The Basics of Trading the Forex Market (Foreign Exchange)
Basics of Forex online trading to help you get started. Foreign exchange market terminology is provided.
Before you begin trying to trade the Forex (foreigh currency exchange), you should be familiar with the main terminology and ideas used in this market.
PipPip stands for "percentage in point". This is the basic unit of price in the Forex market. This is similar to stocks, for example, which use dollars and cents to as the base numbers. Pips can refer to the number of ticks or units a currency pair has moved. For example, assume you are trading the EUR/USD (the Euro Dollar and US Dollar) pairing. If the price has moved up from 1.5480 to 1.5485, that is a 5 pip movement.
A pip is also a unit of money you are trading. A standard lot is based on a 100,000 units and each pip is valued at approximately $10.00. Typically, to trade a standard lot, you will need approximately $1,000 per lot (or unit). Using the same example, that 5-pip move up would have been equal to a $50 move. There are also mini accounts that allow you to trade with much less capital, while also reducing the pip value. Typically, most brokers with mini accounts will base their mini lots on 10,000 units per lot, with a pip value of approximately $1.00 per pip. With mini accounts, you will need approximately $100 per lot/unit you want to trade.
LeverageLeverage trading, or trading on margin, means you do not have to put up the full value of the position. As mentioned above, a standard lot is worth approximately $100,000. If there were no leverage involved (or a leverage of 1:1), you would need to deposit the full amount to trade one lot. However, all brokers will offer you leverage of 50:1 to 400:1.
While more leverage makes it much easier to trade more lots, there is a danger with it as well. Think of leverage as a double-edged sword. Yes, it can help you control more money, but if you have a loss, you can also lose more of your own money.
Here is an example: assume you have $5000 in your account. Your broker offers you 100:1 leverage. This means that you can trade up to 5 lots and control $500,000 worth of currency. This also means that for every 1 pip in price movement, you will gain or lose $50. Remember, typically for every $1000 in available margin at 100:1 leverage will control $100,000 in currency and that every pip (i.e. price movement) will be worth $10.
Using the same information: if a broker were to offer you 400:1 leverage, then your $5000 would be able to control $2,000,000 in currency. This gives you the ability to trade 20 lots at a time, which means each pip movement would be approximately $200…so that 5-pip movement from above would equal to a gain or loss of $1000!
So, you can see that while a higher leverage can help you control more currency and give you the ability to make more money, if you are wrong, you will lose more. Take the use of leverage seriously and with respect and you are already ahead of the game.
Margin CallYou never want to get one of these. Basically, a margin call is when you are contacted if your account falls below a certain level (you will know that level that is when you open your account with your broker.)
Here is a simple example: You open an account with $2000. You open a position with one lot. You have now have only $1000 in usable margin to either open another lot or to buffer any losses you had on your first open lot. Let’s say that you use that remaining $1000 to open another lot. You now have $2000 of USED margin, with ZERO remaining usable margin. Your trade goes against you by 10 pips (which with 2 lots is $200). Depending on your broker, they will either automatically close the trade and you will have nothing left in your account or you will be contacted via phone or other means saying you must deposit additional capital to cover the deficit. Fortunately with most Forex brokers, your risk is limited to the funds you had on deposit.
Price Quotes: Base Currency / Quote CurrencyAll transactions are based in pairs, buying one and selling another. The first currency quoted is called the base currency, while the second one quoted is called the quote currency. As an example, here is a typical currency quote: EUR/USD 1.5280
In this example, the base currency (EUR) is the Euro Dollar and the quote currency (USD) is the US Dollar.
So, using this example (if you were buying), the quote of 1.5280 means that you would have to pay 1.5820 US Dollars to buy 1 Euro Dollar. Conversely, if you were selling, you would receive 1.5280 US Dollars for each Euro Dollar you sold.
SpreadThis is also called the bid/ask spread. This is the price difference between what a currency pair is being bought and sold for…or a difference between the bid and offer price.
The bid is the price at which the Forex market maker is willing to buy the base currency in exchange for the counter currency. On the other hand, the ask price is the price at which the Forex market maker is willing to sell the base currency in exchange for the counter currency.
Remember that all trades involve the simultaneous purchase of one currency and the sale of another.
