What is Forex?

If you would go out on a dinner with your friends or family and you mentioned that you were trading on the Forex market most of them wouldn’t know what you were talking about. The worst thing is that most of the Forex traders that join the Forex market don’t know what they are doing. Understanding what Forex is, is the first good step to your success at Forex trading.


The foreign exchange market (Currency, Forex, or FX) is where currency trading takes place. It is where banks and other official institutions facilitate the buying and selling of foreign currencies. Forex transactions typically involve one party purchasing a quantity of one currency in exchange for paying a quantity of another. The foreign exchange market that we see today started evolving during the 1970s when world over countries gradually switched to floating exchange rate from their erstwhile exchange rate regime, which remained fixed as per the Bretton Woods system till 1971.

Today, the Forex market is one of the largest and most liquid financial markets in the world, and includes trading between large banks, central banks, currency speculators, corporations, governments, and other institutions. The average daily volume in the global foreign exchange and related markets is continuously growing. Traditional daily turnover was reported to be over US$3.2 trillion in April 2007 by the Bank for International Settlements. Since then, the market has continued to grow. According to Euromoney's annual Forex Poll, volumes grew a further 41% between 2007 and 2008.

Dollar Declines to 5-Month Low Against the EUR

The US dollar traded near a five-month low versus the EUR before a U.S. report today that may show existing home sales are close to a 10-year low, adding to signs the world's largest economy is struggling to recover.

EUR to Benefit from American and Japanese Bank Moves?

With rising fears about additional monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, speculators have begun to exit many of their USD positions in favor of higher yielding assets. Bank intervention in Japan also has many investors weary of entering yen positions in the near future, but poor fundamentals out of Europe have traders just as concerned about their investments in the euro zone, but have the added benefit of less government tinkering. The EUR's best bet for the moment could be to lie low and reap the benefits of a rapidly dropping USD and JPY.

Forex Weekly Trading Forecast - 09.27.10

US Dollar at Risk of Declines as Fed Hints at Fresh Quantitative Easing 

Fundamental Outlook for US Dollar: Bullish 

- US Federal Reserve hints at further Quantitative Easing, Sinks US Dollar 
- Home Sales data remains near record-lows, bodes poorly for economic outlook 
- Positioning and signs of reversal nonetheless warn of potential US Dollar recovery 

The US Dollar finished sharply lower against all major forex counterparts on a week of mediocre economic data and a noteworthy shift in rhetoric from the US Federal Reserve. The highly-anticipated Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate announcement and statement forced sharp moves across financial markets. Officials strongly suggested that they stood ready to restart Quantitative Easing (QE) measures if the need presented itself, and an especially dovish tone on inflation implied that such a move could come sooner than later. Given that the US Dollar fell precipitously on the first wave of QE, the prospect of QE Part 2 could spark continued USD weakness against major counterparts. 

Market focus on the Fed’s next moves will make US economic data especially market moving, and a relatively busy calendar in the week ahead could bring sharp US Dollar volatility. Second revisions to Q2 Gross Domestic Product data may be the highlight of the coming days of trading, but traders should likewise watch for surprises out of earlier-week Consumer Confidence figures and end-of-week ISM Manufacturing data. 

What is Forex?

What is Forex?

Forex stands for Foreign Exchange Market. Where you buy 1 currency over the other (exchange). Its a business, no matter what people say. It involve buying and selling like any other business only difference is the medium is currency.

How to trade Forex?
The idea behind forex trading is to make profit from the difference in prices. Simply put, buy when the price is low and sell it when the price is high. Its just like the item you buy in stores, the store keeper is selling it at a higher price to make profit except in Forex you can sell first at high price and buy back later when the price is low.

When to buy and when to sell?
Logically you will sell when the price is going down and you will buy when the price is going up. It is simple but in practice this is what killing most traders. Something so simple can be so complicated.

How to know when the price is going down/up?
The price is going down when it no longer making new high. The price is going up when it no longer making new low.

Final advice
Forex is a human activity. It involve buying and selling. Because it is a human activity, it is not predictable. You cannot predict when is the time you need to go to toilet or when you are going to cut your hair. It is all based on situation. Prediction is an over statement of intelligence in Forex. You dont need it.

Fortunately not everything is unpredictable. By nature human tends to follow what other people are doing. In Forex there is something called the Trend. It happen when lots of people are doing the same thing at the same time (follow??). when more and more people are buying, you buy. When more and more people are selling you sell.

Dont get greedy. Put a reasonable target for each trade and get out once you get your target. There will always be another trade tomorrow and you dont have to trade everyday to make profit. Btw, last week I only trade once.

Good luck to all you traders. For the new blood, take your time. Give it 2 years before you can understand it and go for the kill.

FOREX IS AN ART

When you say trading, people will say trading is an art. Look at all the books that has been published on the subject. They will say the art of trading forex. 

In that sense, we must take forex as an art and not a science. I know, some people may not agree with me and all the post that is in this blog. I don't blame them coz I was actually in the same place as they were when I started trading. Trying to find the answer to forex using every logical explanation.

This is the answer that you have been looking for. I am going to give it to you straight away. Let see if your mind can accept it.

OVERCOMPLICATED TRADING

Human tends to over-complicate things. It is in our nature to try and improve what we have but most of the time we overcomplicated things and forget about the simple solution. 

In my previous post, I posted a chart of a basic system. It consist of candle stick chart, moving average and macd. Only 3 indicators and it is a very simple system rite?

FOREX 4TH ANNIVERSARY

Today marks the end of 4th year I am in Forex and I am still here. Most of the friends that I know trade has already stop. It must mean something to stay here for so long when most people quit. Its either I am really stubborn or I am not losing money. Which one you think?

How The Market Move

After looking at charts for over 1 year now, I have made a conclusion on how the market move. It may differ from other people point of view but at least this is how I made profit or loss in Forex Market.

The Market generally move once or the most twice a day. That is how much Forex market move. There is no point on being stuck in front of the pc the whole day since it will only move once. If you dont belive me look at any pair in timeframe 1 hour or less. Forex doesnt move in straight line but it has a tendency of moving to a particular direction in a zig zag motion.

Example trade using Bollinger Bands

This picture is a chart of GJ where you can see my entry, SL and TP. It was taken right after I enter the market. I opened 2 post there.