He's a blog posting from one of my friends on mySpace, Barry. To close the year I couldn't resist posting this for thought!
****************************************************
Here's a revelation that changed my trading forever:
"Successful trading is imply a business of not making mistakes."
That has become such a cornerstone to my trading that I actually framed that saying and put it on my wall over my trading flat screens.
One of the most productive things you can do to become a profitable trader is to make a list of your most common mistakes.
Awareness is the first step.
Then watch your behavior and don't allow yourself to make those mistakes any more.
Each of us has her or his own challenges, so you must make your own list.
But to get you started, I'll expose my sins and share with you what have been my most common mistakes over the years. This is the official list of my own 7 most common mistakes. Perhaps you'll find it helpful:
1. Missing trades. When my setup occurs I need to make sure I'm aware of it and haven't been distracted by chat rooms, email, phone calls or lulled into boredom by a consolidating market.
I also need to make sure I don't hesitate to pull the trigger when I do see my setups.
2. Trading reversals that are not in extended trends and during which the internal market energy has not reversed.
3. Trading only 1 time frame without the confirmation of a longer term chart.
4. Trading while tired.
5. Over trading. Never try to make up for losses or missed trades. Never trade out of boredom. Never take any trade that doesn't match my rules 100%.
6. Not taking profits on my first exit soon enough. This is critical to adjust my cost position in the trade and therefore keep losses small.
7. Exiting my entire position too soon. I must keep at least part of my position alive until the energy of the trade has shifted so that I can ride the big moves.
Well, that's my confession.
Now you know my sins, but I imagine they're not so different than yours.
Have you committed these trading sins ... or your own unique ones?
The only solution is to REPENT!
That doesn't simply mean to say you're sorry.
It means to change your behavior.
Many people treat trading as:
an intellectual exercise.
a mathematical challenge.
or a research project.
Actually it's more about managing your behavior than anything else ... of course that's often the most difficult thing of all!
*********************************************************
I couldn't have said it better!
Barry can be found at: http://www.myspace.com/topdogtrading
Happy New Year !!
Forex Journey
Global Macro Forex and Financial Market Education, Research and Analysis utilizing Elliott Wave, Fibonacci and Gann Forecasting Techniques -
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 28, 2007
Are you a forex trader or a gambler?
Here's an article I found in my files. Given the approach of the New Year, now is an excellent time to re-enforce those good trading habits and thoughts ... enjoy!!
How many pips do you need to be wealthy? The answer may surprise you.
About 2 years ago I sent out a similar letter that changed the outlook and the lives of many traders. While most at the time were mini-traders a simple 25 pip gain equated to a mere $25.00. "How can I live off of that?" I was repeatedly asked. It didn't take long to put this into perspective.
Determining Percent Return
Profits are one thing, percent return is another. Monthly profits may add up to look nice or not so nice, but what is the actual return? I am sure we have all heard traders say, "I made 1,000 pips last month." OK.. what was your percent return? Not only for one month, but for the life of your trading.
Return Calculation
The simple return calculation is used to determine your return on an investment after you sold it. Or in this case, the profits after closing trades over a period of time.
Here is the formula:
Net Proceeds /Cost Basis - 1 x 100
Let's run through a simple example.
Suppose you traded one standard forex contract for a profit of 200 pips. This would be a raw profit of $2,000. The cost in this case was the spread and the margin needed to secure the contract; the most common margin is 100:1. Thus it cost a temporary, $1,000 to secure this contract. We say temporary because we all know we would not trade without a stop loss, most likely the stop would have been worth about $250.
Calculation:
Net Proceeds = $2000
Cost Basis = $20 (spread) + $1,000 margin
($2,000 /$1,020 - 1) x 100 = 96% (Just under 100% in a single 30 days)
What about per year?
Try it, you will be amazed. Hint: Don't forget to compound.
Take Home Message
Trade conservatively, a few 25 pip trades per week (300 pips per month) on a single lot can give you a return of just under 200% a month. Build your account slowly, trade with the same level of caution, just add more lots. This is the best method, the most realistic method and the lowest stress method of enjoying the rewards of forex.
John Keister
ForexInterBank
Happy Trading from ForexJourney.com!!
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Clarity
Clarity. This is my word, my mission for 2008. I am going (notice I did not say “try to”), let me repeat, I am going to achieve clarity in all aspects of life including my trading. As many of my readers know I had a very eventful 2007. I became a dad for the first time. This has brought a new meaning to life. One that many of my friends have mentioned, but one I truly didn’t understand until I experienced it myself. It has been the greatest single joy of my life, not to mention a major adjustment in trading schedule.
I define have one simple New Year’s resolution that will permeate my life and my trading – seek clarity in every aspect of my Forex trading and perform every action with intent!
I know what you are thinking; it seems kind of pie in the sky, but think about it. We should approach all our actions with clarity and intent. Design the outcome well before we enter a currency trade. Keeping mental focus it what really separates long term profits and losses.
I encourage each of you to take the time now and revisit your Forex trading plan. Learn from your mistakes, because they are your most valuable teachers. My goal is to always present clear intent into my Forex trading in 2008, what’s your intent?
Happy New Year’s from ForexJourney.com
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Why the Fed is Such a Lousy Wizard of Oz
Interesting article by Susan C. Walker - check it out!
By Susan C. Walker, Elliott Wave InternationalSeptember 7, 2007
Central bankers who "follow the yellow brick road" end up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, every Labor Day weekend for their annual symposium sponsored by – who else? – the Kansas City Fed. (Who can forget Judy Garland saying to her little dog, "Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," in the 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz?)
The Jackson Hole Resort serves as the Federal Reserve's equivalent of the Emerald City, as Fed governors and presidents meet with central bankers and economists from around the world to discuss economic issues. This year, the symposium focused on housing and monetary policy. Usually, the Fed chairman kicks off the symposium and, this year, the new chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, did the honors. He closed his speech with these words:
"The interaction of housing, housing finance, and economic activity has for years been of central importance for understanding the behavior of the economy, and it will continue to be central to our thinking as we try to anticipate economic and financial developments."
Then came the other speeches. And it seems that some of the guests in Emerald City were waiting for their chance to pull back the curtain and prove that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz isn't such a wizard after all. Bloomberg reported that "Federal Reserve officials, wrestling with a housing recession that jeopardizes U.S. growth, got an earful from critics at a weekend retreat, arguing they should use regulation and interest rates to prevent asset-price bubbles." Apparently, one academic paper presented at Jackson Hole graded the Fed an 'F' for the way it has handled the repercussions from the rise and fall of the housing market.
Truth be told, these folks are a little late to the table as critics of the Fed. We're glad they're joining us, but here's what they still haven't learned: It isn't because the Federal Reserve messes up by allowing credit, asset and stock bubbles to form that it's not a wizard. The Federal Reserve isn't a wizard for one particular reason that it doesn't want anybody to know – and that is that the Fed doesn't lead the financial markets, it follows them.
