Advantages of Forex Market
The biggest financial market in the world is the biggest market because it provides some advantages to its participants. Some of the major advantages offered are as follows:
- FlexibilityForex exchange markets provide traders with a lot of flexibility. This is because there is no restriction on the amount of money that can be used for trading. Also, there is almost no regulation of the markets. This combined with the fact that the market operates on a 24 by 7 basis creates a very flexible scenario for traders.People with regular jobs can also indulge in Forex trading on the weekends or in the nights. However, they cannot do the same if they are trading in the stock or bond markets or their own countries! It is for this reason that Forex trading is the trading of choice for part time traders since it provides a flexible schedule with least interference in their full time jobs.
- TransparencyThe Forex market is huge in size and operates across several time zones! Despite this, information regarding Forex markets is easily available. Also, no country or Central Bank has the ability to single handedly corner the market or rig prices for an extended period of time. Short term advantages may occur to some entities because of the time lag in passing information. However, this advantage cannot be sustained over time. The size of the Forex market also makes it fair and efficient!
- Trading OptionsForex markets provide traders with a wide variety of trading options. Traders can trade in hundreds of currency pairs. They also have the choice of entering into spot trade or they could enter into a future agreement.Futures agreements are also available in different sizes and with different maturities to meet the needs of the Forex traders. Therefore, Forex market provides an option for every budget and every investor with a different appetite for risk taking.Also, one needs to take into account the fact that Forex markets have a massive trading volume. More trading occurs in the Forex market than anywhere else in the world. It is for this reason that Forex provides unmatched liquidity to its traders who can enter and exit the market in a matter of seconds any time they feel like!
- Transaction CostsForex market provides an environment with low transaction costs as compared to other markets. When compared on a percentage point basis, the transaction costs of trading in Forex are extremely low as compared to trading in other markets. This is primarily because Forex market is largely operated by dealers who provide a two way quote after reserving a spread for themselves to cover the risks. Pure play brokerage is very low in Forex markets.
- LeverageForex markets provide the most leverage amongst all financial asset markets. The arrangements in the Forex markets provide investors to lever their original investment by as many as 20 to 30 times and trade in the market! This magnifies both profits and gains. Therefore, even though the movements in the Forex market are usually small, traders end up gaining or losing a significant amount of money thanks to leverage!
Disadvantages of Forex Market
It would be a biased evaluation of the Forex markets if attention was paid only to the advantages while ignoring the disadvantages. Therefore, in the interest of full disclosure, some of the disadvantages have been listed below:
- Counterparty RisksForex market is an international market. Therefore, regulation of the Forex market is a difficult issue because it pertains to the sovereignty of the currencies of many countries. This creates a scenario wherein the Forex market is largely unregulated. Therefore, there is no centralized exchange which guarantees the risk free execution of trades. Therefore, when investors or traders enter into trades, they also have to be cognizant of the default risk that they are facing i.e. the risk that the counterparty may not have the intention or the ability to honor the contracts. Forex trading therefore involves careful assessment of counterparty risks as well as creation of plans to mitigate them.
- Leverage RisksForex markets provide the maximum leverage. The word leverage automatically implies risk and a gearing ratio of 20 to 30 times implies a lot of risk! Given the fact that there are no limits to the amount of movement that could happen in the Forex market in a given day, it is possible that a person may lose all of their investment in a matter of minutes if they placed highly leveraged bets. Novice investors are more prone to making such mistakes because they do not understand the amount of risk that leverage brings along!
- Operational RisksForex trading operations are difficult to manage operationally. This is because the Forex market works all the time whereas humans do not! Therefore, traders have to resort to algorithms to protect the value of their investments when they are away. Alternatively, multinational firms have trading desks spread all across the world. However, that can only be done if trading is conducted on a very large scale.Therefore, if a person does not have the capital or the know how to manage their positions when they are away, Forex markets could cause a significant loss of value in the nights or on weekends.
The Forex market caters to different types of investors with different risk appetites.
The Importance of Forex Education
Some Forex traders fail because they try to run even before they can walk. You may be passionate about trading Forex, but that does not mean that jumping headfirst into the trading will do you any good. Like all other professions, Forex needs training too. A period of theoretical education followed by a period of apprenticeship is what makes traders market ready.
In this article, we will explore the importance of education and how it can be the defining factor for a successful trader.
Not a Get Rich Quick Scheme
Ever wondered why accountants make more money than menial workers? And why doctors make more money as compared to these accountants? Well, the answer is simple!
The amount of money that a job pays is directly proportional to the time and effort that was spent to acquire the skills necessary to perform it.
This is true of every task in the world! Why would it not be true for online Forex trading ? A successful Forex trader is able to sift through massive volumes of data in seconds. He/she can then analyze the data to spot trends and make decisions at breakneck speed. This is a skill. A skill that has to be developed by concentrated effort and one that needs to be honed by constant practice.
If any material on the internet has given you the impression that Forex trading is a “something for nothing” proposition, they are lying to you! Forex traders do reap rich rewards. However, that is only after they have put in countless hours perfecting their trade and building strategies.
It is therefore extremely important that a novice Forex trader invests in Forex courses and education. The money spent here is not an expense; it is an investment. Combined with your dedication and skill it will pay rich dividends in the future.
Understanding the Basics
A Forex course allows the novice trader to understand the basics of trading. Forex trading has its unique terminology. Words like lot, pip, strike price sound alien to an average person. However, they are instrumental for the Forex trader. These words help convey a lot of information in just a few words. Also, along with the terminology, some basic calculations such as deriving a direct quote from an indirect quote are also a part of basic Forex course. It is impossible to trade without the knowledge of these basics. Now, it is up to the trader whether they want to learn piecemeal from various sources over the internet or at one go via a Forex trading course.
Interpretation of Macro News
The macro news is news related to countries and economies. Since this news reports events at a macro level, it is called macro news. Such news has a huge effect on the Forex market. Currencies move up and down when the government releases data about the macroeconomic indices like inflation and unemployment.
As a Forex trader, this is the time to enter or exit the market. The massive volatility ensures that prices touch unrealistic highs or unrealistic lows providing opportunities for traders to make a fortune. However, to be able to do so, the trader must first already hold a position in the underlying currency and should be able to ascertain the extent of movement that the macro news will cause. This involves a deep understanding of macroeconomics, which is usually taught to Forex traders via a specially developed course.
Creating Your Own Strategy
We have already stated in the past articles, that a magical Forex strategy does not exist. There is no such thing as a “guaranteed system” that will enable you to make risk free profits. Instead, a strategy will provide a general set of rules that will serve as guiding principles as you navigate the highs and lows of the markets.
A trader need not spend time and money attempting to build this strategy from scratch. There are academicians who have conducted extensive research regarding what works while Forex trading and what does not. A study of this research will enable the Forex trader to build a relatively sophisticated strategy without having to spend as much time gaining experience.
Mentoring
Certain Forex courses also allow students to interact with successful Forex traders. This allows them to get real world experience and useful trading tips. To be successful, we must have a role model whom we use to model our behavior. These mentors act as role models. They enable advanced learning to occur by teaching what is not taught in the classrooms. Sincere students are also awarded internships which allow them to carefully observe how their mentor executes winning trades and the analysis that powers these trades.
Online Courses
Classroom courses which teach Forex trading can be prohibitively expensive. This is because they are taught be experts who are very expensive to hire again and again. Hence, an online course might be a viable alternative. Many courses have the correct combination of pre-recorded sessions and live trading sessions. Doubt-Solving and other seminars are often conducted by the mentors themselves.
