Foreign Currency Trading - Forex A Basic Explanation

By Arthur U. Fellon

Investing and investments are usually if not seen as a "risk versus benefit" analysis structure. Some people live to gamble , others live to invest. Look at the long lineup at the information booth at your local shopping mall. These people put their hard earned money down gladly for a chance at the big one "the lotto" , the Irish Sweepstakes or the state or provincial lotteries. Yet if asked these same "investors" would scoff at the concepts of making their life's fortune on forex - foreign currency trading.

In business and investments , money is always changing hands . What goes up and some point goes down. Buy low and sell high is the refrain. This is the whole point of the exercise - to buy specific currencies when they are being sold at a lower rate than would be expected and sell these same holdings either at a higher value at a given point in time , and yet at other times to even dump holdings before times get even worse for the party in question. No trader can ever be right 100 % of the time , just as no stock broker can be unfailingly accurate each and every trade. It is a numbers game overall - the winner picks the best and wisest choice in the highest percentages of trades. Its a simple as that.

It used to be that forex - the trading of foreign currencies was a highly specialized series of financial products only available to major corporations and governments. If a retail customer was "lucky" enough to get involved via a syndicate setup at their stock brokerage of choice - that was their good or bad fortune. The national banks of many large or even unsubstantial countries are also involved in these commodities , either as fiscal policy to shore up or regulate varying national and international currency levels and values. Major firms would also "hedge" their bets by purchasing different brands and forms of financial valuations and instruments in an effort to remove risks and variations in their export product pricing levels.

Not to get caught up for rank forex foreign currency novice and beginner traders who think that but of course markets - be they of retail goods, consumables , investments , stocks , bonds and in this case foreign denominated currency holdings are driven by strict facts and analysis of these facts think again. Most markets are driven by greed and human emotion and emotions. Put panic , and investors getting carried away with their limited skills and perceptions as well as the human foible of overextending themselves financially and you have a recipe for disaster for some , and huge profits to made on forex trading conversions for others. The refrain for some of "how much lower can this currency go" - be it Mexican Pesos , US dollars or others - is that often the bottom has not been reached yet.

Forex trading is not for everyone , nor the weak of heart. Speak to knowledgeable investors who have been in a varied grocery basket and index of differing forms of investments and financial products. Experience tops all . Benefit from both their good and bad insights. Forex can be seen as a gold mine or it can be seen as gambling. If there are several rules to follow they are , do your homework , check your facts , limit your exposure to any one currency holding and lastly don't "invest" what you cannot afford to "lose - 31876

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