortcut - you have to learn. Most successful forex traders know exactly what is happening in forex market. You have to read, learn, practice and analyze all the time in order to be up to date and make profits. Forex trading is a lifelong learning career. Since forex market is complex and very flexible, a lot of learning is needed in order to adobt to new changes and become a skilled trader.

14. Ignoring Stop Loss
Ignoring stop loss is a no-no! You need to have a clear entry/exit plan. Decide now many pips you want to make, what is your loss limit, what are the reasons for entering a trade in the first place. Sometimes you have a feeling that if you want a little more your luck will turn around. No, this is a very bad idea. Stick to your plan and always set stop/loss targets. There is no such thing as a "trade of a life time". If you miss one, there Is always a set of new trades right around the corner!

15. Deciding on Forex Broker Too Quickly
Choosing the right broker takes time - so get ready for a long ride. There are hundreds online forex brokers today and all of them are attractive in one way or another. It is important to figure out which broker is most suitable for you. A broker good for one trader might not be the best choice for the other. There are many factors to consider, including:
¨ Trading Platform (download, online, metatrader 4, user-friendly, graphical etc.)
¨ Regulation (regulated brokers are usually more reliable)
¨ Features (news, daily analysis, mobile trading, free seminars, bonuses etc)
¨ Technical and Customer Support (it is important to have all the contact information for the broker including phone number, online support and email address. I also suggest testing all of the contact methods before making a deposit with the broker - Do forex broker representatives answer the phones? How fast does the broker respond to emails? Is online support proficient and professional?)
¨ Terms and Conditions (always go over terms and conditions you agree to with a forex broker. You might find nasty hidden costs involved or certain unprofitable trading conditions)
¨ Spreads or fixed price (the lower the better, of course!)
¨ Free Practice Account for practice and get to know the trading platform
¨ Minimum Deposit Requirements (How much are you planning to invest?)
¨ (Payment Methods (how are you planning to deposit/withdraw? Wiretransfer? Credit Card? Paypal? Moneybookers?

Forex Trading Indicators - The Keys to Finding Forex Success

By Steve Crown 

The Forex Market or Foreign Exchange market is where a professional trader purchases and sells currencies. The best way to initiate trades is to become fully familiar with the Forex trading indicators: In fact it is necessary that you do so. By understanding the Forex indicators you are in a position to properly evaluate information and affect successful trades. The various types of Forex indicators are discussed below.

1. Trend indicators will show three movements with respect to (the market) price including up, down and to the side. The trend indicators are helpful in implementing your Forex trading strategy. The trend indicators show you what to expect with regard to price consistency and inconsistencies over specific (time) periods.

2. Volume indicators are relative in that they are useful in supplying information as to the interest level of investors in the Forex market. If the investor volume is high then it is more than likely indicative of a new trend. A low level of interest may suggest investor uncertainty or also that investors are simply not interested in a particular currency market. Conceptually in order to fully appreciate volume indicators you will need to become knowledgeable in what the (supplied) data means. Additionally, you will need to know the best way to respond to the information provided. Quick increases or decreases in volume may suggest reversals. A decrease in volume that is continual yet consistent may be supported by movement that is fast-paced within the market.

3. The third type of indicator is the momentum indicator. The momentum indicator tracks the rates within the currency exchange during particular time periods. It also charts simultaneously the weakness or strength of a trend's movement. The greatest momentum is found at the start of a trend. The lowest level of momentum is naturally at the end of a trend.

In order to use the Forex indicators successfully you will need to establish incompatibility with the Forex rate(s) and the data provided by Forex indicators. Movements with respect to indicators and rates suggest the following information:

1. Changes in trend may be expected when the momentum indicator is strong and the rate of exchange is moving sideways.

2. A weak momentum indicator is a sign that the currency exchange rate is about to increase.

3. Diversity in direction between the momentum indicator and rate is illustrative of the fact the current trend is starting to weaken.

4. Another important Forex indicator is the volatility indicator. The volatility indicator provides the trader with information as to the relative proportion of a price or rate increase or decrease. As a trader you will find sometimes the Forex market is highly volatile and other times it is less risky.
The indicators make it possible for the Forex trader to achieve profits when conducting trading activity within the Forex market. If the Forex market is at a low level of volatility you may surmise that there is little investor interest. In this light you may anticipate an enormous movement within the market. This is your sign that it may be the time to reap substantial profits with respect to your trading activities.
You will need to select indicators that provide you with the necessary data essential to your success as a Forex trader. You do not want to use too many indicators that are similar. What you want is an indicator that provides information and an indicator that subsequently verifies the information (previously) supplied by the initial indicator.

Safeguarding Your Investments With Forex Risk Management

By Delores Lee 

Forex trading is one of engines that run the world economy. It is the place where people earn higher profits, create their names and gain stability in the trading business. It is a one big platform of opportunities and great benefits which would likely be an open door for success. The chance to get financial success significantly depends on how you execute Forex risk management. However, there are a lot of business owners who are afraid to try foreign exchange trading. This is due to the fact that they are blind by the thought that investing in a currency is a scam or by other fraudulent schemes made to rip them off. But this is just a false belief. They just don't know how helpful their investments would be in the world market.

What happens on a Financial Market?
People buy and sell different stocks and currencies taking the advantage of their daily fluctuations. Here competencies and different innovations never run out of style. The Forex market is a highly sophisticated type of financial market and therefore traders should be aware of modern Forex risk management systems. A lot of quick decisions are to be made, so traders should really be flexible and focus on every trading process in order to get full control of the whole transaction. By doing so losses and future financial troubles will be avoided.

