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Monday, December 31, 2007

Swiss Franc Benefits from Volatility

As the Japanese Yen continues to enjoy the carry trade limelight, another currency fulfilling a similar role has been largely overlooked: the Swiss Franc. While not quite as low as rates in Japan, Swiss interest rates are still extremely modest by international standards. As a result, many carry traders have used the Swiss Franc in much the same way as the Japanese Yen, selling it short in favor of higher-yielding currencies. And, just as the Japanese Yen has begun climbing over the last few months, so has the Swiss Franc. The volatility in capital markets caused by the credit crunch is just as prevalent in forex markets, and is leading currency traders to eschew yield (high interest rates) in favor of stability, which benefits currencies like the Franc. The Economic Times reports:

Another trader with a multinational bank said with carry trades now coming under heavy pressure and banks being reluctant to fund investors entering into such trades, risk aversion seems to be taking over the global currency markets.

Read More: Swiss franc safe haven for carry trade

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Central Banks Inject Liquidity

After months of delay and perhaps overly wishful thinking regarding the global credit crunch, the world's Central Banks are finally ready to take action. America's Federal Reserve Bank will join forces with the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank as part of a concerted effort to introduce greater liquidity into global capital markets. Under the plan, the Banks will auction off tens of billions of Dollars worth of bonds denominated in their respective currencies, and lend the proceeds to commercial banks. The goal of the plan is to to limit growing risk aversion, which has caused banks to significantly rein in lending. Further, while the move is designed primarily to boost confidence in equity markets, certain sectors of forex may also receive a bump. High-yielding currencies such as the New Zealand Kiwi and Australian Dollar, which have been shunned in recent months, seem to be the most likely beneficiaries. Forbes reports:

"If the market is convinced that central banks are finally doing enough to ease the liquidity situation we are likely to see the funding currencies (the yen and the Swiss franc) fall back, and higher-risk currencies like the Aussie and Kiwi currencies, rally."

Read More: Dollar rises as Fed, other central banks move to shore up liquidity

Saturday, December 29, 2007

The Record Rise of the Chinese Yuan

Earlier this week, the Chinese Yuan recorded its highest one-day increase in value in the two years since it was famously revalued against the Dollar. The currency rose nearly .4% and prompted renewed speculation that China's Central Bank will either widen the trading band to .8% or will generally allow the currency to appreciate faster. In fact, the political and economic consensus continues to maintain that the Yuan is not appreciating rapidly enough. While it rose over 6% against the Dollar, for example, it actually lost value to several of the world's major currencies. Furthermore, its decline against the Dollar is less impressive when China's skyrocketing inflation rate and burgeoning trade surplus are taken into account.

There are still a few analysts who are bucking the trend and arguing that the Yuan is fairly valued. This notion is supported by a recent World Bank analysis, which updated its calculation of China's purchasing power and reduced its PPP-equivalent GDP in the process. However, this opinion is echoed by only a small group of analysts, and an overwhelming majority continues to call for and anticipate a further appreciation of the Yuan. Bloomberg News reports:

Forward contracts show traders are betting on an 8.7 percent advance in the yuan to 6.7344 per dollar in the next 12 months. The median estimate of 28 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News is for a rate of 6.88 by the end of 2008.

Read More: Yuan Rises Most Since End of Peg as China Seeks to Curb Prices

Friday, December 28, 2007

Investment Banks Expand into Retail Forex

Forex is becoming hot! Average daily volume has surged past $3 Trillion, as the credit crunch has increased volatility and the Dollar has collapsed. In fact, Saxo Bank, one of the most prominent acts in retail forex trading, may record $500 million in revenue this year. As a result, several of the world's largest investment banks have announced plans to enter the burgeoning retail forex market. Citigroup is teaming up with a Danish bank to offer online currency trading. Deutsche Bank is stepping up marketing of its proprietary retail trading platform. Even Goldman Sachs is entering the fray, via a 10% investment stake in a British retail forex company. However, not everyone is optimistic, reports GulfNews:

Some think the reputational risks of enabling individual investors who may not be able to afford to lose substantial sums in what are notoriously volatile markets outweigh the possible revenue stream.

Read More: Global banks compete for growing forex business

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Yen Buoyed by Exporters

The Yen has received a nice boost from Japanese exporters, which moved en masse to exchange Dollars for Yen to meet certain year-end financial obligations. The logic is that exporters had owed money in arrears to domestic Japanese producers of the goods and services being exported and needed to be paid in Yen. Such logic could theoretically be applied to exporters in ever country, which would provide the same boost to their respective currencies. However, in addition to being the world's fourth-largest exporter, Japan's economy is unusually dependent on exports. Thus, it is understandable that Japanese exporters could exert such influence on forex markets when entering the market at the same time.

Read More: Yen Rises on Speculation Japanese Exporters Buying the Currency

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Interest Rate Story Hurts Pound

The British Pound has been reeling since the Bank of England cut rates at the beginning of this month, from 5.75% to 5.50%. Last week, the minutes for the meeting were released. They revealed that that members of the Bank were growing increasingly nervous about the state of the British economy and are worrying particularly about how fallout from the credit crunch will impact growth. British interest rates are still among the highest in the industrialized world, behind only Australia and New Zealand. Thus, it seems investors are punishing the Pound indirectly for the rate cuts, because of fears concerning the near-term prognosis for the British economy. At the same time, the minutes indicated that members of the Bank were adamant about not lowering rates further, so some of the concerns may be overblown.

Read More: Pound weakens after BoE minutes show concerns for growth

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

How to Scalp Effectively in Forex Market

Scalping for small profits is one of the most popular strategies in Forex trading. Scalpers rely on trading regularly and taking consistent small profits. They usually liquidate their trades on the same day. However, the problem with this strategy is that it has the tendency to turn you into a compulsive gambler (especially for beginners). Why did I say that? There are various reasons for leading a new scalper into a compulsive gambler. When a trader turns into a compulsive gambler, he/she will be doom for failure. In this article we will take a quick look at the 2 common reasons for that and discuss on tips to scalp efficiently;

1. Addiction to Random Profits

Most newbie thought that they can make some quick profits by taking small profits in the Forex arena everyday. They enjoy the random rewards from the market, which may turn into an addiction. It is just like teaching your dog to perform a task and randomly rewarding it every time a task is done. In this way, there is no way your dog can know when it will be rewarded. As a result, there is no reason for your dog to quit doing the task, even without being rewarded for doing it.

2. Trading for Revenge

There is a common saying among scalpers; "Trade for today, not yesterday". Many newbie try to recoup their money back after their losses a few hours ago. They cannot swallow a loss or losses and became mesmerized with their fond memories of their past winnings. They keep thinking on how to win back their money, which tends to cloud their judgment on the market. They begin to fantasize opportunities in the market to enter a trade. This will eventually lead to their emotional attempt at revenge that is doomed to failure.

Tips to Scalp Efficiently

1. Determine the direction of the day by first looking at the daily chart.

2. Using candlestick studies, trendline or pivot points to enter a trade in the hourly chart.

3. For the above it must be use together with support and resistance.

4. Trading on continuous trend has a higher probability of success.

5. For contrarian trading, always enter at a better filled price or average your lot size to enter the trade

6. Scrape your trade if you do not feel comfortable after the point of entry or it takes too long for the trade to go in your direction.

7. Stop trading for the day if you have 3 losses in a row

Sebastian Sim

I'm a 31 year old Singaporean. Who started my trading journey since 2004. Now, I focus mainly in Stock Options, Forex and Unit Trusts(Mutual Funds) Investments. I've started a site The Trading Zone - a site about trading pyschology, Forex trading, investments and other topics that interests me from time to time.

http://sebastian-sim.blogspot.com

Monday, December 24, 2007

Discover Forex Futures Trading

The FOREX, FX or foreign exchange market is the place where currencies from one country are traded for the currency of another country. Forex futures trading accounts for a very small percentage of the trillions of dollars that are traded in the forex market on a daily basis.