People everywhere want to believe in the Fed's wizardry. But all this talk about how the Fed will be able to help the U.S. economy and hold up the markets by cutting rates now is as much hooey as the Wizard of Oz promising Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion that he could give them what they wanted: a return to Kansas, a brain, a heart, and courage. Because when the Fed does do something, it always comes after the markets have already made their moves.
If you don't believe it, you should look at one chart from the most recent Elliott Wave Financial Forecast. It compares the movements in the Fed Funds rate with the movements of the 3-month U.S. Treasury Bill Yield. What does it reveal? That the Fed has followed the T-Bill yield up and down every step of the way since 2000. And the interesting question becomes this: Since the T-bill yield has dropped nearly two points since February, how soon will the Fed cut its rate to follow the market's lead this time?
[Editor's note: You can see this chart and read the Special Section it appears in by accessing the free report, The Unwonderful Wizardry of the Fed.]
We've got our own brains, heart and courage here at Elliott Wave International, and we've used them to explain over and over again that putting faith in the Fed to turn around the markets and the economy is blind faith indeed.
"This blind faith in the Fed's power to hold up the economy and stocks epitomizes the following definition of magic offered by Teller of the illusionist and comedy team of Penn and Teller: a 'theatrical linking of a cause with an effect that has no basis in physical reality, but that – in our hearts – ought to be.'" [September 2007, The Elliott Wave Financial Forecast]
Because, you see, what makes the markets move has less to do with what the unwizardly Fed does and more with changes in the mass psychology of all the people investing in those markets. The Elliott Wave Principle describes how bullish and bearish trends in the financial markets reflect changes in social mood, from positive to negative and back again. To extend the metaphor: The Fed can't affect social mood anymore than the Wonderful Wizard of Oz could change the direction of the wind that brought his hot air balloon to the Land of Oz in the first place.
As our EWI analysts write, "With respect to the timing of the Federal Reserve Board rate cuts, we need to reiterate one key point. The market, not the Fed, sets rates." Being able to understand this information puts you one step closer to clicking your ruby red shoes together and whispering those magic words: "There's no place like home." Once you land back in Kansas, your eyes will open, and you will see that an unwarranted faith in the Fed was just a bad dream.
Susan C. Walker writes for Elliott Wave International, a market forecasting and technical analysis company. She has been an associate editor with Inc. magazine, a newspaper writer and editor, an investor relations executive and a speechwriter for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Her columns also appear regularly on FoxNews.com.
Friday, November 16, 2007
How To Recognize a Financial Mania When You're Smack Dab in the Middle of One
By Susan C. Walker, Elliott Wave International
November 12, 2007
When you're caught in the middle of a bad storm, you don't really care whether it's a tropical depression or a full-strength hurricane. You just know you're hanging on for dear life. The same idea applies to financial markets. When a market is trending up strongly, it's hard to tell whether it's just a bull market or a more dangerous financial mania.
The recent tremendous ride up for global and U.S. financial markets, including the Dow, looks and feels more like a mania than a mere bull, says Elliott Wave International analyst Peter Kendall. This distinction is important to recognize in the rising stage, because manias always result in a crash that takes them back beneath their starting point.
Kendall recently published his research into current financial manias throughout the world in SFO (Stocks, Futures and Options) magazine. The article, titled "Financial Manias and the Trade of a Lifetime," suggests an even more stunning finish for the current manias: "The speed and global scope of the unfolding credit crisis suggest that most of the fast-rising markets of the last decade will crash in unison," he writes.
He also discusses current manias, such as the Nikkei, which has yet to return to its start after a manic rise to its all-time high in December 1989, and the Dow, which reversed from its rise in 2000 but made a U-turn in 2002. The starting point for the Dow's mania as shown in the chart included in the article is at the 1000 level.
Kendall, who is also writing a book about financial manias, titled The Mania Chronicles, describes five telltale signs that help an investor to tell the difference between a regular bull market and a mania. It's a mania if:
1. There is no upside resistance, and rising prices seem to be perpetual.
2. Everyone in the market looks like an expert.
3. There is a flight from quality investments to riskier investments.
4. As financial bubbles pop in one area, they bubble up in others.
5. The crash after the peak takes back all the gains the mania made.
No. 5 can be viewed only with hindsight. But the first four signs provide essential clues to what's shaping up in the markets.
"By studying past mania experiences, traders can gain valuable insight into the collective emotions that drive their markets," writes Kendall. "It's possible to make significant money in the advancing stages of a mania with no knowledge of its existence. But there is nothing like recognizing a mania for what it is in real time to help a trader keep those gains and deal with the relentless crash after it peaks."
In the last part of the SFO article, he asks the key question, Are we at the peak yet? Find out his answer by reading the whole article for yourself.
Susan C. Walker writes for Elliott Wave International, a market forecasting and technical analysis company. She has been an associate editor with Inc. magazine, a newspaper writer and editor, an investor relations executive and a speechwriter for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Her columns also appear regularly on FoxNews.com.
November 12, 2007
When you're caught in the middle of a bad storm, you don't really care whether it's a tropical depression or a full-strength hurricane. You just know you're hanging on for dear life. The same idea applies to financial markets. When a market is trending up strongly, it's hard to tell whether it's just a bull market or a more dangerous financial mania.
The recent tremendous ride up for global and U.S. financial markets, including the Dow, looks and feels more like a mania than a mere bull, says Elliott Wave International analyst Peter Kendall. This distinction is important to recognize in the rising stage, because manias always result in a crash that takes them back beneath their starting point.
Kendall recently published his research into current financial manias throughout the world in SFO (Stocks, Futures and Options) magazine. The article, titled "Financial Manias and the Trade of a Lifetime," suggests an even more stunning finish for the current manias: "The speed and global scope of the unfolding credit crisis suggest that most of the fast-rising markets of the last decade will crash in unison," he writes.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Editor's note: Elliott Wave International invites you to read the full five-page article with charts from the October 2007 SFO magazine by Elliott Wave International's Pete Kendall called "Financial Manias and the Trade of a Lifetime."---------------------------------------------------------------
As co-editor of The Elliott Wave Financial Forecast, Kendall searches for trends that help traders to move in and out of markets. By comparing other historic manias with the impressive rise of the DJIA since the late 1970s, he focuses on the skyscraper pattern that they all have in common. The four historical manias are the Dutch Tulip mania of the 1630s, the South Sea bubble of 1720, the U.S. stock crash of 1921-1932 and the dot.com bust of the 1990s and early 2000s. Once you can see the similarities, you will be better prepared to face the music when the crash comes. As Kendall writes, "once the belief that the markets will always rise becomes widespread, it actually signals the start of a price swing that tends to be a career-breaker for any trader who tries to oppose it."He also discusses current manias, such as the Nikkei, which has yet to return to its start after a manic rise to its all-time high in December 1989, and the Dow, which reversed from its rise in 2000 but made a U-turn in 2002. The starting point for the Dow's mania as shown in the chart included in the article is at the 1000 level.