Two Groups of Traders in the Fx Market

• Banks and Companies. This first type of traders are trading for the sake of business. Once they profited in the currency of one country, they will then convert it to the currency of another country in order to earn more. This method will help them to save a lot since converting through the Central Bank is too costly.


• Individual Traders. This refers to struggling traders that want to earn higher profits. They are self governing and are the ones designing their own trading systems and methods. Some big investors may consider them as nothing in the Forex world, but somehow their investments also contribute to the value of currency that affects the economic growth.

What is Forex risk management?
It is one of the most popular strategies of this new era. One of the features of this method allows traders to trade online without using real money. One of the advantages is that you have small risk due to not exposing your investment. This is very helpful especially for small traders or even for neophytes of trading.
Whatever the Forex market may bring you, just remember that confidence is not effective if not anchored with great competency and responsibility. Success in trading is easy to reach only if you have a proper Forex risk management.

Let's all admit the fact that Forex market is the place not only for success and profits but also for losses and high risks. Perhaps, the reward and financial gains you acquire here is just similar or with very little difference to the risks you take. Because of the market's volatility, there is no stability on its direction, not to mention that the price of currencies and stocks often fluctuates. As a result, traders are prone to drawbacks and losses if they won't implement proper Forex risk management.

This kind of business requires hard work and higher competency in order not to encounter troubles in the future. Traders really need to commit an enough time to study and master the major processes in trading. They also need to be familiar with all the factors that significantly affect the market's flow that may influence trading transactions. Part of their responsibility is also to be aware of the risk they are taking, they're future outcome if not taken into account, and on how to manage or lessen its intensity. That's why a Forex risk management was developed in order to:

• Avoid surplus stocks. One of the ways to avoid financial troubles is to limit your stock orders. Purchase only an average quantity needed for trading. This way, you could avoid extra expenditure and debt.

• Conquer your emotions. In the trading business, it is ideal to not let your emotions overrule in the process. It would only add up to your worries and burden.

• Do not invest your money in just one trading transaction. Higher risks are taken if you will just concentrate and put all your investments in one trade. Chances are, if unfortunate events will happen, you'll just going to lose all your money leaving you with no resources to pull you up.

Forex risk management is essential in every trading. It does not only lessen the risks you are taking, but also gives you the confidence to overcome hardships and difficulties the Forex market may give you. Remember, the key to success is hard work and competence. This two work hand in hand for the achievement of goals.

Difference Between Demo and Live account in Online Forex Trading.

A consistent live account trader of one month is better than the consistent of five years of demo trading. The fact is that you cannot grow or be successful if your money is not involved in forex trading. As a demo account trader you can try all experiments but with live or real account it is a different psychological frame of mind. You learn faster from your mistakes and get refined, matured and disciplined in the market.

As a beginner trading live account, you will see money on the table (i.e. sure trading position that will yield profit) yet fear of loss grips you and you just sit down there and watch the market move in the trend you have envisaged or analyzed. But if it were demo account you will go for it. On demo account you take risks which ordinarily you would not dare on a live account, you end making money there. But it turns out to be another story when it’s a live account.

Even though demo account is a near perfect simulation of live trading, the trader’s emotions and fears are completely wide apart. It is traditional or conventional for most trainers to ask you to begin demo trading after your training, but with my training, I am changing that course. My experience, boldness and success stem from the fact that I got burnt in the market, but I decided to face the question of why I encountered losses and since I found that answer I have nearly been on over 95 per cent success story.

Most people who have lost money in forex trading and hence loathe forex are those who (by my guess) spent much time demo trading without a good psychological preparation for the real or live trading. Also, those who lose money initially to inadequate education (on technicals and fundamentals) of the market think forex trading is a herculean task. The initial losses discourage them and they never go far beyond overcoming that trauma to look for the right answer rather the blames are heaped on the market. Forensic analysis on their account history will definitely show their wrongdoings.

In summary, good education and fearless early live market entry is a sure way to finding the door to successful career and profitable trading.  No pain, no gain!

Free Forex Bonus €100 To Start Your Trading Career - No Deposit Required!

FOREX BONUS 100 EUR - Tradimo offers €100 for free to start your trading career - no deposit required!

To get started: 

► Step 1:
 Register with tradimo, click here to register

► Step 2:
Pass the 6 quizzes on the Forex trading beginner strategy
Answers of the questions are following:

* QUIZ 1
 Forex beginner strategy: getting started (10 questions)
1. A and D
2. B
3. B and D
4. D
5. A
6. A and C
7. B and E
8. C
9. E
10. B

* QUIZ 2
1/5 Determine the market direction (7 questions)

1. C
2. A
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. B
7. A

* QUIZ 3
2/5: Identify the trading opportunity (9 questions)

1. A
2. C
3. A
4. A
5. D
6. C
7. D
8. C
9. B

* QUIZ 4
3/5: Enter the pending order (10 questions)

1. B
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. C
6. C
7. C
8. A
9. B
10. D

* QUIZ 5
4/5: Manage the pending order while you wait for your trade (10 questions)

1. A, B and C
2. D
3. E
4. E
5. D
6. B
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. A

* QUIZ 6
5/5: Trade management (8 questions)

1. B
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. A
6. C
7. A
8. B

► Step 3: Apply for an account at Varengold

► Step 4: Enter the Varengold user number (Account number) you receive via email

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