Forex trading strategy involves buying currency whose exchange rate will increase, while simultaneously trading out or selling a less valuable currency. Forex futures trading strategy is basically the same. The difference is that an investor may choose to contract to buy or sell a specific currency at a specific price on a future date.

If you are interested in forex trading, you are probably not actually interested in forex futures trading. Not many people do it and there is no fundamental difference between forex futures and the traditional futures market, but forex trading has quite a few advantages over the traditional futures market.

First and most important for many people is that forex trading platforms are available through websites 24 hours a day; there is no central exchange as there is in the futures market. Forex trading is commission free trading. There are no National Futures Association Fees.

Forex trading offers higher liquidity and price certainty since getting in and out of positions tends to happen with lightning speed. The price quoted for a futures contract, on the other hand, is not necessarily the price for which the contract will be filled.

By using forex trading online platforms, the investor can see real time prices and exchange rates. There also tends to be a controllable amount of risk with forex trading; the required margin amount can never exceed the dollar value of an account. Forex trading strategy is also quite different from futures market investing and desired results -- other than making money of course -- are different.

Before beginning to trade, education is important, devising a forex strategy and what you need from that strategy is important, and choosing a broker or website trading platform and deciding what you need from them is also important. As previously alluded to, there are no commissions charged by forex brokers. Forex brokers make their money on the “spread”. To the investor, this means that a lower spread saves money.

As a final note, education on forex trading and the futures market, as well as assistance in developing a strategy are available from many websites with a trading platform. We cover some of the best with our top recommendations. Our recommended newsletter is written by forex pros and includes mentoring and analysis of current factors influencing currencies.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Forex Training

Forex Training - Pretending to Do It, Or Doing It For Real?

Most people who have embarked on foreign exchange trading get hooked! Almost all agree that it's one of the most exciting, if not THE most exciting, forms of trading you can be involved in. Indeed it can give you a real buzz! So can motor-racing or ski-ing. But you wouldn't get in a racing car and start on a Formula One circuit without a few driving lessons first. And it's certainly an idea to get a few ski-ing lessons before embarking on the ski-slopes.

Like ski-ing or driving, foreign exchange trading can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. But in this case, the danger is to your finances.

So how do you obtain Forex training? The best idea is look for those Forex trading systems that provide one-to-one Forex training.

Some provide Forex training in the form of a demo account. The idea of a demo account is that you carry out all the trading moves, without using real money. So once you have your real account, you know how to do all these things - drawing trendlines, marking support and resistance levels, monitoring moving averages etc. Plus you can make your mistakes in placing orders to trade without losing money.

However, there is some doubt as to whether using a demo account is really the best way of learning foreign exchange trading. You really don't have the same attitude to your trades if you are just using play money. One of the most important lessons - if not THE most important - in foreign exchange trading is to be ruled by reason and discipline, not feelings, excitement or greed. When reason and discipline go out of the window, that is when you find yourself losing. This is a hard lesson you really have to learn, and without consequences you don't learn it.

A better way to obtain Forex training is to find one of the Forex trading systems that enable you to start trading with a small amount of money, and at the same time provide one-on-one training as you do it. This way you learn the basics of the foreign exchange market, the terminology of trading, and how to develop successful trading strategies. If you make a wrong decision - which everybody does - you will lose money and this will teach you not to make that particular move again! But the money you lose will just be a small amount.

Basically, you only learn to do something by actually doing it, not by reading about it or pretending to do it. The most effective type of Forex training is hands-on experience. And don't forget - you never stop learning. However experienced you are at foreign exchange trading, you can always learn something new - and make a profit at the same time!

To find one of the best Forex trading systems for hands-on training, come and visit http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/Forex/forexindex.html

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Forex Scalping Systems

Forex Scalping Systems - Why You Will Lose All Your Money Quickly

Wherever you look on the net you will say adverts for forex scalping and day trading systems which promise regular profits that can make you rich but there is a problem, none of them work. This is because forex scalping is based on logic that simply is not correct...

The problem of course is prices are determined by humans and I such short time spans as a day you have no way of knowing which way prices are going to go.

Millions of traders all using different methods and governed by the emotions of greed and fear cannot be predicted in such short time spans. This means that daily volatility is random, prices can and do go anywhere in a day and support and resistance is meaningless. You will always see track records that make huge profits presented but they are all done knowing the closing prices! Let's face it if a track record looks to good to be true it normally is and this applies to forex scalping and day trading systems.

You can simply look for a disclaimer and you will normally find this one or similar on any track record.

"cftc rule 4.41 - hypothetical or simulated performance results have certain limitations. unlike an actual performance record, simulated results do not represent actual trading. Also, since the trades have not been executed, the results may have under-or-over compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profit or losses similar to those shown".

Of course if we all knew today's prices in advance, we would all be rich but we don't.

Forex trading is harder - you have to trade going forward not backwards.

Vendors who sell these systems simply use hyped copy and a simulated track record to appeal to naïve or greedy traders - they know the system doesn't work, so they don't bother trading it - they simply make up a track record.

Despite the hype, forex scalping doesn't work and you need to trade the odds to win and that simply is not possible in short time frames.

There are two ways to make money in forex trading, you can either swing trade which takes advantage of trends that last for a few days to a few weeks, or long term trend follow which takes advantage of moves that last for weeks or months. If you want to enjoy currency trading success, you need to trade the odds - to do this you must have valid data and data within a day or less is not valid.

Forex trading is not easy and you wouldn't expect it to be with the rewards on offer but if you learn forex trading the right way and spend some time on your forex education, you can make big profits and for the effort you put in no other business offers you more in terms of rewards. So forget forex scalping systems and look to trade the odds, using valid data and this will lead you to currency trading success.

New! 2 X Free Trader Pdfs & Prfessional Forex Course

For a wealth of free forex education, currency trading course, free PDF's and more on Currency Trading Basics visit our website at: http://www.learncurrencytradingonline.com

Forex Trading - 3 Basics

Outlined are three important elements into the Forex Trading System:

First
You must have a good forex trading system. The forex system should be profitable in the long run and must be easy to implement. It is better if it is of a mechanical nature, allowing little or no discretion or judgment from the traders part. Especially if you are a starting trader, it is important that you follow mechanical hard-and-fast rules: if A=B than do C and D. The reason for this is simple. There are a lot of emotions that come into play when trading forex. If you have a set of rules to follow than you know exactly what to do and no matter what your feelings are telling you, you can ignore them and simply follow the precise rules dictated by your system. Remember, your emotions are your biggest enemy when trading. Accept it and approach it accordingly.

First
You must have a good set of money management rules. Throughout my trading career I have come to learn that success in trading is not only about having a good trading system (of course that is VERY important) but also about having a good set of money management rules and principles. Trading without following these precise money management rules is a sure way to fail.

For those of you that are new to the business of trading let me explain what I mean by money management. The term refers to the principles and discipline you use in order to control your risk exposure when entering a trade or set of trades. How much of your total capital you will risk on any individual trade, where will you place you stop loss, where will you place your profit objective, the ratio between your profit objective and your stop loss etc.

Another parameter in the money management area that is very important (but not used by most) is diversification. No, I don’t mean the common and simple diversification theory of trading two completely uncorrelated markets. That is good, yes. However, my approach goes one step further.

I will trade the same currency pair and will still be properly diversified. How? Simply by using different trading systems. By this I mean systems that exploit completely different aspects and opportunities in the market. For example, I might use a forex day trading system on GBP/USD and at the same time I will use a swing trading system on the same pair. As you can see, one has nothing to do with the other. They approach the market in very You must be able to control your emotions. This is a very important rule a trader must learn to master. While trading, you are constantly presented with feelings such as fear, greed, and excessive excitement (for example, as a result of a winning streak). The reason many traders experience these type of feelings is simple, they don’t have a good trading plan. They don’t have a good and clear set of rules to follow. They will trade based on emotions rather than on signals issued by a robust and profitable forex trading system. They will not respect stop losses, profit objectives or any other important parameter essential for profitable forex trading.