Kendall, who is also writing a book about financial manias, titled The Mania Chronicles, describes five telltale signs that help an investor to tell the difference between a regular bull market and a mania. It's a mania if:
1. There is no upside resistance, and rising prices seem to be perpetual.
2. Everyone in the market looks like an expert.
3. There is a flight from quality investments to riskier investments.
4. As financial bubbles pop in one area, they bubble up in others.
5. The crash after the peak takes back all the gains the mania made.
No. 5 can be viewed only with hindsight. But the first four signs provide essential clues to what's shaping up in the markets.
"By studying past mania experiences, traders can gain valuable insight into the collective emotions that drive their markets," writes Kendall. "It's possible to make significant money in the advancing stages of a mania with no knowledge of its existence. But there is nothing like recognizing a mania for what it is in real time to help a trader keep those gains and deal with the relentless crash after it peaks."
In the last part of the SFO article, he asks the key question, Are we at the peak yet? Find out his answer by reading the whole article for yourself.
Susan C. Walker writes for Elliott Wave International, a market forecasting and technical analysis company. She has been an associate editor with Inc. magazine, a newspaper writer and editor, an investor relations executive and a speechwriter for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Her columns also appear regularly on FoxNews.com.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Elliott Wave Free Week
Just a reminder:
It's FREE Week at ElliottWave.com!!
Click here and get your FREE content
Free Week End August 29.
It's FREE Week at ElliottWave.com!!
Click here and get your FREE content
Free Week End August 29.
Forex Journey Interview on Forex Education
Hey Team!
Click here to hear a recent interview I did with Interviews with Prosperity on the importance of Forex Education.
Happy Trading!!
Click here to hear a recent interview I did with Interviews with Prosperity on the importance of Forex Education.
Happy Trading!!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Forex Education Tip – 5 Steps to Successful Forex Trading
Close to 95% of all Forex traders will lose money. We're not just talking about novices, either. Whether you trade Forex for a living, as a hobby or just for fun, odds are against your success. That's a simply astonishing fact. However, the remaining 5% of Forex traders somehow manage to break even and there are those lucky few that actually make money in the currency market – consistently!
Like the TV show says … “How’d they do that, anyway?”
That's the million dollar questions, isn’t it? Countless books, seminars and expos have been hosted to answer this very question. That sad fact is that thousands of books have been written and countless seminars and interviews have been conducted in an attempt to answer the magic questions. The reality of the situation is that there is no magic formula; no one single Holy Grail of Forex trading.
So what do the successful traders do that the rest of us have simple not comprehended. They have mastered a process of winning where they combine and customize several factor to produce consistent results. They have mastered the Process of Trading.
The Process of Trading is:
Strategy > Money Management > Self-Mastery
Here are some simple Forex Education tips to help you master the process of forex trading:
Forex 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.
Forex 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!
Forex 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.
Forex Success Tip #4 – Be Patient
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 an 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.
Happy Trading!!
Like the TV show says … “How’d they do that, anyway?”
That's the million dollar questions, isn’t it? Countless books, seminars and expos have been hosted to answer this very question. That sad fact is that thousands of books have been written and countless seminars and interviews have been conducted in an attempt to answer the magic questions. The reality of the situation is that there is no magic formula; no one single Holy Grail of Forex trading.
So what do the successful traders do that the rest of us have simple not comprehended. They have mastered a process of winning where they combine and customize several factor to produce consistent results. They have mastered the Process of Trading.
The Process of Trading is:
Strategy > Money Management > Self-Mastery
Here are some simple Forex Education tips to help you master the process of forex trading:
Forex 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.
Forex 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!
Forex 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.
Forex Success Tip #4 – Be Patient
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 an 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.
Happy Trading!!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Forex Education Tip - Stops
Let me just give you a quick tip about setting stop losses.
I once took a class where I was instructucted to place my stop loss 30 pips below my entry. Why 30 pips I asked? I was told it was an "acceptable" risk. Based on what? I see a lot ot traders basing their risk management strategy on some pre-defined pip value risk without any consideration for support and resistance.
Don't do this!
Like I say - trading Forex is a process and setting your stops is a key component. Your stop should be placed near support and/or resistance based on the charts and not some pre-defined pip value. Caution: stay away from the herd!
Simply:
1. Locate support and/or resistance for your stop
2. Calculate your target to determine a reward-to-risk ratio
3. Determine whether you can afford the trade
4. If all systems are a go then pull the trigger
Setting a pre-defined stop makes no sense if all you can guarantee is to get stop out of your trade and have it eventually go in your direction. Let the market tell you where to protect your trade and when to take profits. This is why 2 traders can look at the same charts, establish the same trade and one trader pull the trigger an the other traders pass.
Follow YOUR trading plan and begin to take your trading to new heights. Your Forex Education is the path to true Forex profits!
Happy Trading!!
I once took a class where I was instructucted to place my stop loss 30 pips below my entry. Why 30 pips I asked? I was told it was an "acceptable" risk. Based on what? I see a lot ot traders basing their risk management strategy on some pre-defined pip value risk without any consideration for support and resistance.
Don't do this!
Like I say - trading Forex is a process and setting your stops is a key component. Your stop should be placed near support and/or resistance based on the charts and not some pre-defined pip value. Caution: stay away from the herd!
Simply:
1. Locate support and/or resistance for your stop
2. Calculate your target to determine a reward-to-risk ratio
3. Determine whether you can afford the trade
4. If all systems are a go then pull the trigger
Setting a pre-defined stop makes no sense if all you can guarantee is to get stop out of your trade and have it eventually go in your direction. Let the market tell you where to protect your trade and when to take profits. This is why 2 traders can look at the same charts, establish the same trade and one trader pull the trigger an the other traders pass.
Follow YOUR trading plan and begin to take your trading to new heights. Your Forex Education is the path to true Forex profits!
Happy Trading!!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Is Paid Forex Education Worth It?
I am scanning the internet looking for information about how I can be a better trader just like most people out there. I am on a quest looking for each and every golden nugget of information out there on the web. I have alerts set up so Google can email every keyword topic of choice.
I have been getting fired up recently about the amount of just plain bad Forex advice slewed across the web. It is definitely a “buyers beware” market and every word of advice (including mine) should be taken with a grain of salt. Why? Because everything I say and write is based entirely on my own experiences.
One of the topics gaining some momentum is the fact that everyone pitching a Forex product is not a trader, but a marketer and if they were a trader they would be trading and not trying to sell you something.
What a bunch of BS!
Yes, I do believe all the information that one needs to trade the Forex profitably is available free on the internet. I challenge anyone new to Forex to assemble the information, study and execute without any assistance. I would imagine every trader out there has gathered free information and put it to use, but the truly valuable information often is not free!
