Saturday, May 31, 2008

forex surrence

here are 7 most traded currencies in forex market.

Currencies are traded in dollar amounts called "lots". One lot is equal to $1,000, which controls $100,000 in currency. This is what is known as the "margin". You can control $100,000 worth of currency for only 1,000 dollars. This is what is called "High Leverage".

Currencies are always traded in pairs in the FOREX.

Here are some of the common symbols used in the Forex:

  • USD - The US Dollar
  • EUR - The currency of the European Union "EURO"
  • GBP - The British Pound
  • JPN - The Japanese Yen
  • CHF - The Swiss Franc
  • AUD - The Australian Dollar
  • CAD - The Canadian Dollar

A currency can never be traded by itself. So you can not ever trade a EUR by itself. You always need to compare one currency with another currency to make a trade possible.

Some of the common PAIRS are:

EUR/USD Euro / US Dollar
"Euro"

USD/JPY US Dollar / Japanese Yen
"Dollar Yen"

GBP/USD British Pound / US Dollar
"Cable"

USD/CAD US Dollar / Canadian Dollar
"Dollar Canada"

AUD/USD Australian Dollar/US Dollar
"Aussie Dollar"

USD/CHF US Dollar / Swiss Franc
"Swissy"

EUR/JPY Euro / Japanese Yen
"Euro Yen"

Although forex currency pairs can be quoted with either currency as the base currency, there are generally recognized standards of which currency will be identified as the base currency in any given pair.

The Euro is the dominant base currency against all other global currencies. Thus, currencies paired with the EUR will always be identified with the EUR acronym first in the sequence. The British Pound is next in the hierarchy of currency name domination and usually USD after that. (Aside from the EUR and GBP, the only case where the USD is not the base currency of a pair is with the Australian & New Zealand dollars).

Every foreign exchange transaction is an exchange between two currencies, each denoted by a unique three-letter code. Currency pairings are expressed as two codes usually separated by a division symbol (e.g. GBP/USD), the first representing the “base currency” and the other the “secondary currency”. The base currency is the one that you are buying or selling.

The exchange rate is the price of one currency in terms of another. For example GBP/USD = 1.5545 denotes that one unit of sterling (the base currency) can be exchanged for 1.5545 US dollars (the secondary currency).

Pairings with the US dollar are known as the “majors”. The “big four” majors are:

  • EUR/USD: euro/US dollar
  • GBP/USD: sterling/US dollar (known as “cable”)
  • USD/JPY: US dollar /Japanese yen
  • USD/CHF: US dollar/Swiss franc

Pairings of non-U.S. Dollar currencies from the aforementioned major pairings are known as crosses.

EUR/GBPEUR/JPYGBP/CADGBP/CHFAUD/CADCHF/JPY
EUR/CHFEUR/AUDGBP/JPYAUD/JPYAUD/NZDCHF/NZD

Exotic pairings involve currencies not included in the eight major currencies. There are hundreds of currencies around the world, most of which are not easily traded on the open market. There are a few exotics some speculators will venture into; however, the spreads on these currencies tend to be very wide and the degree of risk makes them generally unattractive to most traders.


Top currency

This rarified rank is reserved only for the most esteemed of international currencies - those whose use dominates for most if not all types of cross-border purposes and whose popularity is more or less universal, not limited to any particular geographic region. During the era of territorial money, just two currencies could truly be said to have qualified for this exalted status: Britain's pound sterling before World War I and the U.S. dollar after World War II.

Patrician currency

Just below the top rank we find currencies whose use for various cross-border purposes, while substantial, is something less than dominant and/or whose popularity, while widespread, is something less than universal. Obviously included in this category today would be the euro, as natural successor to the DM; most observers would still also include the yen, despite some recent loss of popularity. Both are patricians among the world's currencies.

Elite currency

In this category belong currencies of sufficient attractiveness to qualify for some degree of international use but of insufficient weight to carry much direct influence beyond their own national frontiers. Here we find the more peripheral of the international currencies, a list that today would include inter alia Britain's pound (no longer a Top Currency or even Patrician Currency), the Swiss franc, and the Australian dollar.

Plebian currency

One step further down from the elite category are Plebian Currencies - more modest monies of very limited international use. Here we find the currencies of the smaller industrial states, such as Norway or Sweden, along with some middle-income emerging-market economies (e.g., Israel, South Korea, and Taiwan) and the wealthier oil-exporters (e.g., Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates).

Internally, Plebian Currencies retain a more or less exclusive claim to all the traditional functions of money, but externally they carry little weight (like the plebs, or common folk, of ancient Rome). They tend to attract little cross-border use except perhaps for a certain amount of trade invoicing.

Permeated currency

Included in this category are monies whose competitiveness is effectively compromised even at home, through currency substitution. Although nominal monetary sovereignty continues to reside with the issuing government, foreign currency supersedes the domestic alternative as a store of value, accentuating the local money's degree of inferiority.