Different circumstances, their rules are different, their time frame is different, parameters are different etc.

First
I strongly believe in emotion-free trading. It is essential for success and that is how you will be the best of the best, by following a precise set of rules that are easy to implement and require absolutely no discretion.

So there you have it. I stress this again, the above is by no means all that you need to be a successful forex trader. However, it is the basis that you build success on. Trading is like a building. You build strong foundations as the basis of your structure.

Dan Katz the owner of Forex Trading Tutor, a Forex Trading Education website, developed to guide new forex traders get into the forex market and update professionals with new concepts.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Foreign Exchange Trading

Foreign Exchange Trading - Techniques and Indicators for Predicting Trends

So you have become involved in the exciting world of foreign exchange trading, or Forex trading. But perhaps at the moment it doesn't seem so exciting! Maybe you are finding it hard to cope with all the technical jargon and all the complicated stuff that it seems you have to learn.

Yes, it does all appear a bit daunting at first. But even if you aren't technical, it's well worth getting your head round it all, as foreign exchange trading can be so incredibly rewarding.

One of the things you need to learn in foreign exchange trading is how to predict market trends. That is, predicting the major components - the direction, the level and the timing -- of each trend. There are a number of techniques and indicators that can be used in doing this.

  • Moving averages Moving averages are used to emphasize the direction of a trend. A moving average indicates the average price at two given points in time, over a defined period of time intervals. So when the price falls below its moving average, it's a signal to sell, and when it rises above its moving average, it's a signal to buy. There are several kinds of moving average, including simple, weighted and exponential. The exponential moving average is the most often chosen as it takes into account both the most recent data, and the entire time period.
  • Moving average convergence/divergence (MACD) - a more detailed way of using exponential moving averages to detect price swings. This technique plots the difference between a 26-day and a 12-day exponential moving average. It takes a 9-day moving average as a trigger line, so that below this would be a "sell" signal and above this would be a "buy" signal. The MACD is often used in conjunction with other indicators such as the RSI.
  • Relative Strength Index (RSI). This compares recent gains with recent losses to detect whether the market is overbought or oversold. The higher the number - i.e. 70 or more on a scale of 1-100 - the more overbought the market is, and the lower the number - 30 or less on a scale of 1-100 - the more oversold it is. The RSI is what is called a "leading" indicator - that is, it enables you to see what the market is about to do, and act accordingly.
  • Bollinger Bands These are plots on a graph, plotted two standard deviations above and below a simple moving average. The principle is that the spacing between them varies according to the volatility of the market. So when the markets become more volatile, the distance between the bands widens, and when they become less volatile, the spacing narrows. The closer prices move to the upper band, the more overbought the market is - indicating "sell" - and the closer they move to the lower band, the more oversold the market is, indicating a "buy" signal.

These are by no means all the indicators used in foreign exchange trading, but they are the main ones. You will find that people with a consistent record of success in foreign exchange trading use three or four indicators. If all of these point in one direction, it is a clear signal to get in on a trade. If the signals aren't clear, or if you're in any doubt - don't take the risk!

To find out more about how you can become involved in the exciting world of Forex trading, come and visit http://www.bizwrite.co.uk/Forex/forexindex.html

Traders Are Flocking To The Forex

The forex, or Foreign Currency Exchange is vast and growing everyday. The forex market is larger than all other markets combined. Literally trillions of dollars are traded daily on the exchange.

The forex does not have an actual trading floor. It is made up of a network of banks, they use telecommunication systems, including the internet to conduct all transactions. Because of the accessibility of this market on the internet, it has exploded in recent years.

In the past the forex was only for banks to use to monitor the values of various currencies around the world. Back then only the richest people in the world were allowed on this playground, and they made fortunes. With the advent of the Internet, many of the financial markets were opening up more to the public.

Soon the banks that operate the forex saw that this could be a major benefit to them also. Thus the forex as we know it was born.

The forex is also a 24 hour per day market which makes it perfect for those who want ot trade part time. The sheer size of the forex is the attraction for many traders.

The forex is large enough to accommodate any size trade position with ease. Execution of trades are instantaneous and there is no slippage. Another big difference is there is no commissions on the trades.

All profit by the banking systems are generated by the spread. The spread is the difference in price between the seller and buyer.

These factors make the forex irresistible to traders. Because of the attraction of this market it is expected to continue to grow rapidly in the future.

There are several trading strategies that fit in well with the forex market. As I mentioned earlier this market is made for those who want to trade part time


Thursday, December 20, 2007

How To Learn Forex Trading Online

How To Learn Forex Trading Online - How To Learn The Basics Of Forex Trading & Make Faster Profits

You may be surprised to learn how easy it is to learn the basics of Forex trading online and how quickly you can make money with Forex, depending on your Forex trading style. This article will explain how incredibly easy it is to learn the basics of Forex trading and how to make fast Forex profits. Keep reading to get instant access to free Forex video tutorials to help you get started.

You may have heard of the Forex market and you may have heard about a lot of people who make money with the Forex trading system. Forex trading is also commonly called currency trading. Many people are looking for ways to make extra income in their spare time and how they can learn Forex trading online. In order to learn Forex trading online you need to first learn the basics and how to successfully trade the Forex market.

If you are looking to invest your hard earned money into the Forex currency market then it is vital that you learn Forex trading online from experts in the field. Thankfully the internet makes it easy for people to find Forex tips at their fingertips with some very powerful Forex trading courses.

When you are looking at ways to learn Forex trading online there are some excellent Forex tutorials online that will explain many things to a beginner Forex trader like how the Forex foreign exchange market works, what Forex technical indicators are, what economic indicators you need to be aware of as a Forex trader, and the huge variety of Forex trading systems and options that are available to every Forex trader.

If you are just beginning your Forex education then it is vital that you DON'T dabble in any Forex trading until you have learn Forex trading online. Many online Forex trading courses understand the big step you are taking into the Forex market and have made this incredibly easy for you by offering free training, demonstrations, Forex tutorials and simulated Forex trading accounts.

The most significant feature when it comes to forex trading is to learn forex trading online so that you comprehend how to trade quickly and successfully. The more you are able to learn in your forex trading training the more understanding of the basics you will have and the more success will follow as a result of your comprehensive understanding of Forex fundamentals.

Locating a Forex tutorial or finding the best Forex trading course online in order to learn Forex at home is incredibly simple. Check out the website below to fast track your Forex education and learn the best Forex business system online with free Forex video tutorials.

Copyright 2007. Are you ready to learn Forex business online with guaranteed winning results? “Fast Education For Fast Forex Profits” is what this online Forex business tutorial is all about. Learn how to start making money trading the Forex market in your first 30 days. Study, practice, trade. Get a FREE trial to practice Forex trading before you risk your own money. Start your beginner Forex education tutorials today in Forex trading at http://www.Best-Forex-Trading-System-Course.com

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate

Forecasting what the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate would be is not as simple it may look. There are a lot of variables to look out for, the economy, government, news and environmental factors contribute to what the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate would be for the day. It is govern by supply and demand. When one is in this field of buying or selling dollars, be an importer, exporter, traveller or a currency changer, they will do have a hunch on what the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate be.

The trend most of the time for the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate to go down is during June and December. Most Oversea Workers send a lot of remittances to the Philippines during June for enrollment and specially on December, Christmas holidays. A slight increase in the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate on the months of January and September where importers pays out goods purchased.