Example – I read Steve Nison’s books and DVD’s (highly recommended by the way) to gain the necessary insight into candlestick charting. I also paid a couple of hundred of dollars to attend a live seminar. During that seminar Steve Nison made one comment that allowed all of my previous work in candlesticks to click and take my trading to the next level! Was it worth it? Hell yah! That one comment was the only peice of new information I gathered, however it has paid for the seminar 100 times over. Not only that, the opportunity to network with other traders introduced new ideas and approaches that I hadn't thought of previously.
In the end it's a personal decision. After all it's your money. Trading is a profession just being a pilot, a doctor or an engineer. Each requires dedicated training, personal development and instruction to gain proficiency. You would never go to a dentist that learned how to fill cavities on the internet (this information is available there too!), so treat your Forex account the same way.
I am calling all you freebie seekers out! Stop being cheap. Your Forex Education is an investment and not a cost. Cutting corners will only cost you more money in the long run.
Happy Trading!!
I have been getting fired up recently about the amount of just plain bad Forex advice slewed across the web. It is definitely a “buyers beware” market and every word of advice (including mine) should be taken with a grain of salt. Why? Because everything I say and write is based entirely on my own experiences.
One of the topics gaining some momentum is the fact that everyone pitching a Forex product is not a trader, but a marketer and if they were a trader they would be trading and not trying to sell you something.
What a bunch of BS!
Yes, I do believe all the information that one needs to trade the Forex profitably is available free on the internet. I challenge anyone new to Forex to assemble the information, study and execute without any assistance. I would imagine every trader out there has gathered free information and put it to use, but the truly valuable information often is not free!
Example – I read Steve Nison’s books and DVD’s (highly recommended by the way) to gain the necessary insight into candlestick charting. I also paid a couple of hundred of dollars to attend a live seminar. During that seminar Steve Nison made one comment that allowed all of my previous work in candlesticks to click and take my trading to the next level! Was it worth it? Hell yah! That one comment was the only peice of new information I gathered, however it has paid for the seminar 100 times over. Not only that, the opportunity to network with other traders introduced new ideas and approaches that I hadn't thought of previously.
In the end it's a personal decision. After all it's your money. Trading is a profession just being a pilot, a doctor or an engineer. Each requires dedicated training, personal development and instruction to gain proficiency. You would never go to a dentist that learned how to fill cavities on the internet (this information is available there too!), so treat your Forex account the same way.
I am calling all you freebie seekers out! Stop being cheap. Your Forex Education is an investment and not a cost. Cutting corners will only cost you more money in the long run.
Happy Trading!!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Forex Education Tips - Overcoming Fear
Have you ever been in a situation where you have evaluated the market, saw your strategy set-up perfectly and then just couldn’t pull the trigger? You become paralyzed, unable to move even though you know your high probability set-up has just triggered.
This fear is very real for many traders and very detrimental to your account. Fear is a powerful emotion, distorting fact from fiction and often creating an emotional response. Many experts tell you to trade without emotion, but is that really practical? We are indeed human. Remember the basis for the reaction is real, but the fear usually is not.
Fear blocks your ability to execute high probability trades and we must find strategies to manage our fear. With time comes experience and for traders it is the ultimate super hero for fear.
In the meantime, if you are struggling with fear-based execution challenges here are some simple tips to get you over the hump.
Embrace the Emotion
Acknowledge your emotions. If you find yourself analyzing a trade to the point of paralysis don’t try to ignore the emotions. Separate yourself from this river of negativity. Visualize yourself on the river bank as these torrents of emotions are flowing by. You will gain great awareness to the triggers and learn a lot about who you are as a trader.
Separate Fear from Fact
If you fear pulling the trigger because of loss (what if I am wrong?), that will stop you from enjoying the profits the market may make available to you at any given time. Don’t avoid the action that might cause the loss, but re-frame the problem as fear itself. You have evaluated the market, figured out your reward –to-risk ration and accepted your potential for loss through your stop-loss and money management plan. At this point loss is not the obstacle – fear is. There is no such thing as failure, only feedback and that will guide you to consistent and profitable trading.
Re-Think the Consequences
If your mind is off to the races with all sorts of possibilities what’s the worst that can happen if Murphy’s Law gets enacted during your trade? You have already addressed this in your trading plan. Plan your trade and trade your plan. Again fear is trumped and the only way it can be realized is if you didn’t follow your plan. Sticking to your plan is the clearest way to distinguish between a losing trade, which is just a part of business, and a bad trade which is a career killer!
Act in Spite of Fear
Feel the fear and do it anyway. Return to your mission statement or your “why?” statement. The reasons you trading should be big enough to overcome any possible obstacle your fear emotion can conjure up. Acknowledge the fear and do it anyway. You may not have a winning trade, but you will have executed your plan and over time probability will pay you back.
What is all comes down to is the intangibles of trading. Why do I and so many others drive home discipline-based Forex Education and Training approaches. You will never get rid of fear, but with practice you can turn it into a manageable obstacle and deploy it to your advantage.
Happy Trading!!
This fear is very real for many traders and very detrimental to your account. Fear is a powerful emotion, distorting fact from fiction and often creating an emotional response. Many experts tell you to trade without emotion, but is that really practical? We are indeed human. Remember the basis for the reaction is real, but the fear usually is not.
Fear blocks your ability to execute high probability trades and we must find strategies to manage our fear. With time comes experience and for traders it is the ultimate super hero for fear.
In the meantime, if you are struggling with fear-based execution challenges here are some simple tips to get you over the hump.
Embrace the Emotion
Acknowledge your emotions. If you find yourself analyzing a trade to the point of paralysis don’t try to ignore the emotions. Separate yourself from this river of negativity. Visualize yourself on the river bank as these torrents of emotions are flowing by. You will gain great awareness to the triggers and learn a lot about who you are as a trader.
Separate Fear from Fact
If you fear pulling the trigger because of loss (what if I am wrong?), that will stop you from enjoying the profits the market may make available to you at any given time. Don’t avoid the action that might cause the loss, but re-frame the problem as fear itself. You have evaluated the market, figured out your reward –to-risk ration and accepted your potential for loss through your stop-loss and money management plan. At this point loss is not the obstacle – fear is. There is no such thing as failure, only feedback and that will guide you to consistent and profitable trading.
Re-Think the Consequences
If your mind is off to the races with all sorts of possibilities what’s the worst that can happen if Murphy’s Law gets enacted during your trade? You have already addressed this in your trading plan. Plan your trade and trade your plan. Again fear is trumped and the only way it can be realized is if you didn’t follow your plan. Sticking to your plan is the clearest way to distinguish between a losing trade, which is just a part of business, and a bad trade which is a career killer!