Spreads will vary from pairings to pairings. This spread is where your broker will make their money. Every time you make a trade, they make the spread. This is why they charge no commission – because there is no need for it.
PipPip stands for "percentage in point". This is the basic unit of price in the Forex market. This is similar to stocks, for example, which use dollars and cents to as the base numbers. Pips can refer to the number of ticks or units a currency pair has moved. For example, assume you are trading the EUR/USD (the Euro Dollar and US Dollar) pairing. If the price has moved up from 1.5480 to 1.5485, that is a 5 pip movement.
A pip is also a unit of money you are trading. A standard lot is based on a 100,000 units and each pip is valued at approximately $10.00. Typically, to trade a standard lot, you will need approximately $1,000 per lot (or unit). Using the same example, that 5-pip move up would have been equal to a $50 move. There are also mini accounts that allow you to trade with much less capital, while also reducing the pip value. Typically, most brokers with mini accounts will base their mini lots on 10,000 units per lot, with a pip value of approximately $1.00 per pip. With mini accounts, you will need approximately $100 per lot/unit you want to trade.
LeverageLeverage trading, or trading on margin, means you do not have to put up the full value of the position. As mentioned above, a standard lot is worth approximately $100,000. If there were no leverage involved (or a leverage of 1:1), you would need to deposit the full amount to trade one lot. However, all brokers will offer you leverage of 50:1 to 400:1.
While more leverage makes it much easier to trade more lots, there is a danger with it as well. Think of leverage as a double-edged sword. Yes, it can help you control more money, but if you have a loss, you can also lose more of your own money.
Here is an example: assume you have $5000 in your account. Your broker offers you 100:1 leverage. This means that you can trade up to 5 lots and control $500,000 worth of currency. This also means that for every 1 pip in price movement, you will gain or lose $50. Remember, typically for every $1000 in available margin at 100:1 leverage will control $100,000 in currency and that every pip (i.e. price movement) will be worth $10.
Using the same information: if a broker were to offer you 400:1 leverage, then your $5000 would be able to control $2,000,000 in currency. This gives you the ability to trade 20 lots at a time, which means each pip movement would be approximately $200…so that 5-pip movement from above would equal to a gain or loss of $1000!
So, you can see that while a higher leverage can help you control more currency and give you the ability to make more money, if you are wrong, you will lose more. Take the use of leverage seriously and with respect and you are already ahead of the game.
Margin CallYou never want to get one of these. Basically, a margin call is when you are contacted if your account falls below a certain level (you will know that level that is when you open your account with your broker.)
Here is a simple example: You open an account with $2000. You open a position with one lot. You have now have only $1000 in usable margin to either open another lot or to buffer any losses you had on your first open lot. Let’s say that you use that remaining $1000 to open another lot. You now have $2000 of USED margin, with ZERO remaining usable margin. Your trade goes against you by 10 pips (which with 2 lots is $200). Depending on your broker, they will either automatically close the trade and you will have nothing left in your account or you will be contacted via phone or other means saying you must deposit additional capital to cover the deficit. Fortunately with most Forex brokers, your risk is limited to the funds you had on deposit.
Price Quotes: Base Currency / Quote CurrencyAll transactions are based in pairs, buying one and selling another. The first currency quoted is called the base currency, while the second one quoted is called the quote currency. As an example, here is a typical currency quote: EUR/USD 1.5280
In this example, the base currency (EUR) is the Euro Dollar and the quote currency (USD) is the US Dollar.
So, using this example (if you were buying), the quote of 1.5280 means that you would have to pay 1.5820 US Dollars to buy 1 Euro Dollar. Conversely, if you were selling, you would receive 1.5280 US Dollars for each Euro Dollar you sold.
SpreadThis is also called the bid/ask spread. This is the price difference between what a currency pair is being bought and sold for…or a difference between the bid and offer price.
The bid is the price at which the Forex market maker is willing to buy the base currency in exchange for the counter currency. On the other hand, the ask price is the price at which the Forex market maker is willing to sell the base currency in exchange for the counter currency.
Remember that all trades involve the simultaneous purchase of one currency and the sale of another.
Spreads will vary from pairings to pairings. This spread is where your broker will make their money. Every time you make a trade, they make the spread. This is why they charge no commission – because there is no need for it.
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