How to Adopt the Traits of a Successful Trader

Not all Forex traders were cut from the same cloth, but the most successful investors do have several things in common. Whether you are a newcomer to trading or you are a seasoned pro who is trying to improve your game plan, the following suggestions may help you out. Below are five ways to evolve into a successful trader:

1. Become a lifelong student – Never stop learning about the business you are in. If you think you know everything about the Forex market, then think again. The successful trader is a lifelong student who constantly absorbs new information about the ever-evolving climate of Forex trading.

2. Be courageous – It's hard to overcome your fears when you are dealing with an unpredictable investment. Even if you are equipped with extensive knowledge about the market, you still have to put your money at risk every day. Reserve a small amount of apprehension (just enough to keep you sensible), but don't hesitate at every turn.

3. Hone your math skills – You are wading through a sea of mathematical information every day when you look over your charts. The most successful traders know how to take that large amount of information and pull out necessary information.

4. Be patient – Become a long-term investor and put all notions of overnight success to rest. You must adopt a stoic attitude, as you make the most informed decisions about your business and leave the rest to fate.

5. Learn to love trading – Maybe you already do love trading and that's why you are involved with Forex. However, many people are either too wrought with anxiety to enjoy it or merely see it as a job. If you don't like trading, don't trade. A great trader will love the roller coaster ride he/she is on.

Are the above suggestions obvious? Perhaps, but many of us take a wrong turn somewhere and need some simple advice to get us back on track. In order to stay on top of your game, you will need to constantly reinvent yourself, as there is no world that calls for flexibility more than the Forex market.

FEAR and FOCUS

Is fear preventing your from achieving forex success? By now I know everyone has heard of the acronym for F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real). Sometimes to get over the hump and put fear in our rear view mirror only requires an attitude check! Adjusting our attitude can build our confidence and basically get our heads out of the way and journey on to forex success!

Author’s Mark Victor Hansen and Jack Canfield (both from the famous Chicken Soup series of bestsellers) has another overlooked book on the market called The Power of Focus. In the nook they discuss strategies to combat fear and build confidence. Some of these strategies include;

• Remind yourself that you did some things well in your trading everyday.
  
• Read inspiring biographies and autobiographies. These can fall outside of the trading world.
  
• Be thankful. You are taking massive action to take control of your financial future!
  
• Build a support network around you. Use the mastermind principal to build a support team of traders and non-traders.Chunk it down! Take your long term goals and plans and chunk them down into smaller bits like mastering trading channels in your demo account.
• Celebrate your success! If you can’t do this than repeat the first step (and do not collect $200!!!).

My 5 Golden Forex Trading Rules

As a trader in the forex market, I have come to understand the truth about trading and it mostly has to do with myself and my personality. Taking the time to learn the FX market and developing an awareness of yourself as a trader will aid you tremendously on your very own forex journey. To aid you along the way, I have developed my 5 golden forex trading rules.

1. Having an understanding the currency pairs, including which pairs has the most liquidity and volatility in order to decide when and when not to trade them. I want to know the pairs as well as my brother and that is why I trade just a few pairs.

2. Employing technical analysis to determine past price action to set future targets. I was raised a technician and will let technical analysis be my primary mechanism for trade management.

3. Understanding the market’s psychology and my own, and then incorporating this information as part of my forex trading strategy. Understanding the drivers of the market and my own nuances allows me to sleep in when I am too tired to trade the London session and plan my trading activity, including my daily forex education session, at the times of the day when my mental focus is at its sharpest.

4. Awareness of the fundamentals that will cause a currency pair price action. Knowing current events and anticipated news allows me to trade when the market conditions fit my trading style. This is one of the things I absolutely love about the forex market … you never have to wait long for an opportunity!

5. Risk management and trade execution to ensure my trades can achieve the maximum profit. I don’t want to be greedy and I don’t like to leave money on the table either. I will be trying to master this skill for the rest of my life!

Getting your forex education, practicing in a demo account, becoming aware of your own psychology and being persistent will allow you to succeed in the forex market as well.