Act in Spite of Fear
Feel the fear and do it anyway. Return to your mission statement or your “why?” statement. The reasons you trading should be big enough to overcome any possible obstacle your fear emotion can conjure up. Acknowledge the fear and do it anyway. You may not have a winning trade, but you will have executed your plan and over time probability will pay you back.
What is all comes down to is the intangibles of trading. Why do I and so many others drive home discipline-based Forex Education and Training approaches. You will never get rid of fear, but with practice you can turn it into a manageable obstacle and deploy it to your advantage.
Happy Trading!!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Forex Education - Fully Present
This means rejecting thinking that doesn’t support your current trading objectives, including rejecting non-trading related mental chatter (what’s for dinner, balancing your check book, who’s on American Idol tonight, whatever). Your goal is simple -- to zero in on the trading task in front of you. Enter your personal trading zone. Deny all incoming calls. Don’t check your email and please do not even think about logging into your Instant Messenger account. You’ve got to be in a place and time where you can trade without being disturbed.
Ask yourself – Where Am I? The answer is - Here
Ask yourself – What Time Is it? The answer is – Now
When you become fully present on the task of trading, you are able to achieve peak performance and gain an edge on the other traders in the market at that moment. How many times have you often have you been trading, felt in rhythm with the market, and then you become distracted, surfed the web (OK, you busted me!), checked your email and all of a sudden, your trade fell apart because you overlooked an indicator or failed to see what economic releases where due out during your trading session.
Trading in the here and now is not only powerful, it is extremely profitable! When you can direct your focus on your trading task without distractions you become invigorated and infused with the energy that comes from requiring yourself to be fully present when trading, you’ll find that your trading all of a sudden becomes a little easier and enjoyable. When you reach this state, stop briefly to observe it and how you feel so that you can summon this mental state more easily in the future. And journal it so you can recall all the factors that contributed to your success. That way you’ll be able to set yourself up in a repeatable, successful trading environment. Your journal will become the greatest trading tool you'll ever own!
To not become fully present when trading is to short-change your Forex Education AND you’re your account balance … it’s like not accepting the greatness within your at the time the market provides you with your pip rewards.
Which mental time zones do you what to be in for your trading? There are only three: past (FEAR), future (ANXIETY) and HERE. It’s been said that most traders spend only 1% of their time in the present. Could you imagine what kind of profits your mind can produce when you become fully present when trading?
Carpe Diem and Happy Trading!!
Ask yourself – Where Am I? The answer is - Here
Ask yourself – What Time Is it? The answer is – Now
When you become fully present on the task of trading, you are able to achieve peak performance and gain an edge on the other traders in the market at that moment. How many times have you often have you been trading, felt in rhythm with the market, and then you become distracted, surfed the web (OK, you busted me!), checked your email and all of a sudden, your trade fell apart because you overlooked an indicator or failed to see what economic releases where due out during your trading session.
Trading in the here and now is not only powerful, it is extremely profitable! When you can direct your focus on your trading task without distractions you become invigorated and infused with the energy that comes from requiring yourself to be fully present when trading, you’ll find that your trading all of a sudden becomes a little easier and enjoyable. When you reach this state, stop briefly to observe it and how you feel so that you can summon this mental state more easily in the future. And journal it so you can recall all the factors that contributed to your success. That way you’ll be able to set yourself up in a repeatable, successful trading environment. Your journal will become the greatest trading tool you'll ever own!
To not become fully present when trading is to short-change your Forex Education AND you’re your account balance … it’s like not accepting the greatness within your at the time the market provides you with your pip rewards.
Which mental time zones do you what to be in for your trading? There are only three: past (FEAR), future (ANXIETY) and HERE. It’s been said that most traders spend only 1% of their time in the present. Could you imagine what kind of profits your mind can produce when you become fully present when trading?
Carpe Diem and Happy Trading!!
Monday, August 06, 2007
We're #1
Well, as I return to my desk from a break to welcome the new addition to my family I was pleasantly surprised to received notification that Forex Journey has been ranked as the #1 Forex Blog by CurrencyTrading.Net on their “Top 25 Forex Bloggers.
Check it out ==> http://www.currencytrading.net/2007/top-25-forex-bloggers
Thanks everyone for inspiring me to follow my passion!
Happy Trading!!
Check it out ==> http://www.currencytrading.net/2007/top-25-forex-bloggers
Thanks everyone for inspiring me to follow my passion!
Happy Trading!!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Forex Education Mind Set
Here's a forex education blog post I like and thought you might too! You can find the article at:
http://financial-blogs.blogspot.com/2007/07/forex-trading-do-you-have-what-it-takes.html
or below:
Forex Trading - Do You Have What It Takes?
There are some facts that you simply must accept to have a fair chance to be successful at Forex trading. Let's have a look at what these facts are and if you can succeed in the worlds most exciting investment environment.
Trading markets are not scientific
The thought of approaching Forex trading by applying science is appealing. However, Scientific theories dont and never will work, because humans determine the market prices, and doing so, they dont consider scientific criteria.
Most people would prefer to be able to make money without risking anything. Many vendors try to gain from this fact, offering trading systems which are described as a possibility to trade with low risk and make a regular income. The fact you must accept is:
If the reward is big, the risk will be mirrored. Pure and simple, risk and reward walks hand in hand. If you can't accept taking risks, you should look for another small business idea.
So far it has been kind of negative, lets have a look at the bright side
To be successful at Forex trading will not require hard work! Work smart not hard is a perfect expression here, meaning that you don't need to learn just for the sake of learning. You'll only need to learn one system/strategy. It wont take long to learn because...
Simple straight forward systems work best. A simple system in Forex trading will outperform a complicated system, short term and long term. Why is that a indisputable fact?
Because it will always be easier to implement a simple system in a complexed market. A complexed system with a lot of parameters, makes it much harder to find the right trading opportunities. The most reliable currency trading systems all tend to be simple.
You can learn everything about currency trading
If thats a fact, why do so many Forex traders lose? The answer is the lack of mental discipline.
Currency trading is more about mindset rather than just a method. If you dont maintain discipline to follow your method, the method isn't there anymore. The best way to gain the necessary discipline is to develop your own method. You'll be confident in your trading because of full understanding of the method.
If you are able to accept and take calculated risks at the right time, Forex trading can be very profitable, due to the leverage at your disposal. Forex trading is not rocket science. Its a lot simpler than you may believe, and thanks to the Internet it's available for everyone.
The key points:
Education
Learn to accept the risks
Rely on yourself
Trading discipline
http://financial-blogs.blogspot.com/2007/07/forex-trading-do-you-have-what-it-takes.html
or below:
Forex Trading - Do You Have What It Takes?
There are some facts that you simply must accept to have a fair chance to be successful at Forex trading. Let's have a look at what these facts are and if you can succeed in the worlds most exciting investment environment.
Trading markets are not scientific
The thought of approaching Forex trading by applying science is appealing. However, Scientific theories dont and never will work, because humans determine the market prices, and doing so, they dont consider scientific criteria.