Permeated Currencies confront what amounts to a competitive invasion from abroad. Judging from available evidence, it appears that the range of Permeated Currencies today is in fact quite broad, encompassing perhaps a majority of the economies of the developing world, particularly in Latin America, the former Soviet bloc, and Southeast Asia.

Quasi-currency

One step further down are currencies that are superseded not only as a store of value but, to a significant extent, as a unit of account and medium of exchange, as well. Quasi-Currencies are monies that retain nominal sovereignty but are largely rejected in practice for most purposes. Their domain is more juridical than empirical. Available evidence suggests that some approximation of this intensified degree of inferiority has indeed been reached in a number of fragile economies around the globe, including the likes of Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Laos, and Peru.

Pseudo-currency

Finally, we come to the bottom rank of the pyramid, where currencies exist in name only - Pseudo-Currencies. The most obvious examples of Pseudo-Currencies are token monies like the Panamanian balboa, found in countries where a stronger foreign currency such as the dollar is the preferred legal tender.

forex order

Forex trading goes on for 24-hour a day, so how can you protect your positions when you are away from your screen?

There are a variety of automated orders that can be triggered at pre-set exchange rates and that can be deployed to control the downside and consolidate the upside.

Limit order

An order to buy or to sell at a specified price. A buy limit order can only be executed at the limit price or lower (better), and a sell limit order can only be executed at the limit price or higher (better). If you placed a buy limit order, the fill price would be at your limit price of better, meaning that it would be better to buy at a lower price compared to the submitted limit price. It would be better to sell at your limit price or better, meaning selling at a higher price.

In other words, Limit Order is an order to buy or sell at a certain limit. They can be used to buy currency below the market price or sell currency above the market price. When buying, your order is executed when the market falls to your limit order price. When selling, your order is executed when the market rises to your limit order price. There is no slippage with limit orders.

Market order

An order to buy or to sell at the current market price. The advantage of a market order: you can almost always expect your order to be executed (as long as there are willing buyers and sellers). The disadvantage: the price you pay when your order is executed may not always be the price you obtained from a real-time quote service or were quoted by a broker.

Market Order is an order to buy or sell at the current market price. They can be used to enter or exit a trade. Market orders should be used with care because in fast-moving markets there may be a difference between the price seen at the time a market order is given and the actual price of the transaction. This is due to slippage the amount the market moves in the few seconds between giving an order and having it executed. Slippage could result in a loss or gain of several pips.

Stop Market order

Buy or sell at market once the price reaches or passes through a specified price. Used by traders who either have a position (long or short) and want to close the position if it moves against them OR by traders who wish to open a new position once the currency rises to a specific level. The stop price on a sell stop must be below the current bid. The stop price on a buy stop must be above the current offer. Stop orders do not guarantee you an execution at or near the stop price. Once triggered, the order competes with other incoming market orders.

Stop Limit order

Works like a Stop Market order with one major exception. Once the order is activated (by the currency trading at or through the stop price), it does not become a market order. Instead, it becomes a limit order with a specified limit price. The advantage of this order is that you set a specified price at which your order can be filled. The disadvantage is that your order may not be filled. In this case, your exposure to loss will continue until the position is closed.

Trailing Stop order

Ride a currency's price trend, profit from its movement, and limit your downside risk without constantly monitoring prices. Trailing stops move your stop price with the price of the currency and are server-sided, protecting you in the event you lose Internet connection.

When using the trailing stop, it is important to know the answer to the question: How do you represent a pip per currency pair? A pip is the last digit to the right of the decimal point in the current currency dealing rate.

Threshold Triggered Order (TTO)

Specify two prices, an upper and lower price trigger. Once the market trades at either price, a market order is sent to the marketplace. This order type was designed to help limit potential losses and lock-in potential profits.

One Cancels the Other (OCO)

This order is used when placing a limit order and a stop-loss order at the same time. If either order is executed the other is cancelled, allowing the trader to make a transaction without monitoring the market. If the market falls, the stop-loss order will be executed, but if the market rises to the level of the limit order, the currency will be sold at a profit.

"Combo" Order Types

A combo order involves a combination of two different order types. Whatever the action of the first part of the combo order is (either buy or sell), the trading system will send out an opposite order when the first part receives an execution. If we place a buy Market + TTO, the system will send out a market order to buy, and upon execution of that buy market order the system will send out an auto-closing sell TTO. This explanation would be the exact opposite for a sell market + TTO, first part of the order is a sell, the second part is the buy (to cover).

Limit + TTO

This combo order type will initially place a limit order (either a buy or sell) and upon execution, places an opposite TTO (either a buy or sell). Note: Upon execution of any part of the initial limit order, an equal TTO is placed with your pre-set trigger prices. Please keep in mind that when the system sends out an equal TTO, you have to cancel and replace the TTO to change either the upper or lower trigger. With this being said, it is important to know how to place a stand-alone TTO.