Decades ago, the Banko Central ng Pilipinas controlled the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate to a fix twenty six pesos P26 to a dollar. Today, the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate is governed by the supply and Demand of it. Since 2004, Peso has been gaining and appreciating from the dollar. From a high of Fifty six pesos P56 on the year 2004, it has come around to Forty four P44 now, October 2007. The Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate has not really been going down each day, there are also times when bad government news affected a slight increase on the Philippine Peso. But because of good economic performance Peso has been gaining stronger.

The Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate has also been strengthening because of the poor economic update on the United States. United States has been in economic crisis which has also have a strong effect on the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate.

Economist has predicted for Peso to strengthen up to Forty Pesos P40 this coming Christmas holiday where Remittances would be fast coming in the Philippines. Oversea Workers mostly send remittance during this season. But the Oversea Workers and Exporters has been complaining of the sudden downfall of the Philippine Peso Dollar Exchange Rate. Oversea workers should be remitting more to cope up with the exchange rate, thus working more hours or having lesser savings. Exporters have also been complaining on the low exchange rate, their dollar earned when converted is much lesser now a days. There are a lot of exporters who have closed down due to their crisis right now. On the contrary, there are a lot of happy importers, and dollar spenders. They can buy goods much cheaper with the Philippine Peso Exchange Rate going down.

It may not be easy on how to predict what Philippine Peso Exchange Rate would be, but hope it has given you a few insights and tips on it.


Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Who Cares If The Dollar Is Strong Or Weak?

My wife and I recently spent 10 days in Rome and Venice on our honeymoon and I came to a realization about a mistake I had made when planning our trip. I had forgotten to keep a watch on the foreign exchange rates between the US dollar and the Euro.

By the time I realized my mistake it was already too late. My wife and I were positively going to go over our spending budget of $1000 dollars for the trip.

The few days before the trip, I started watching the Dollar/Euro conversions trying to figure out how much our spending budget would actually be. I figured that our overall budget would be about €670. At the time of this article, it cost $1.48 to buy 1 Euro.

Well, now we have less money than we thought and on top of it all, Italy isn't the cheapest place to take a vacation. For example, a hamburger at Hard Rock in Rome is €15,00, which is about $22.50. Ouch!

This is just one example of how a weak dollar impacts discretionary spending when traveling outside of the country. While going from sight to sight in Rome, I realized how little I actually understood about how a weak dollar affects us on a daily basis.

» Discretionary spending when exchanging currencies

A weak dollar reduces spending power in currencies outside of the US. This means that it is more expensive to buy outside products.

» Importing goods from overseas

Importing goods from overseas that have little domestic competition here will cost more. This is typically items such as electronics, clothing and oil.

The weak dollar also curtails foreign investments coming into the US. This causes yields on government bonds to go up to attract investors. This makes money more expensive for companies to borrower which impacts lending for items such as small business loans and mortgages.

» How it helps

A weak dollar is not all doom and gloom. Onshore manufacturers such as automotive and health and beauty products become more competitive in overseas markets. For example, stores overseas can now buy US made goods for less money and sell products at a more competitive rate.

A weak dollar also tends to benefit commodity producers such as steel rather than producers of finished goods such as automobiles.

A weak dollar also tends to benefit the tourism industry. Foreign vacationers are more likely to vacation in the U.S. since their currency can buy more here. Also, U.S. vacationers who are more likely to stay in the U.S. since a weak dollar may cause overseas travel to become too costly.


Trading With a Low 2 Pip Spread Forex Broker

Spread is one of the most important concepts in forex trading. It is the difference between the bid and asking price. While trading forex, you will note that there will be a difference between the current value of the currency and what you pay for it.

That is where the forex brokers make their profit. Let us assume that the current EUR/USD price is 1.27237 and your forex broker offering you a 2 pip (percentage in point) spread, then you will pay 1.2739 when you buy. The higher the spread, the higher you pay while buying and the lower you get on selling.

Generally, the spread is lower in popular currencies like EUR/USD, USD/JPY, EUR/JPY etc. You will find many brokers who would offer a 2 pip spread for these currencies. But there are few equally important factors like speed of execution of orders and the value the order which can really help you in enjoying the advantages of low pips.

Going from a 3-pip spread to a 2-pip spread may sound small, and going from a 2-pip spread to a 1.8-pip spread may seem even less significant. But for both the cases the impact on profitability can be huge. Therefore a forex 2 pip spread sounds perfect in a fast moving financial market like forex.

An online spread calculator may prove to be useful in quantifying and comparing the impact of different spreads. You will have to key in few parameters like trading activity (deals per day, per week, per month, per year), average deal leverage, account equity, current spread in pips, and the calculator will find out the actual spread you are receiving.

If a broker is offering a spread as low as 1 pip, be cautious. As most of the brokers do not charge a commission, it the spread they use to make their money. In a 1 pip spread, there is very little scope for him to make profit.

It may so happen that they are quoting you a price, which is inaccurate. For example, the price is at 1.2000/1.2003. But the broker is quoting you 1.2002/1.2003. So, you go long at 1.2003. On the other hand, if the price goes up to 1.2007/1.2010 and you are quoted 1.2009/1.2010, you may decide to exit. But you get filled at 1.2007, the real price, instead of 1.2009.

So what is more important to you is not a forex 2 pip spread but an honest small spread broker who will pay you the spread he quotes. Make sure there is no slippage or requites. The broker must be regulated and must have proof of past success rates.

For the lowest possible spread Forex trading visit Forex 2 Pip Spreads

Forex Trading Plan

The Ideal Forex Trading Plan

When entering the foreign currency exchange market known as Forex, an investor should have a plan. Forex is the oldest, safest and most lucrative investment market in the world.

The Forex Investor is in control of his portfolio at all times. There are few fees in Forex Trading and there is no threat of insider trading.

In order to be successful in Forex Trading, an investor will begin by educating himself on the many variables that are inherent to Forex. He should enroll in a reputable course in Forex online and familiarize himself with the currency market by setting up a demo account on one of the many online sites. A demo account does not require any capital, but it does train an investor in how to approach Forex trading.

A Forex investor must learn to maximize his profits and minimize his losses. He can do that by learning to analyze corporate and governmental press releases and economic forecasts. An investor must seek out and incorporate sound investment strategies and learn how to read charts and graphs pertaining to the currency trade.

Forex trading has the highest volatility in the investment market, and it is tempting to just jump into the trading and make decisions based on the spikes and dips in currency values, but a successful Forex trader knows that he must never buy or sell using his emotions as leverage. He never trades out of fear or greed.

To be successful in Forex, a trader should stick to a strategic plan that adheres to what was successful in past trading and what makes sense according to reputable strategists.

Milos Pesic is an expert in the field of Forex Trading and runs a highly popular and comprehensive Forex Trading web site. For more articles and resources on Forex related topics, online forex trading, trading tips, forex software and much more visit his site at:

=>http://forex.need-to-know.net/

Currency Trading Seminars

A seminar is a workshop conducted with an intention of teaching the audience about a subject. Currency trading seminars are basically helps advise the traders or potential traders about the subject. Seminars could address any issue that affects the market.

The forex market is an attractive short-term trading option and, because of its low transaction costs and unmatched liquidity, more and more professional traders are turning to it. However, to understand the nitty-gritty of currency trading, one must attend currency trading seminars conducted by renowned companies like Refco Canada.

Currency trading USA conducts seminars and online courses for people who are either currency traders or keen on starting. The training sessions are tailored to meet the requirements of the customers, which would help them in understanding the nuances of the trade. For newcomers, they have courses designed that can take them step-by-step through the basics of currency trading, while people with experience are given training on trading strategies with live examples. Most of these courses focus on issues like what influences currency exchange rates, which currencies to trade for profit, essential trading rules, order executions, stop placements and much more.

Swiss Net Broker offers one-on-one technical analysis courses for people interested in methods of doing on currency trading. The courses are provided in the seminars organized in Geneva, Switzerland.