Most people would prefer to be able to make money without risking anything. Many vendors try to gain from this fact, offering trading systems which are described as a possibility to trade with low risk and make a regular income. The fact you must accept is:
If the reward is big, the risk will be mirrored. Pure and simple, risk and reward walks hand in hand. If you can't accept taking risks, you should look for another small business idea.
So far it has been kind of negative, lets have a look at the bright side
To be successful at Forex trading will not require hard work! Work smart not hard is a perfect expression here, meaning that you don't need to learn just for the sake of learning. You'll only need to learn one system/strategy. It wont take long to learn because...
Simple straight forward systems work best. A simple system in Forex trading will outperform a complicated system, short term and long term. Why is that a indisputable fact?
Because it will always be easier to implement a simple system in a complexed market. A complexed system with a lot of parameters, makes it much harder to find the right trading opportunities. The most reliable currency trading systems all tend to be simple.
You can learn everything about currency trading
If thats a fact, why do so many Forex traders lose? The answer is the lack of mental discipline.
Currency trading is more about mindset rather than just a method. If you dont maintain discipline to follow your method, the method isn't there anymore. The best way to gain the necessary discipline is to develop your own method. You'll be confident in your trading because of full understanding of the method.
If you are able to accept and take calculated risks at the right time, Forex trading can be very profitable, due to the leverage at your disposal. Forex trading is not rocket science. Its a lot simpler than you may believe, and thanks to the Internet it's available for everyone.
The key points:
Education
Learn to accept the risks
Rely on yourself
Trading discipline
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Forex Education Success Formula
You read about the risk trading the Forex market every day. I talk to many successful traders and investors about the Forex market and it is mind blowing the fear this market produces amongst the conservative investors and daredevil attitude of the aggressive traders. Yes, it is a fact that 95% of traders lose money in Forex. I was taught that if you want a better answer then you have got to ask a better question and my question is why?
The answer is rather simple – most traders seek the path of least resistance and that will inevitably lead to failure. They failed because they didn’t take the time to gain a proper understanding and cheated their Forex Education!
Look, the market is neither for you nor against you. It makes profit opportunity equally available as the chance to take a loss. It will take money from you no matter your age, sex, experience or effort you put into your trading. The Forex market only rewards those who are correct and nothing else. It’s the old saying – work smart and not hard.
That leads to the next question; how can I be correct and smart? The answer is simple – through Forex Education. I have put together my Success Formula for trading the Forex market.
1. Strategy – it’s not a one size fits all world. Different strategies play to us based on our individual trading personalities. Understanding the rules and tools are critical when applying them to the market. This comes with time and experience. Don’t short change your learning curve. It will eventually lead you to profit.
2. Money Management – planning your risk will keep you in the game as you climb the learning curve as well as exploding your account once you’ve gained the experience and knowledge. Mastering this skill is not optional!
3. Self-Mastery - is having the discipline and emotional control to manage your strategy and money management plan. Knowing yourself will be skill that catapults you in to the elite 5%. It takes self-awareness training, accepting full responsibility for all of your trading actions and the ability to go beyond trading and finding your true personality. Talk to any successful trader and you will quickly see the control they exert not only in their trading, but in their lives in general.
Learning to trade Forex isn’t rocket science. Keeping things simple and working smarter will lead you to success in this market and the path forward can only b accomplished by investing in your Forex Education.
Happy Trading!!
The answer is rather simple – most traders seek the path of least resistance and that will inevitably lead to failure. They failed because they didn’t take the time to gain a proper understanding and cheated their Forex Education!
Look, the market is neither for you nor against you. It makes profit opportunity equally available as the chance to take a loss. It will take money from you no matter your age, sex, experience or effort you put into your trading. The Forex market only rewards those who are correct and nothing else. It’s the old saying – work smart and not hard.
That leads to the next question; how can I be correct and smart? The answer is simple – through Forex Education. I have put together my Success Formula for trading the Forex market.
1. Strategy – it’s not a one size fits all world. Different strategies play to us based on our individual trading personalities. Understanding the rules and tools are critical when applying them to the market. This comes with time and experience. Don’t short change your learning curve. It will eventually lead you to profit.
2. Money Management – planning your risk will keep you in the game as you climb the learning curve as well as exploding your account once you’ve gained the experience and knowledge. Mastering this skill is not optional!
3. Self-Mastery - is having the discipline and emotional control to manage your strategy and money management plan. Knowing yourself will be skill that catapults you in to the elite 5%. It takes self-awareness training, accepting full responsibility for all of your trading actions and the ability to go beyond trading and finding your true personality. Talk to any successful trader and you will quickly see the control they exert not only in their trading, but in their lives in general.
Learning to trade Forex isn’t rocket science. Keeping things simple and working smarter will lead you to success in this market and the path forward can only b accomplished by investing in your Forex Education.
Happy Trading!!
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Forex Education - No Pain, No Gain
Forex trading breakthroughs have a lot to do with your ability to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Success usually comes from staying in the here and now, as well as accepting the fact that the market literally can do anything at anytime.
Many of your actions now may seem frustrating - such as designing a trading plan, sticking to just a few currency pairs, learning the intricacies of a strategy. It can seem downright overwhelming too. Just remember that each step you take in the process is adding value to your eventual trading success.
Why is it that so many people are always seeking the easy way out? I guarantee the amount of time searching will be less than just digging in and climbing that learning curve as fast as possible. Just imagine where you're going to be a year from now with a little bit of effort and determination!
Here are some thoughts to get you through that learning curve at lightning speed:
1. Hard Work Now Will Pay Off Later
All the work you do now mastering the process of trading through Forex education will pay off. Will it pay off today or tomorrow? Probably not, however, the small things done consistently in the right places will pay huge dividends later.
2. Every Experience Is A Lesson
Learn from both your mistakes and your success equally. As the question - what lesson am I meant to learn from this and journal it!
3. Focus On The Positive
Losing is a part of trading. Except it and keep your self-talk 100% positive. You will find that at the end of your Forex Journey you were your own worst enemy.
4. Choose The Difficult Action Over The Easy
Doing this will make you a stronger person, not just as a trader. You will find that your characteristics follow you in trading. When you grow as a person you will enhance your ability as a trader. Ask yourself - what action would a profitable trader take and then do it!
Remember this when you get frustrated by learning a new trading technique or in transitioning from demo to live trading -- if you are uncomfortable you're growing as a trader -- and take comfort in being uncomfortable.
Happy Trading!!
Many of your actions now may seem frustrating - such as designing a trading plan, sticking to just a few currency pairs, learning the intricacies of a strategy. It can seem downright overwhelming too. Just remember that each step you take in the process is adding value to your eventual trading success.
Why is it that so many people are always seeking the easy way out? I guarantee the amount of time searching will be less than just digging in and climbing that learning curve as fast as possible. Just imagine where you're going to be a year from now with a little bit of effort and determination!