3 Simple Tips for Building Wealth in Your Trading Account

Forex traders tend to focus on the strategic aspects of their trading and most Forex education organizations are geared to satisfying this specific need. Have a conversation with a currency trader. Over 90% will speak about indicators, candlestick patterns or the latest combination of technical studies that can get you into trade 2-3 candlesticks before anyone else.

Look for the 10% who speak about not being sure where the market is going and how they manage their stops. I got news for you; these are the successful Forex traders!

Yes, Strategy is important, very important; however, it is only one of the three pillars of successful Forex trading. To achieve success all three pillars must be in place and strong. Knowing yourself is the path to ultimate success, but until one conquers self-mastery, profit can truly be found in money management.

Here are 3 simple, but powerful money management tips that will keep your account size growing while your personal and strategic skills develop:

1. Adhere To Your Reward to Risk Ratio

Maintain at a minimum a 2 to 1 reward to risk ratio. That means that the currency pair’s price target should be twice the amount in pips of the stop-loss. If you have a price target that is 60 pips away from your entry and your stop should be 20 pips away from your entry, this means you have a 3 to 1 reward to risk ratio.

Congratulations, you cleared the first hurdle, but this still does not represent a good trade for money management.

2. Use Stops
Always use a stop-loss! Write this one in stone. I see novice currency traders make 2 huge money management errors with stop-losses;

a.. They simple do not use one.
b. The use a set amount of pips for a stop loss.

Set your stop loss based off of your chart technicals. You must give your trade room to work or it is doomed to stop you out. Establishing your price target and chart stops will allow you to evaluate the reward to risk ratio. Do not use a set 20 or 30 pips stop loss. Let the chart tell you where the stop should be and let step 3 be the final judge!

3. Manage Your Overall Account Risk
Most every expert recommends establishing a 1-5% risk profile. So at any given time you will never risk more than 1-5% of your account that is not already in a trade. That’s right. Not your total account, the portion that is not already leveraged in a trade.

The goal here is to continue to play the Forex game. In order to do this the currency trader must understand the amount of maximum loss prior to ever getting into a trade.

Now a determination can be made on whether a trade is affordable. The trade could have all the technical stars aligned, exceptional reward to risk ratio, but if the risk profile is violated it is ultimately a bad trade. Losing trades are part of doing business in the Forex market; however, bad trades are the quickest way to back to that 9 to 5!

Strong money management techniques are one of the 3 pillars of successful Forex trading (strategy and self-mastery are the others). It is money management that allows the Forex trader to manage their trading business like a casino and give power to their trading edge.

It is better to have a poor trading strategy with solid money management than vice versa. Mastering your money will allow you to stay in the game and compound your account into profit. Again, don’t get caught up in all the hype. Common sense rules the roost! Use these tips and you too will find success in the Forex market.

3 Simple Tips for Setting the Stage for Profitable Trading

You know what they say; trading Forex is 80% mental and that only 5% of all currency traders make money consistently. If this is so, and I believe it to be, then we are all in an extremely competitive environment. This means that when we trade, we must always be on our “A” game, our peak performance period. Here are 3 simple tips to prepare you each day for the competitive playing field that is the Forex market:

1. REST Before we turn on the computer and look at the currency pairs, it is imperative that we have had adequate rest. Proper sleep allows us to recharge our batteries and extend our period of maximum focus. Sometimes we all wake up and things are just not in balance. Issues outside of our trading environment or our physical conditions, or lack thereof, are ruling the roost. This is when all successful traders pull out their Ultimate Weapon of Successful Currency Trading. They simple don’t trade! Use this time to review, read or play golf! It’s all about probabilities, and the probability of success in Forex trading multiplies when we are at our best.

2. PLAN and REVIEW Currency Trading is a business and should be treated accordingly. In the business of trading currencies we all should have a plan, a business trading plan. This plan should consist of 2 components: A Mission Statement which should explain your personal “Why?” Why are you trading Forex? Your mission statement must be compelling enough to overcome the inevitable challenges all traders face. The second component is your trading plan. The component of the overall plan covers the execution of Forex trading. Your plan should cover the what, how, when and risk components of your trading. Before each trading session review your entire plan and trade it! Make this a habit. Another trick of successful traders is after losing some focus during the trading period, take a break and before returning refocus by reviewing your plan.

