FOREX Trading – Getting Started
By Jill Kane

Where do I begin? That’s the first and most pertinent question anyone who would like to try his luck in the foreign exchange market asks. Well here’s something that will show you the way and tell you what you need to equip yourself. Time was when FOREX was the exclusive preserve of large banks and huge corporations. Then came the 80s, throwing open the doors of margin accounts to smaller players. The rest is history. Suddenly, the whole world of FOREX became one big playing field and people could control $100,000 with just a $1000 investment – that was the reason it became such a hit – the margins were 100:1.

With amounts like these that you could have control over, it stands to reason that you must be well-versed in this field if you want reasonable success. Starting is possibly simpler than staying there as the investment is sometimes very high. If you want to do FOREX transactions, you are going to need a broker. Make sure he is a registered FCM (Futures Commission Merchant) with the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission).

How do you open a FOREX account? It really is very simple. All you have to do is fill out a form which includes an agreement to authorize the broker to stop any trade that is far too risky. The moment your account is opened, you can put in money and trade all you want. You can choose from the many accounts your broker offers. It could be a Mini Account where all you need is $250 to start trading, or a Standard Account where you need $1000 to $2500. You also have what is known as leverage where more leverage makes sure you have more money available for trading.

Do you begin right away? You could if you wanted to but most brokers allow you to do ‘paper trades’ or trades that don’t involve money. This is a great way to practice before you start off as it gives you a feel of the market. These are called demo accounts and you can get comfortable with them and ‘trade’ till you find yourself making money. These accounts are usually yours to practice on for a month.

What are the tools one uses? You will find that your broker has certain features that all brokers have, like news feeds, real time quotes, charts, analysis. Some even have their own software to do transactions. Most brokers work on the Internet so you should make sure that to get the best service, you should have a good computer with the latest operating system and a fast and reliable Internet connection. All you need to access your account will be your name and password. As trades are commission-free, you can go ahead and do as many transactions as you want.

To get more information on Forex Brokers and Forex Trading Tools visit http://www.fx-trading-guide.com/

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