Currency trading is one of the quickest practices for earning money by investing small amounts, and these seminars aid in understanding the fluctuation of money in a better manner as well as providing the knowledge to reduce the risk associated with the trade.

Online Currency Trading provides detailed information on Online Currency Trading, Foreign Currency Trading, Currency Day Trading, Currency Trading Seminars and more. Online Currency Trading is affiliated with Online Currency Trading.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Currency Trading Course

Finding The Right Currency Trading Course

To many courses now days spend to much time on the history of Forex foreign exchanges and less time on the practical side to investing. A good currency trading course should dwell on the practical theories and analyses that can help you actually perfect a strategy to make it in the field of foreign currency exchange.

A currency trading course should be Open to ideas and recognize, and teach, the fact that there is no one solution to every problem. It must teach you to think on your own and develop your own theories and ideas regarding how to achieve success in the foreign currency market.

Practicality drives most people to invest in the foreign market exchange, so practicality should definitely be included as a necessary quality of a currency trading course.

A good currency trading course would expose you to a hands on approach to the reality of the environment, or at least something similar to it. It may be fun discussing ideas, but you cannot truly learn until you get right in it's face.

Another thing to look for in a currency trading course is the confidence it implants the people in it with. One thing you need in currency trading is confidence, and it is imperative that a good currency trading course give you a confident attitude to follow through with decisions you make. You need that confidence in order to risk your money if you want to make it in FX Currency Exchange.

A currency trading course can help prepare you for the exciting world of currency trading. Every decision is unique and depends on you to follow your instinct, coupled with your knowledge in order to truly succeed in Forex currency trading.

Chet Holcomb is a sucessfull currency exchange trader at FX Currency Exchange providing expert advice and information about entering this lucrative business for financial success.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

The Benefits of Trading The Forex Market

Historically, the FX market was available most to major banks, multinational corporations and other participants who traded in large transaction sizes and volumes. Small-scale traders including individuals like you and I, had little access to this market for such a long time. Now with the advent of the Internet and technology, FX trading is becoming an increasingly popular investment alternative for the general public.

The benefits of trading the currency market:

It is open 24-hours and it closes only on the weekends;

It is very liquid and efficient;

It is very volatile;

It has very low transaction costs;

You can use a high level of leverage (borrowed money) with ease; and

You can profit from a bull or a bear market.

Continuous, 24-Hour Trading

The currency exchange is a 24-hour market. You may decide to trade after you come home from work. Regardless of what time-frame you want to trade at whatever time of the day, there would be enough buyers and sellers to take the other side of your trade. This feature of the market gives you enough flexibility to manage your trading around your daily routine.

Liquidity And Efficiency

When there are a lot of buyers and a lot of sellers, you can expect to buy or sell at a price that is very close to the last market price. The currency market is the most liquid market in the world. Trading volume in the currency markets can be between 50 and 100 times larger than the New York Stock Exchange (Source: Oanda.)

When you are trading stocks, you may have experienced events where one piece of news accelerates or decelerates the price of the underlying stock you may have bought into. Perhaps a director has been kicked out by the shareholders of a company or the company has just released a new product and big investors are buying the shares of a particular company. Share prices can be drastically affected by the actions or inactions of one or a few individuals. So if you are relying on television reports and newspapers to get your news, most of the opportunities or warnings will have come too late for you to take advantage by the time you get them.

The value of currencies on the other hand is affected by so many factors and so many participants that the likelihood of any one individual or group of individuals drastically affecting the value of a currency is minute. Because of its sheer size, the currency market is hard to manipulate. The ability for people to engage in 'insider trading' is virtually eliminated. As an average trader, you are less disadvantaged. You are likely to be playing on relatively equal ground along with all the other traders and investors whom you are competing against.

Note about price gaps:

For those people who have already traded other markets, you probably know about price 'gaps'. 'Gaps' occur when prices 'jump' from one price level to another without having taken any incremental steps to get there. For example, you may be trading a share that closes at $10 at the end of today but due to some event that happens overnight; it opens tomorrow at $5 and continues to go downwards for the rest of the day.

Gaps bring about another degree of uncertainty that may meddle with a trader's strategy. Probably one of the most worrying aspects of this is when a trader uses stop-losses. In this case, if a trader puts a stop-loss at $7 because he no longer wants to be in a trade if the share price hits $7, his trade will remain open overnight and the trader wakes up tomorrow with a loss bigger than he may have been prepared for.

After looking at a couple of forex charts, you will realize that there are little price 'gaps' or none at all, especially on the longer-term charts like the 3-hour, 4-hour or the daily charts.

Volatility

Trading opportunities exist when prices fluctuate. If you buy a share for $2 and it stays there, there is no opportunity to make a profit. The magnitude of level of this fluctuation and its frequency is referred to as volatility. As a trader, it is volatility that you profit from. Large volume transactions and high liquidity combined with fewer trading instruments generate greater intra-day volatility in the currency market that can be exploited by day-traders. The high volatility of the currency market indicates that a trader can potentially earn 5 times more money from currency trading than trading the most liquid shares.

Volatility is a measure of maximum return that a trader can generate with perfect foresight. Volatility for the most liquid stocks are between 60 to 100. Volatility for currency trading is 500. (Source: Oanda.)

In this respect, currencies make a better trading vehicle for day-traders than the equity markets.

Low Transaction Costs

A currency transaction typically incurs no commission or transaction fees. For a forex trader, the spread is the only cost he or she needs to cover in taking on a position. In addition, because of the currency market's efficiency, there is little or no 'slippage' costs.

'Slippage' is the cost involved when traders enter the market at a price worse than the level they wanted to get into. For example, a trader wants to buy a share at $2.00 but by the time, the order gets executed, his gets to buy the shares at $2.50. That fifty cents difference is his slippage cost. Slippage cost affects large-volume traders a lot. When they buy large quantities of a commodity, it oversupplies the market with buy orders. This applies a pressure for the price to go up. By the time they get to buy all the quantities they wanted, the average price they got their commodities would be higher than the price they intended to get them for. Conversely, when they sell large quantities of a commodity, they oversupply the market with sell orders. This applies a pressure for the price to go down. By the time they finish selling all their commodities, their average selling price is less than what they initially intended to sell them for.

Due to lower transaction costs, minimum slippage and strong intra-day volatility, individuals can trade frequently at small costs. As an approximate, you may only expect to have a spread of 0.03% of your position size. To give you an example, you can buy and sell 10,000 US Dollars and this will only incur a 3-point spread, equivalent to $3.

Leverage

There are not a lot of banks or people who would lend you money so that you can use it to trade shares. And if there are, it would be very hard for you to convince them to invest in you and in your idea that a certain share is going to go up or down. Therefore, most of the time, if you have a $10,000 account, you can only really afford to buy $10,000 worth of stocks.

In currency trading however, because you use 'borrowed money', you can trade $10,000 of a currency and you only need anywhere between fifty (For a margin lending ratio of 200:1) to two hundred dollars ( For a margin lending ratio of 50:1) in your trading account. This makes it possible for an average trader with a small trading account, under $10,000 to be able to profit sufficiently from the movements of the currency exchange rates. This concept is explained further in The Part-Time Currency Trader.

Profit From A Bull And Bear Market

When you are trading shares, you can only profit when the price of a stock goes up. When you suspect that it is about to go down or that it is just going to be moving sideways, then the only thing you can do is sell your shares and stand aside. One of the frustrations of trading shares is that an individual cannot profit when prices are going down. In the currency market, it is easy for you to trade a currency downward so that you can profit when you think it is going to lose value. This is easy to do because currency trading simply involves buying one currency and selling another, there is no structural bias that makes it difficult to trade 'downwards'. This is why the currency market has been occasionally referred to as the eternal bull market.