3. RELAX You must sharpen your mental saw before each and every trading session. There are a variety of methods for helping you relax and focus. You can listen to your favorite music, meditate, recite positive wealth building affirmations or listening to a confidence building CD. When it comes to developing a mental edge, play every ace. The correct method is the one that works for you! After all of your preparation you still find yourself not on top of your game you can once again consider the ultimate weapon of great traders. Walk away! You do not have to trade today. Preparing for your trading session is all about placing yourself is the best position possible to take advantage of the myriad of opportunities that makes the Forex market great. When you incorporate mental preparations into your daily trading ritual you have set the stage for handling whatever the currency market can throw at you with confidence, determination and clarity. Remember, above all the hype, strategies and methodologies lies common sense. Use it and you too will find success.

Common Questions About Currency Trading

Although forex is the largest financial market in the world, it is relatively unfamiliar terrain to retail traders. Until the popularization of internet trading a few years ago, FX was primarily the domain of large financial institutions, multinational corporations and secretive hedge funds. But times have changed, and individual investors are hungry for information on this fascinating market. Whether you are an FX novice or just need a refresher course on the basics of currency trading, read on to find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the forex market.

How does this market differ from other markets?
Unlike the trading of stocks, futures or options, currency trading does not take place on a regulated exchange. It is not controlled by any central governing body, there are no clearing houses to guarantee the trades and there is no arbitration panel to adjudicate disputes. All members trade with each other based upon credit agreements. Essentially, business in the largest, most liquid market in the world depends on nothing more than a metaphorical handshake.

At first glance, this ad-hoc arrangement must seem bewildering to investors who are used to structured exchanges such as the NYSE or CME. However, this arrangement works exceedingly well in practice: because participants in FX must both compete and cooperate with each other, self regulation provides very effective control over the market. Furthermore, reputable retail FX dealers in the United States become members of the National Furures Association (NFA), and by doing so they agree to binding arbitration in the event of any dispute. Therefore, it is critical that any retail customer who contemplates trading currencies do so only through an NFA member firm.

The FX market is different from other markets in some other key ways that are sure to raise eyebrows. Think that the EUR/USD is going to spiral downward? Feel free to short the pair at will. There is no uptick rule in FX as there is in stocks. There are also no limits on the size of your position (as there are in futures); so, in theory, you could sell $100 billion worth of currency if you had the capital to do it. If your biggest Japanese client, who also happens to golf with Toshihiko Fukui, the Governor of the Bank of Japan, told you on the golf course that BOJ is planning to raise rates at its next meeting, you could go right ahead and buy as much yen as you like. No one will ever prosecute you for insider trading should your bet pay off. There is no such thing as insider trading in FX; in fact, European economic data, such as German employment figures, are often leaked days before they are officially released.

Before we leave you with the impression that FX is the Wild West of finance, we should note that this is the most liquid and fluid market in the world. It trades 24 hours a day, from 5pm EST Sunday to 4pm EST Friday, and it rarely has any gaps in price. Its sheer size (it trades nearly US$2 trillion each day) and scope (from Asia to Europe to North America) makes the currency market the most accessible market in the world.

Where is the commission in FX?
Investors who trade stocks, futures or options typically use a broker, who acts as an agent in the transaction. The broker takes the order to an exchange and attempts to execute it as per the customer's instructions. For providing this service, the broker is paid a commission when the customer buys and sells the tradable instrument.

The FX market does not have commissions. Unlike exchange-based markets, FX is a principals -only market. FX firms are dealers, not brokers. This is a critical distinction that all investors must understand. Unlike brokers, dealers assume market risk by serving as a counterparty to the investor's trade. They do not charge commission; instead, they make their money through the bid-ask spread.

In FX, the investor cannot attempt to buy on the bid or sell at the offer like in exchange-based markets. On the other hand, once the price clears the cost of the spread, there are no additional fees or commissions. Every single penny gain is pure profit to the investor. Nevertheless, the fact that traders must always overcome the bid/ask spread makes scalping much more difficult in FX.