Limit + Trailing Stop

Initially places a limit order on one side (either a buy or sell) and upon execution, places an opposite trailing stop on the other side (either a buy or sell).

Limit + Stop Market

Initially places a limit order on one side (either a buy or sell) and upon execution, places an opposite stop market order for the other side (either a buy or sell).

Market + TTO

Initially places a market order (either a buy or sell) and upon execution, places an opposite TTO (either a buy or sell). Note: Upon execution of any part of the initial market order, an equal TTO is placed with your pre-set stop prices. To change either of your TTO price trigger parameters you must cancel and replace the order. Either the bid or ask price can trigger your upper and lower price triggers. At the time the trigger is met the system sends out a market order.

Market + Trailing Stop

Initially places a market order (either a buy or sell) and upon execution, places an opposite trailing stop (either a buy or sell). Note: Upon execution of any part of the initial market order, an equal trailing stop is placed with your pre-set offset. You must know how to represent the number of pips of your trail offset per currency pair.

Stop Limit + TTO

Initially places a stop limit order (either a buy or sell), which works like a Stop Market order with one major exception. Once the order is activated (by the currency trading at or through the stop price), it does not become a market order. Instead, it becomes a limit order with a specified limit price. Your order fill price will be either at your specified limit price or better. Upon execution of the first part of the combo order, the system will place an opposite TTO (either a buy or sell). To change either of your TTO price trigger parameters you must cancel and replace the order. Note: Either the bid or ask price can trigger your upper and lower price triggers. At the time the trigger is met the system sends out a market order.

Stop + TTO

Initially places a stop market order (either a buy or sell) and upon execution, places an opposite TTO (either a buy or sell). Note: Upon execution of any part of the initial stop order, an equal TTO is placed with your pre-set stop prices. To change either the upper or lower trigger you must cancel and replace the TTO. To change either of your TTO price trigger parameters you must cancel and replace the order. Note: Either the bid or ask price can trigger your upper and lower price triggers. At the time the trigger is met the system sends out a market order.

Stop + Trailing Stop

Initially places a Stop Market order (either a buy or sell) and upon execution, places an opposite Trailing Stop order (either a buy or sell). Note: You must know how to represent the number of pips of your "trail offset" per currency pair. At the time you place a buy Stop + Trailing stop you would enter your desired stop price to enter the position. When this buy stop price is reached by the market (in this case the ask) a market order to buy will be triggered. Upon execution of this first part of the combo order the system will send out an auto-closing trailing stop (reflecting the trailing offset you selected when first placing the order).

tips for success in forex

1. Implement a trading plan.
A trading plan is especially crucial in Forex trading to stay in-control against the emotional stress in speculative situation. Often, your emotions will blind and lead you to the negative sides: greed causes you to over-ride on a win while fear causes you to cut short in your profits. Hence, a well organized operation has to be predetermined and strictly followed. Always remember: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail
.

2. Trade within your means
If you cannot afford to lose, you cannot afford to win. Losing is a not a must but it is the natural in any trading market. Trading should be always done using excess money in your savings. Before you start to trade in Forex, we suggest you to put aside some of your income to set up your own investment funds and trade only using that funds.

3. Trade along side with the majorities
Trade on popular currency pairs and avoid thin market in Forex. The lack of public participation will cause difficulties in liquidate your positions. If you are beginners, we suggest the big five: USD/EUR, USD/JPY, USD/GBD, USD/CHF, and EUR/JPY. Avoid trading in too many markets as you may end up confusing yourself by all sorts of currency studies. Go for the major currency pairs and drill down your research in it.

4. Avoid emotion trading
If you do not have a trading plan, make one. If you have a trading plan, follows it strictly! Never ever attempt to hold your weakened position and hope the market will turn back in your favor direction. You might end up losing all
your capital if you keep holding. Move on, stay within your trading plan, and admit your mistakes if things do not turn as you want.

5. Love the trends
Trends are your friends. Although currency values fluctuate but from the big picture it normally goes in a steady direction. If you are not sure on certain moves, the long term trend is always your primary reference. In long run, trading with the trends improves your odds in the Forex market
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Forex trading is getting more and more popular among small investors nowadays. Main reasons are mostly because of its high money liquidity, high leverage value with Forex brokers, and 24-7 trading time. However, being as a popular market does not mean that Forex trading is easy. In fact, trading in Forex involves high risks and the market is much volatile compare to other conventional trading markets.
Without a doubt, Forex trading needs much more than just a few guidelines or tips to be successful. Experience, knowledge, capital, fortitude, and even some help of luck are all crucial in ones success in the FX market. if you lose in a trade, do not lose the experience in it. Learn from your mistakes and regain your position in the next trade.