The Basics Of FOREX Trading

If you want the potential of making a lot of money in a short time, then FOREX (Foreign Exchange, or FX) may be just what you are looking for. It has long been the means of the ultra rich to use FOREX principles of gaining their wealth, and it has, until recently been out of reach for the average person. Now, though, many people are trying their hand at gaining wealth this way. Here are some basic thoughts about how FOREX works.

FOREX is based on the trading of one currency for another. Every day, due to international trade and business, as well as political events, one currency's value will fluctuate. Money can be gained in FX by being able to know when the currency of one country will fluctuate - and in which direction.

Although the information in FOREX uses the US dollar as its basis in most currencies, it is not always the case. Where a nation's currency is stronger than the dollar, such as in the case of the English pound, and the euro, that currency is listed first. You will see the listings of what is happening on the FOREX market using a listing such as USD/JPY 117.36. In this case, one dollar will buy 117.36 Japanese yen.

On the same chart, you will also usually see an arrow indicating whether the relationship between the two is changing - and in which direction - up or down. Most currencies are listed with 4 digits beyond the decimal (Japanese yen is the only exception). When your FOREX trading and selling results in a difference of .0001, you have gained a pip.

Trading in FOREX is actually done in units of $100,000, although you do not need to have anywhere near that much. Trades in FX can be made with as little as $50, or so. A FOREX broker, which you must have in order to trade in FOREX, will add to your purchase enough to bring the trade up to $100,000. This is called leverage. Even though you may have actually only used $1,000, the broker brings it up to the needed $100,000. In some cases your leverage advantage can be as high as 400:1. The nice thing about FX, though, is that you keep the winnings as if you had actually used $100,000.

FOREX trading actually provides you with several advantages over trading in the stock market. First, because you are actually trading in currency values, your money is always liquid. Secondly, winnings are often quick - taking place within a few hours. A third advantage is that there may not even be any cost - no broker's fee. Some will charge, however, but when they do, it still is considerably lower than in the stock market.

Learning FOREX is different than the stock market because there are different factors.
Everyone has the same data to predict those fluctuations and there is no insider information. You will also need to learn how to choose your own system of predicting when to invest - using a fundamental or a technical approach, and then refining your own methodology. Practice software is available and really is a necessity when it comes to investing safely in FOREX - once you think you are ready.