Here are some thoughts to get you through that learning curve at lightning speed:
1. Hard Work Now Will Pay Off Later
All the work you do now mastering the process of trading through Forex education will pay off. Will it pay off today or tomorrow? Probably not, however, the small things done consistently in the right places will pay huge dividends later.
2. Every Experience Is A Lesson
Learn from both your mistakes and your success equally. As the question - what lesson am I meant to learn from this and journal it!
3. Focus On The Positive
Losing is a part of trading. Except it and keep your self-talk 100% positive. You will find that at the end of your Forex Journey you were your own worst enemy.
4. Choose The Difficult Action Over The Easy
Doing this will make you a stronger person, not just as a trader. You will find that your characteristics follow you in trading. When you grow as a person you will enhance your ability as a trader. Ask yourself - what action would a profitable trader take and then do it!
Remember this when you get frustrated by learning a new trading technique or in transitioning from demo to live trading -- if you are uncomfortable you're growing as a trader -- and take comfort in being uncomfortable.
Happy Trading!!
Friday, June 29, 2007
Todd Judkins Uses Squidoo
Some of you have been asking, so here's my Squidoo site for Forex education:
http://www.squidoo.com/forexjourney
Enjoy,
Todd
http://www.squidoo.com/forexjourney
Enjoy,
Todd
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Forex Education Mastering The Forex Market
Forex Education is always king. That being said, I thought this was pretty interesting...
Investing in the forex, currency market even with small capital is very risky advanture. Before taking on the forex trading market, it's important to be armed with a good understanding of the market itself. This is what makes a good free forex education resource, invaluable to both new and veteran forex traders.
The forex, or Foreign Exchange, market is the largest financial exchange market in the world. Every day, more than 1.8 trillion dollars are traded on the forex market. In the past, it was often difficult for smaller traders to take part in this huge money market, due to a lack of contacts and resources. But that situation has changed. More and more, individuals and smaller banks and companies have the opportunity to invest in the forex market, particularly via the internet, making currency trading an exciting and lucrative enterprise for individual traders as much as for the banking industry. However, it's important to keep in mind that currency trading of even small amounts and modest investments can be risky.
Before taking on the forex trading market, it's important to be armed with a good understanding of the market itself, along with an overview of current market trends and risks. This is what makes a good free forex education resource, like free-forex-education dot com, invaluable to both new and veteran forex traders.
At free-forex-education website, established forex traders as well as those with a burgeoning interest in currency trading can learn everything there is to know about the market. Learn what world currencies are making the most money. Know what the risks are, and when and how to make the most money on a trade. Acquire all the knowledge you need in order to make anywhere from a dollar to a million on this highly liquid market, without leaving the comfort of your computer.
Along with using resources available at free forex education sites like Free-forex-education dot com, it's important to as much research as possible before doing any major forex trading. For a free forex ebook and various information on forex trading please visit. This amazing free resource will provide you with all the information you need to get started trading today.
About Author:Joe Karakas is the owner of the forex online resource found at http://www.free-forex-education.com . Our site help with informations and resources to learn to trade forex online. Check out the website for free forex education more details. Please note that our site is just for information purposes and not an advice whatsoever!Article
Source: http://www.BharatBhasha.comArticle Url: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/finance-and-business.php/62780
Remember the free stuff is a good start, but a Forex Coach will accelerate the process.
Happy Trading!!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Don't Quit On Your Forex Education
Whether you are my student or not I genuinely care about your Forex Education. More importantly I'm passionate about every one obtaining a solid financial education - a skill sorely missing in the world. I chose Forex because of the numerous advantages over the other liquid financial markets. It has allowed me to achieve a high level of financial literacy and provide an outlet for my long held desire to teach.
More importantly, Forex education and training has given me the confidence to control my financial future - and that is truly priceless. That being said, we must look past the hype in the marketplace and focus on what it really takes to personally achieve in the Forex market or any endeavor for that matter.
I'm not going to lie to you, trading Forex is not easy. But not for the reasons you may thing. I've found that in the end we are the ones that will ultimately decide to be successful or not. I know lawyers who have failed miserably in Forex and construction workers who are now millionaires. The separator is not IQ, but rather emotional discipline or Self-Mastery. Where is this obtained?
Your Forex education is the key!
Learning yourself will increase your bottom line more than any other single aspect. Let me just preview what emotional elements must be in place for you to succeed in Forex. You will notice that there is no mention of strategy, moving averages or pivot points!
1. Have A Strong Enough "Why" Statement
Why do you want to get your Forex education and trade the currency market? Is it to save for retirement? Is it to supplement your current income? Is it to replace your current job? Are you trying to accelerate your college fund?
The answer to this question must be strong and full of passion! This will be the one element that will get you through the dark times all traders face.
2. You Must Create Momentum
When you begin learning to trade Forex it is exciting and new, but like everything there is a finite Honeymoon period and the effort begins to wade and life takes you away from your Forex education. You must create momentum - pick a time in your schedule and dedicate this to study and trading and continue to focus on the process of trading. Making money should be a secondary thought to placing sound trades.
Imagine where you are going to be six months from now with a solid commitment. Hold on to that thought and never let it go. Work, kids, friends and family - we all go 'em . Don't let excuses creep in and steal your dream.
3. Overcome Any Obstacles
Listen, nobody is exempt from having to climb the learning curve to achieving in Forex. There are no short cuts. Forex education is the best path. I came across a system the other day that is being marketed as a system that "you don't have to learn" to begin trading in your live account immediately. Just watch a video for 10 minutes and you are good to go! Warning!! The sad thing is that the system appeared to built on sound principals, but no system is fool-proof and without your Forex education your risk is 100% if you do not understand when that system can fail!
Create a vision board of pictures that represent your "Why" statement. Put it within eyesight of your trading area. If you come to work in your car - stop listening to the radio and listen to a audio book, if you do not have the money to fund your live trading account continue trading your demo account until you can fund a live account - you will be in better position than 99.9% of the traders who fund an account right away. This why having a coach is so important.
4. Don't Play The Blame Game
You must from this second forward begin to take full responsibility for all your actions. If a trade didn't work out, don't blame the market or the strategy. Playing the blame game will be devastating to your experience. Look at each situation as a learning experience. I always say that in life there are no failures only feedback! I always ask one simple question after both a losing trade and a wining trade:
"What lesson do I need to learn from this to become a better trader?"
5. Don't Quit On Yourself
It's your dream and I want to fight for it with you, because I know what a mistake it would be to just give up and quit. If you quit you will ultimately learn nothing and would've missed an opportunity to turn your "Why" into your reality!
All you need is a Forex coach.
Happy Trading!!
More importantly, Forex education and training has given me the confidence to control my financial future - and that is truly priceless. That being said, we must look past the hype in the marketplace and focus on what it really takes to personally achieve in the Forex market or any endeavor for that matter.