This is an excerpt, modified from the book: The Part-Time Currency Trader.

by Marquez Comelab

http://www.marquezcomelab.com

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Investing in Forex

Investing in foreign currencies is a relatively new avenue of investing. There are considerably fewer people are aware of this market than there are people aware of several other avenues of investing. Trading foreign currency, also known as forex, is the most lucrative investment market that exists. There are several factors that make this true among which, successful forex traders earn realistic profits of one hundred plus percent each month. Compared to some of the better known investment markets such as corporate stocks, this is an unheard of return on investment. It's very necessary to mention here that a person who invests in forex must, without exception, make it a point to learn the detailed, but simple strategies and information surrounding the market. This very fact is what makes the difference between successful forex traders and other traders.

A few additional points, which create such powerful leverage for investors within the forex market are: The amount of capital required to begin investing in the market is only three hundred dollars. For the most part, any other investment market is going to demand thousands of dollars of the investor in the beginning. Also, the market offers opportunities to profit regardless what the direction of the market may be; In most commonly known markets investors sit and wait for the market to begin an up trend before entering a trade. Even then, investors, as a rule must sit and wait some more to be able to exit the trade with a nice profit. Given that the forex market produces several up, down, and sideways trends in a single day, it can easily be seen that forex stands head and shoulders above other markets. Additionally there are trading strategies, which are taught that provide for compounded profits; these are profits on top of profits. In addition, free demo accounts are available within the industry of forex trading, which facilitate the sharpening of skills without the risk losing any capital. And the advantage regarding the time factor in trading foreign currency is a very attractive point for any investor. Compared to one of the most sought after avenues of investing, which often requires forty or more hours each week, namely in the real-estate market, the forex market requires a much smaller demand on the investor's time. Forex trading requires approximately ten to fifteen hours each week to earn a full time income. It's easy to see that the advantages and great leverage that exist in the forex market, make it among the most lucrative, time liberating, and easy to enter by far.

I hope this information gives you a clear understanding of how you can turn your investing into a true method of making your money work harder for you.

by Joe Clinton

www.joeforex.com

Friday, December 14, 2007

Best Forex Trading Course

What is the Best Forex Trading Course Out There?

Every successful broker will tell you that knowledge is his or her key to profitable trading. A trader with Forex education has better experience in determining market movements and choosing profitable transactions. Without proper knowledge, you are risking everything you have in the dark. Although you may succeed in a few trades, the odds are that you are going to lose in the end. How do you avoid such losses?

The key is finding the best Forex trading course that will enable you to trade knowledgably and avoid disastrous losses. Although tons of information is available online, on books and with plenty of schools, this is not something you should thank for because separating the best Forex trading course from the rest can be an overwhelming task. Imagine searching through hundreds of web sites and buying several books just to find out you lack the knowledge to step into the market.

Obviously, the best Forex trading course should teach you everything you need to know about the market with easy-to-understand terms and advices. If you're the type of person who learns easily even with self-learning, you can choose from e-books, guides and books to lead you through all the aspects. However, for people who are not used to self-learning, on-location courses and comprehensive online guides are the best Forex trading course for you.

For people who have extra time, they could surf the web and find plenty of Forex facts. However, the problem with online sources is that the information is usually unstructured. In choosing the best trading course online, ensure that the web site presents a step-by-step guide, so you can actually walk through beginners, immediate and expert phases, learn from your mistakes and master trading techniques.

When you choose to go for study courses, expect a structured and logical syllabus. With this type of courses, you can save time and effort that you would have wasted when researching information on your own. Remember that the best Forex trading course should be available for your knowledge level, so a beginner should never be introduced to advanced trading lessons.

Although you can grab a copy of an online Forex course without charge, it will only give you basic information to get you started in the market, but lacks in-depth training that you need to analyze charts and create solid trading strategies. The cost of lessons vary greatly from free to thousands of dollars.

You can choose to attend seminars, study at your own pace, attend classes with a group of fellow beginners or sign up for a comprehensive online course, but you can never beat the benefits of having your own mentor. The best Forex trading course involves a trainer that has a reputable experience in Forex trading, who is willing to offer strategies and insights he has learned throughout all his years of conducting trades. Unfortunately, experts usually charge a lot of money.

Regardless of your learning style, choosing the best Forex trading course depends largely on how much money you are willing to invest for your education, how much time and effort you are willing to give into the industry.

The Forex World waited with anticipation as the author slowly released and revealed The World's Most Powerful Forex Trading Course ever to be seen by a trader. This ground breaking and highly profitable course (Forex Commander) is now available at the Forex Commander website. Thousands of traders waited for this development. There are limited copies of this course remaining at http://www.ForexCommander.com

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Five Forex Trading Tips You MUST Know

Jumping into Forex trading with both feet? Here are five must-know tips on forex trading and mini forex to help you stay afloat in the Foreign Exchange currency market.

Know your forex trading market.
Educate yourself about the currencies that you trade. The more you know about the country whose currency you’re trading in the forex market, the more accurately you’ll be able to predict which way the money will move.

Pick a forex trading system – and stick with it.
Savvy forex traders will tell you that system is everything. Forex trading by system lets you automate your trades based on history, following the traditional peaks and valleys. Set up a system and live with it to make the most of your forex trading.

Practice makes perfect – but it’s not the real world.
Practice forex trading accounts are great for learning how a particular trading account works – but they’re not the real world. Many experienced traders recommend starting off with a mini forex account to minimize your losses while you get acclimated.

Keep your eye on the margin.
Margin trading is a great way to lose a lot of money quickly. Stay away from forex margin trading until you’re sure you know what you’re doing.

The only win that counts in forex trading is the bottom line. In forex trading, the bottom line is how much money you made at the end of the day. Don’t count won or lost trades – only dollars and cents.

Tony owns the http://www.live-forex-easy.com website. Please visit the site for more information about Swiss Forex Broker Marketiva.
Swiss Forex Broker Marketiva

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

FOREX-Dollar falls vs euro after Fed cut disappoints

LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The dollar fell versus the euro on Wednesday after the previous day's quarter-point rate cut from the Federal Reserve disappointed investors hoping for more aggressive action to help the economy and credit markets.

The Fed trimmed both the benchmark fed funds rate and the discount rate for lending to banks by a quarter point, to 4.25 and 4.75 percent respectively. Some had expected a bigger discount rate slash to help strained money markets at year-end.

"The Fed delivered the bare minimum of what was possible and they didn't reduce the penalty on the discount rate," said Teis Knuthsen, head of FX research at Danske Markets in Copenhagen.

"The Fed's actions are consistent with a central bank that was late to the easing cycle and is behind the curve and we see pressure on the dollar in coming weeks."

However, the U.S. currency rallied versus the yen, while high yielders surged after a Fed source said the central bank was actively considering all of the tools it has available to address liquidity measures.

Some media reports said action from the Fed on liquidity could come within days, even as soon as Wednesday.

The year-end period traditionally sees thinner liquidity, but the situation is exacerbated this year by troubles in the U.S. subprime mortgage market and the subsequent credit crunch, which have left banks unwilling to lend to each other. Continued...

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Dollar Holds Steady as World Awaits US Data Reports

Credit problems in the US have been the source of much turmoil throughout the global markets in the past few months. Tuesday was good for the US dollar, which held strong against both the yen and the euro. However, forthcoming economic reports from the US may or may not tip the scales. According to Reuters:

"The panic is almost over, but the market has lost its direction and is waiting for more news, especially any good news," said Kikuko Takeda, a currency strategist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.


Read more: Dollar drifts as U.S. data awaited for direction\

Online Forex Trading

Online Forex Trading is Quickly Becoming a Booming Business

Online Forex trading is more popular now that most everyone has access to a computer and internet. Unlike the stock exchange, the Forex does not have a particular place for trading to take place. While trading takes place all over the world, online Forex trading makes this process more convenient than ever.