What is a pip?
PIP stands for "percentage in point" and is the smallest increment of trade in FX. In the FX market, prices are quoted to the fourth decimal point. For example, if a bar of soap in the drugstore was priced at $1.20, in the FX market the same bar of soap would be quoted at 1.2000. The change in that fourth decimal point is called 1 pip and is typically equal to 1/100^th of 1%. Among the major currencies, the only exception to that rule is the Japanese yen. Because the Japanese yen has never been revalued since the Second World War, 1 yen is now worth approximately US$0.08; so, in the USD/JPY pair, the quotation is only taken out to two decimal points (i.e. to 1/100^th of yen, as opposed to 1/1000^th with other major currencies).

What are you really selling or buying in the currency market?
The short answer is "nothing". The retail FX market is purely a speculative market. No physical exchange of currencies ever takes place. All trades exist simply as computer entries and are netted out depending on market price. For dollar-denominated accounts, all profits or losses are calculated in dollars and recorded as such on the trader's account.

The primary reason the FX market exists is to facilitate the exchange of one currency into another for multinational corporations who need to trade currencies continually (for example, for payroll, payment for costs of goods and services from foreign vendors, and merger and acquisition activity). However, these day-to-day corporate needs comprise only about 20% of the market volume. Fully 80% of trades in the currency market are speculative in nature, put on by large financial institutions, multi-billion dollar hedge funds and even individuals who want to express their opinions on the economic and geopolitical events of the day.

Because currencies always trade in pairs, when a trader makes a trade he or she is always long one currency and short the other. For example, if a trader sells one standard lot (equivalent to 100,000 units) of EUR/USD, she would, in essence, have exchanged euros for dollars and would now be "short" euro and "long" dollars. To better understand this dynamic, let's use a concrete example. If you went into an electronics store and purchased a computer for $1,000, what would you be doing? You would be exchanging your dollars for a computer. You would basically be "short" $1,000 and "long" 1 computer. The store would be "long" $1,000 but now "short" 1 computer in its inventory. The exact same principle applies to the FX market, except that no physical exchange takes place. While all transactions are simply computer entries, the consequences are no less real.

Which currencies are traded?
Although some retail dealers trade exotic currencies such as the Thai baht or the Czech koruna, the majority trade the seven most liquid currency pairs in the world, which are the four majors:

and the three commodity pairs:

AUD/USD (Australian dollar/dollar) USD/CAD (dollar/Canadian dollar) NZD/USD (New Zealand dollar/dollar)

These currency pairs, along with their various combinations (such as EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY and EUR/GBP) account for more than 95% of all speculative trading in FX. Given the small number of trading instruments - only 18 pairs and crosses are actively traded - the FX market is far more concentrated than the stock market.

What is carry?
Carry is the most popular trade in the currency market, practiced by both the largest hedge funds and the smallest retail speculators. The carry trade rests on the fact that every currency in the world has an interest rate attached to it. These short-term interest rates are set by the central banks of these countries: the Federal Reserve in the U.S., the Bank of Japan in Japan and the Bank of England in the U.K.

The idea behind the carry is quite straightforward. The trader goes long the currency with a high interest rate and finances that purchase with a currency with a low interest rate. In 2005, one of the best pairings was the NZD/JPY cross. The New Zealand economy, spurred by huge commodity demand from China and a hot housing market, has seen its rates rise to 7.25% and stay there (at the time of writing), while Japanese rates have remained at 0%. A trader going long the NZD/JPY could have harvested 725 basis points in yield alone. On a 10:1 leverage basis, the carry trade in NZD/JPY could have produced a 72.5% annual return from interest rate differentials alone without any contribution from capital appreciation. Now you can understand why the carry trade is so popular! But before you rush out and buy the next high-yield pair, be aware that when the carry trade is unwound, the declines can be rapid and severe. This process is known as carry trade liquidation and occurs when the majority of speculators decide that the carry trade may not have future potential. With every trader seeking to exit his or her position at once, bids disappear and the profits from interest rate differentials are not nearly enough to offset the capital losses. Anticipation is the key to success: the best time to position in the carry is at the beginning of the rate-tightening cycle, allowing the trader to ride the move as interest rate differentials increase.