Transactions in the Forex are traded very rapidly. The Forex is open around the clock on every business day of the year. Trading begins every morning in Sydney, Australia and as the business day in each country begins, the Forex online trading opens around the world. Online Forex trading allows banks, financial institutions, brokers and speculators to trade their currency rapidly and with ease. Online Forex trading is also a popular way to change foreign currency because it happens in real time with no delay.

Because online Forex trading makes exchanging foreign currency so easy and accessible to millions of people, many are trying to learn the ins and outs of the Forex. Brokers and financial institutions can offer advice on investing in the Forex. Brokers will also do the actual trading for the consumer. However, many are willing to learn to trade on the Forex on their own. When learning about online Forex trading it is imperative to understand everything there is to know about the Forex. Many online websites can offer potential traders tutorials and demos on how to get started in online Forex trading. Practicing on the demos helps speculators learn the basics of online Forex trading.

Also, another tip to learning online Forex trading is to study the news, including international news and news relating to politics, economics and finances. Inflation, changes in government and taxes just to name a few all affect the Forex on a daily basis. It is crucial to understand how these changes affect trading and the value of currency.

Forex-Resource-Pro.com - The Internet's Ulitmate Forex Resource!


Monday, December 10, 2007

Where to Get Forex Training

For those of you who are interested in forex trading, you may want to start off by getting some good forex training. Forex training is a necessity for anyone with this interest. This is because a lot of money is involved in forex trading. If you don't get some forex training, you are bound to lose a lot of money.

Some of you may not even know what forex trading is. If you don't know this, you defiantly need some forex training. Forex stands for foreign exchange. Forex trading is basically the exchange of one countries currency for another countries currency. This is done simultaneously in hopes of gaining a profit.

You can get forex training from several different places. The first place you should get forex training from is online. There are many websites that offer free forex training. The forex training these websites offer is both reliable and accurate. The forex training on these websites often offers a free demo account to teach you how to trade without actually using any real money.

A second place to get Forex training is at your local college campus. Forex training courses at college are usually inexpensive and very thorough. The forex training courses offered should also include hands on experience with trading, to help you get the edge. You can also get some books on forex training or research forex training at your local library. The best place to get forex training is from someone who is already involved in forex trading. The forex training these individuals provide will be more realistic for you and give you different aspects of the forex trading game.

The forex training you get should first start with learning how the foreign trade market works. The trade market is always changing, so you need to understand it first. The second part of your forex training should be about risk control. You never want to invest more than you can afford. The right forex training should teach you how to cut your losses and have less risks of failure. Next, your forex training should teach you how to open and manage a forex trading account. But this should be done with a demo account. All forex training should be done this way first, before you try the real thing.

With all of this in mind, you should be able to find some good forex training. Learn the ropes of forex trading and take the time to learn it well. Be sure to try a demo forex trading account before you start a real account. With the right forex training, you will soon be on your way to a profitable way to supplement your income.

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.forex-center.info-center.info a blog focusing on the forex training,resources and articles. This site provides detailed information on forex training. For more info visit his site at:forex training
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jay_Moncliff

Forex Currency Trading

It is possible to buy and sell money from different countries on the foreign exchange market called Forex. Forex currency traders can profit by taking advantage of the dips and swells in the foreign currency market. Capturing these differentials is easier in Forex currency trading than in other trading because the Forex market is open twenty-four hours a day, except for weekends, and it is global, so there are always buyers and sellers available. The traders can be diverse. They can be traders looking for short-term gains, such as day traders or slightly longer investment periods, or they can be foreign investors who are looking to hedge their investments with long term Forex trades.

Forex currency trading is done in amounts of currency called lots, that are usually $100,000 each, and can be purchased on margin. Forex currency trading strategies can be based on technical analysis of the history of the currency price or it can be based on analysis of a particular country’s political climate, tax policy, jobless rate, inflation rate, and other factors of the country. There are many different systems of Forex currency trading.

Forex currency trading is a huge market. Daily trading is estimated at between $1 trillion and $1.9 trillion dollars. Because the amount of money is so huge, it’s hard to imagine that the market can be manipulated the way a smaller market can be. Forex currency trading is also not overseen by one central agency like the Security Exchange Commission, and each country oversees the Forex currency trading activity within it’s own country.

Kevin Anderson is the owner and opperator of http://www.forextradingcenter.info a site developed to give users the most updated information, articles, and news related to the Forex Market.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Forex Broker

A broker is any person or firm that charges a fee in exchange for executing trades for a trader. A Forex broker does not charge a commission for placing a buy or a sell order the way a real estate broker would charge a percentage fee of the total price of a sale. A Forex broker is paid according to the spread – or the difference between the trader’s bid for a currency, and the seller’s asking price for that currency. Usually this spread is less than 0.1% or ten pips. (Pips are the smallest movement a currency can make on the Forex. Pips are commonly called referred to as points.) The lower the spread, the less a trader pays a Forex broker for a trade.

The Forex market is global and does not have one central regulatory agency like the Security Exchange Commission. Each country is responsible for the actions of trades in it’s own country. A Forex broker in America must register with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). While traders are not regulated, Forex brokers are. A Forex broker must be registered as a Futures Commercial Merchant (FCM) before that Forex broker is allowed to accept a deposit for an account from a trader. Once registered, a Forex broker is given an identification number so that a trader can check the status of a Forex broker before hiring that Forex broker. There are such people known as introducing brokers who may solicit traders for a registered Forex broker, but the introducing broker cannot accept a deposit for a trader’s account. It is a good idea for any trader hiring a Forex broker to check the status of the Forex broker with the authorities.

Kevin Anderson is the owner and opperator of http://www.forextradingcenter.info a site developed to give users the most updated information, articles, and news related to the Forex Market.

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Canada Dismisses Currency

Unnerved by the tremendous appreciation in its nation’s currency, Canada’s Parliament is officially mulling the possibility of pegging the Loonie to the USD. It’s unclear at what value the two currencies would be linked, perhaps at parity. However, in testifying before Parliament, the future leader of the Bank of Canada argued staunchly against such an exchange rate regime. Such a relationship, he warned, would cripple Canada’s ability to conduct monetary policy, independent of the US. So long as the Loonie remained fixed to the Dollar, Canada would be forced into mirroring US interest rate movements. Because of several fundamental differences in their respective economies, it seems unlikely that this policy will be implemented

Forex reserves

Forex reserves rise to $273
MUMBAI: The frenetic build-up of forex reserves has lost pace with reserves growing by only $1.2 billion during the week ended November 30 to $273.5 billion. Of the $1.2-billion increase in reserves, $546 million came from an increase in the value of gold. The increase in foreign currency assets was just only $694 million.

The rush of foreign capital into the country has resulted in forex reserves swelling by an average of $2.3 billion a week since April. According to the figures released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its weekly statistical supplement (WSS), foreign exchange reserves, including gold and SDR, grew $1.2 billion during the week.

It is after three months that foreign currency assets have slowed to less than a $1 billion in a single week. For one, after the Sebi tightened the norms for foreign investments through participatory notes (P-notes) in October-end, FIIs have gone slow in their investments. Also, inflows through the external commercial borrowings route has slowed down after the government imposed end-use restrictions on such borrowings.

FIIs were net sellers to the extent of over Rs 5,000 crore in November 2007. During 2007, FIIs were net sellers for only two months — August and November. Many reasons have been attributed for their net sales; the tightening of markets following the subprime crisis and also profit-booking by funds before they close their books for the year.
The slowdown is a relief for the RBI which was grappling with strong forex inflow, which has had an impact on domestic liquidity conditions as the inflow needs to be mopped up and an equal amount of rupee funds need to be released.

The RBI has the challenge of maintaining the desired level of liquidity in the market, which it has been through sale of bonds. But this too entails a cost as these bonds need to be serviced at fairly high rates.

As per the updated money supply figures, total stock of money in the system amounted to Rs 20,801 crore as on November 23. This represents a rise of Rs 4,595 crore over the previous fortnight’s levels. Both demand and term deposits rose Rs 4,427 crore and Rs 4,128 crore, respectively, during the fortnight, while the currency with the public dipped Rs 3,525 crore.

Even though absolute pile-up in the stock of money reflects a slowdown in the growth of money supply, an annual year-on-year growth in money supply works out to 22.8%, way above central bank’s comfort level of 17.5% for the year.

In other developments, the central government has refrained from resorting to ways and means advances (WMA) — a temporary loan from the central bank to meet its revenue mismatches — for yet another week. On the other hand, WMA to state governments rose Rs 41 crore to Rs 147 crore. The central government revenue surplus with RBI dipped Rs 815 crore during the week to Rs 16,768 crore.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

CMS Forex News

Recap: Pound Loses After Negative Housing Prices in Nov. Investors Upbeat as US Posts Positive Data.

A fall in housing prices, along with weaker consumer confidence and slower services growth prompted heavy selling of the Pound. US labor and productivity data boosted the Dollar, and prompted a return to carry trade.

Forex Up to Date News

FOREX-Euro up on hawkish Trichet; yen trips as stocks rise

By Lucia Mutikani

NEW YORK, Dec 6 (Reuters) - The euro rose against the dollar and yen on Thursday as European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet's hawkish comments on inflation raised the specter of an interest rate hike in the euro zone.

The single currency also got a boost from an improvement in risk appetite, with U.S. stocks ending higher after U.S. President George W. Bush announced plans aimed at slowing the tide of homeowner foreclosures and shield the economy from the subprime mortgage crisis.

An estimated 1.2 million homeowners could benefit from the assistance plan to avoid foreclosure over the next couple of years, according to Bush.

"We had more hawkish comments than expected from the ECB president. That really kicked it off. He (Trichet) down played the risks to growth and focused on inflation. That's what caught a lot of people off guard," said Brian Dolan, chief currency strategist at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey.

The ECB left its benchmark interest rate steady at 4 percent, but Trichet warned of "strong upward pressure" on inflation, adding that some central bank governors had favored a rate increase.

In late afternoon New York trade, the euro was trading up 0.2 percent at $1.4630 , after touching a session high of $1.4652. The euro also rose against the yen, climbing 0.5 percent to 162.75 EURJPY.

Against the yen, the dollar rose 0.3 percent to 111.22 , lifted by firmer U.S. stocks, but lost ground against the high-yielding Australian and New Zealand currencies.
News Source

LETTER OF THE DAY - New forex trading regulation needed

In relation to the present debate on foreign exchange schemes I want to make a few points.

In the United States, the regulators developed a new, and separate, regulatory framework to deal with these new forex financial products. They do not fall under the traditional banking products set (regulated by the Federal Reserve) nor the securities, stocks and investment product set (regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission). The forex industry is regulated under the National Futures Association (NFA), a separate and distinct agency from the SEC.

The NFA covers regulation for commodities, futures, forex in the United States.

My understanding is that the local FSC (which is the Jamaican version of the SEC) is fighting tooth and nail to define the local forex trading industry and activities as securities activities and as falling under their umbrella, when clearly they do not. In fact, the definition of securities, as drawn from the FSC website, describes securities as "stocks, promissory notes, bonds, certificate of participation, investment contracts and other documents commonly called securities". Therein lies the dilemma. The legal mandate of the FSC does not extend to, nor cover, these new forex players and these new forex instruments.

What is needed, and quickly, is for the Government of Jamaica to create a new regulatory framework, analogous to the NFA in the U.S., to be designed for the Jamaican marketplace and provided with oversight of this new industry and for these forex instruments. That's where the focus should be. Until that is done the FSC is merely spinning wheels.

In the U.S.A., the SEC does not regulate the forex market, in the U.S. Forex is not securities.

Non-emotional answers

I would encourage your paper, as a public service, to invite the FSC to provide structured, non-emotional answers to these issues, perhaps through your medium. You could collate and synthesise the issues raised, and then invite the FSC to respond in a one page Q&A.

I recommend three questions:

a. Is the international US$ 2 trillion per day forex market a Ponzi or pyramid marketplace ?

b. Does the definition of securities in Jamaican law, envelop these newer financial instruments such as futures, commodities and forex trading or would new or modified legislation be needed?

c. Have any formal complaints been lodged with the FSC by members of the public on any aspect of their business relationship with the forex trading entities deemed 'alternative investment schemes', and has the FSC consequently been forced to initiate any formal investigations into these schemes, based on complaints by the general public ?

News Source

I am, etc;
HAROLD CLARKE
policyteam@moveupjamaica.org
Kingston

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

CMS Forex News

Yen Continues Gaining, Euro Up Versus Dollar; Loonie Falls After Bank Of Canada Lowers Rates.

Continuing worries of credit concerns sent the Yen up as carry trade unwound. The Euro was up on PPI data, and the Loonie fell after the central bank moved to cut rates.

FOREX-Dollar rises after strong private jobs report

By Vivianne Rodrigues

NEW YORK, Dec 5 (Reuters) - The dollar rose to a one-month high against a basket of currencies on Wednesday after reports showing robust job growth and productivity gains suggested a milder slowdown in the U.S. economy than many had thought.

The ADP employer services report showing the U.S. economy added 189,000 private-sector jobs last month also indicated that key government data on Friday may show similar signs of strength in the labor market.

That eased some market fears about trouble in global credit markets that had weighed on the greenback in recent sessions.

"This number not only beat market expectations but exceeded even the most wildly bullish projections," said Michael Woolfolk, senior currency strategist at the Bank of New York Mellon in New York. "It suggests things may not be as bad as thought, though what the market and Fed do will depend on the non-farm payrolls number (on Friday)."

The data was a pleasant surprise for markets, as economists polled by Reuters had expected Wednesday's report to show a payrolls increase of just 50,000. For details, see [ID:nN05598168].

The government's jobs report, which also includes public-sector employment, will be released on Friday. Economists expect that report to show a 75,000 increase in jobs last month, according to the median forecast in a Reuters poll.

In late morning trading in New York, the euro traded 0.7 percent lower at $1.4655 . The New York Board of Trade's U.S. dollar index .DXY, which measures the greenback's value against a basket of six currencies, traded 0.8 percent higher at 76.268, below the day's peak but still a one-month high.

News Source

Dollar rises as euro retreats

The greenback rebounds after reaching record lows last week, as currency traders take profits.

BERLIN (AP) -- The dollar rose against the euro on Monday as the European currency backed off all-time set highs last week.

The euro bought $1.4568 in afternoon European trading, down from $1.4673 in New York late Friday and well below its all-time record of $1.4752, reached earlier in Friday's session.

The British pound, which has been trading at its highest levels against the dollar since the early 1980s, sank to $2.0679 from $2.0909.

Paul Jackson, a senior forex dealer at CMC Markets, said currency dealers took some profits on the euro after its latest highs.

He added that the dollar "is regaining some significant ground against the pound as sliding business confidence seems set to pave the way for a rate cut at the Bank of England."

No U.S. economic data were expected on Monday, the Veterans Day holiday, to help the markets gauge the direction of the economy and interest rates. The dollar has been suffering from speculation that the Fed, which recently cut rates twice, may keep doing so even as its major European counterparts hold their rates steady.

U.S. government bond markets and related financial commodities markets are closed for the holiday. Other U.S. markets, including the stock markets, are open

Although lower interest rates can jump-start an economy, they can also weaken a currency as investors transfer funds to countries where they can earn higher returns.

The dollar weakened late last week after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said economic growth would slow noticeably in the U.S. in the coming months while rising oil costs would increase inflation pressures. source



Tuesday, December 4, 2007

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