FX Jargon
Every discipline has its own jargon, and the currency market is no different. Here are some terms to know that will make you sound like a seasoned currency trader:

Cable, sterling, pound - alternative names for the GBP Greenback, buck - nicknames for the U.S. dollar Swissie - nickname for the Swiss franc Aussie - nickname for the Australian dollar Kiwi - nickname for the New Zealand dollar Loonie, the little dollar - nicknames for the Canadian dollar Figure - FX term connoting a round number like 1.2000 Yard - a billion units, as in "I sold a couple of yards of sterling."

Forex Education Tips - 5 Steps to Successful Forex Trading

Here are some simple Forex Education tips to help you master the process of forex trading:

Success Tip #1 – You’ve Got To Have a Plan

You must have a written business plan that will detail all aspects of your trading. When are you going to trade, how much to risk, strategies for entries and exits are just o name a few. To become a consistent (profitable) Forex trader you have to plan your trade sand trade your plan.

Simplicity rules! Don’t make this plan too complicated. One sheet of paper for you mission statement and another for your trading plan should suffice. Anything more is probably too complicated.

Success Tip #2 – Focus on Your Personal Psychology

Knowing yourself will allow you to master the discipline necessary to execute high quality trades with solid money management techniques. Lack of discipline is fatal in Forex trading. Go on a personal journey to identify you attitudes towards risk and money. Get intimate with your strengths and weaknesses as a trader and build in to your trading plan strategies to minimize those weaknesses and maximize your strengths.

Different personalities lend to different trading styles. Get familiar with all the different styles and over time you will begin to gravitate towards one particular style. Don’t fight the urge like I did. I insisted I was a day trader, but had only limited results. I found my winning percentages were much higher when I entered swing trades. Guess what’s my bread and butter strategy now!

Success Tip #3 – Be Realistic About Your Expectations

This is a hard one, I know! I am on the internet every day and the amount of advertising is staggering. Brokers are offering free education (fox in the hen house if you ask me), forums of all different trading styles and points of view. Gurus pushing their system as “the one” that will make you the big bucks. How do you get through all that noise?

Let me tell you loud and clear right now – everyone is right and everyone is wrong. You have to make a personal commitment to become a successful trader, find a trading style that works for you and expect a slow and steady approach to wealth building through Forex.

What works for me may not work for you. Expect to go through an exploratory period where you are learning and at the same time exploring yourself as a trader. Keep an open mind and don’t pay attention to all the noise out there.

Success Tip #4 – Exercise Patience

Rome was not built in a day and neither will your trading account. In fact, I tell all of my students that while they are studying to become successful Forex traders they should not look solely at their account balance as an indication of success or failure.

By tracking and increasing your percentage of high quality trades you execute is a far better barometer of your progress than your account balance. Cause and effect rule here. Over time when you increase your probabilities through the execution of high quality trades your account balance will respond accordingly.

Keep the focus on the process and with time your results will blow your mind.

Success Tip #5 - Money Management Is Top Priority

I would rather have a shaky strategy and excellent money management techniques than the other way around. This topic warrants its own blog post to do it justice. Limited your exposure (read “risk”) allows for you to stay in the game and allow the laws of probability to work.

Let’s take a casino for example. They need gamblers to frequent their slot machines to make money. Why? They have a game that has a greater than 50% chance of making money for the house. The more people that play the slots, the greater the casino’s profits.

The casino controls risk by payout tables (always favoring the house!) and increases their probabilities by keeping gamblers at the slot machines (read “free drinks”). As a trader you must limit your risk by committing only 1% - 3% of available capital to a single trade. When you execute enough trades with a high probability strategy you too can clean up like the casinos – but only by staying in the game long term.

In conclusion, Forex trading is not easy. It’s hard work and will test the limits of your patience and perseverance. If anyone tells you otherwise .., buyers beware! It can be a very rewarding and profitable venture if done correctly. In the end it is a profession that requires a learning curve and practical experience, no different than an airline pilot or engineer. Understanding how to approach and learn this game will allow you to reap all the benefits advertised. It is your Forex Education that you will master the Process of Forex Trading.