I'm not going to lie to you, trading Forex is not easy. But not for the reasons you may thing. I've found that in the end we are the ones that will ultimately decide to be successful or not. I know lawyers who have failed miserably in Forex and construction workers who are now millionaires. The separator is not IQ, but rather emotional discipline or Self-Mastery. Where is this obtained?
Your Forex education is the key!
Learning yourself will increase your bottom line more than any other single aspect. Let me just preview what emotional elements must be in place for you to succeed in Forex. You will notice that there is no mention of strategy, moving averages or pivot points!
1. Have A Strong Enough "Why" Statement
Why do you want to get your Forex education and trade the currency market? Is it to save for retirement? Is it to supplement your current income? Is it to replace your current job? Are you trying to accelerate your college fund?
The answer to this question must be strong and full of passion! This will be the one element that will get you through the dark times all traders face.
2. You Must Create Momentum
When you begin learning to trade Forex it is exciting and new, but like everything there is a finite Honeymoon period and the effort begins to wade and life takes you away from your Forex education. You must create momentum - pick a time in your schedule and dedicate this to study and trading and continue to focus on the process of trading. Making money should be a secondary thought to placing sound trades.
Imagine where you are going to be six months from now with a solid commitment. Hold on to that thought and never let it go. Work, kids, friends and family - we all go 'em . Don't let excuses creep in and steal your dream.
3. Overcome Any Obstacles
Listen, nobody is exempt from having to climb the learning curve to achieving in Forex. There are no short cuts. Forex education is the best path. I came across a system the other day that is being marketed as a system that "you don't have to learn" to begin trading in your live account immediately. Just watch a video for 10 minutes and you are good to go! Warning!! The sad thing is that the system appeared to built on sound principals, but no system is fool-proof and without your Forex education your risk is 100% if you do not understand when that system can fail!
Create a vision board of pictures that represent your "Why" statement. Put it within eyesight of your trading area. If you come to work in your car - stop listening to the radio and listen to a audio book, if you do not have the money to fund your live trading account continue trading your demo account until you can fund a live account - you will be in better position than 99.9% of the traders who fund an account right away. This why having a coach is so important.
4. Don't Play The Blame Game
You must from this second forward begin to take full responsibility for all your actions. If a trade didn't work out, don't blame the market or the strategy. Playing the blame game will be devastating to your experience. Look at each situation as a learning experience. I always say that in life there are no failures only feedback! I always ask one simple question after both a losing trade and a wining trade:
"What lesson do I need to learn from this to become a better trader?"
5. Don't Quit On Yourself
It's your dream and I want to fight for it with you, because I know what a mistake it would be to just give up and quit. If you quit you will ultimately learn nothing and would've missed an opportunity to turn your "Why" into your reality!
All you need is a Forex coach.
Happy Trading!!
Monday, June 18, 2007
A Tip for Accelerating Your Forex Education
I teach a lot of traders and at the beginning they all have the same question...
How long will it take me to learn this? How much time can I expect to spend on my Forex education.
You know there is no answer to this. There are many variables to this answer, but it really comes down to the qualities needed to overcome most obstacle -- patience, determination, persistence and perseverance.
I know, yeah but..
Yeah, we have all those qualities, but we still want to accelerate the process. My recommendation is to live at the razor's edge. If you have traded Forex for any time you will realize that the difference between profit and loss is literally a razor's edge. With experience comes minor tweaking of our trading process until we have found consistency. Consistency gained through Forex training.
It's kind of like baseball (my favorite trading - sports analogy). If you are a .320 batter your baseball career you will most likely be elected to the Hall of Fame and bestowed major accolades. If you hit .280 everyone will tell you that you had a nice career, but no Hall of Fame call will come your way.
The difference between the two is that the .320 hitter got one more hit every 15 at bats .. that's it!
A minor increase in your Forex education is all that it will take for you to gain access into the Hall of Fame for Traders. Commit to yourself that you will read another chapter of the technical analysis book tonight, or spend 30 more minutes in your trading room will lead to astonishing returns down the road.
It is the little things that will ultimately give you the edge.
Happy Trading!!
How long will it take me to learn this? How much time can I expect to spend on my Forex education.
You know there is no answer to this. There are many variables to this answer, but it really comes down to the qualities needed to overcome most obstacle -- patience, determination, persistence and perseverance.
I know, yeah but..
Yeah, we have all those qualities, but we still want to accelerate the process. My recommendation is to live at the razor's edge. If you have traded Forex for any time you will realize that the difference between profit and loss is literally a razor's edge. With experience comes minor tweaking of our trading process until we have found consistency. Consistency gained through Forex training.
It's kind of like baseball (my favorite trading - sports analogy). If you are a .320 batter your baseball career you will most likely be elected to the Hall of Fame and bestowed major accolades. If you hit .280 everyone will tell you that you had a nice career, but no Hall of Fame call will come your way.
The difference between the two is that the .320 hitter got one more hit every 15 at bats .. that's it!
A minor increase in your Forex education is all that it will take for you to gain access into the Hall of Fame for Traders. Commit to yourself that you will read another chapter of the technical analysis book tonight, or spend 30 more minutes in your trading room will lead to astonishing returns down the road.
It is the little things that will ultimately give you the edge.
Happy Trading!!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Forex Education - Avoid the Online Currency Trading Trap
Online currency trading in increasing in popularity and with that comes the good, the bad and the “you know what.” Like any business venture there are people out there waiting to take advantage of you and people who genuinely want to help.
Some people hocking learn to trade packages are internet marketers riding the wave of a hot market in search of profits off of someone else’s products. Others are skilled professional seeking to satisfy the teacher in all of us.
How do you get the necessary skills to become a successful Forex trader? How do you know which product or system is the Holy Grail?
The truth is that this does not exist!
Get your Forex education.
The simple truth is that the Forex market is made of human beings and price is nothing more than a representation of supply and demand, which is nothing more than the collective fear and greed the market perceives of a currency pairs value.
That’s it!
I have heard statistics as high as 95% of Forex traders lose money, so logic will tell you to focus in what the 5% are doing for consistent success. They know their system, execute high probability trades, and manage their risk. Most importantly they know themselves inside and out and how their emotions impact their trading.
Notice I said consistent success. So how is consistency found? Well, not in books, surfing the net or even the going it alone approach. Going it alone is the craziest of all. It will succeed if you are willing to lose your account over and over again until YOU figure it out or quit! Which scenario is more likely?
Let’s draw some examples from other professions that require peak performance under pressure. First, thing that comes to mind is professional sports. What do all professional athletes have in common, regardless of the sport? They all have a coach.
Whether the athlete participates in a team or individual sport they all have a coach! A coach is a teacher, a coach can serve as a motivator, and a coach can point out constructive feedback for improvement.
Let’s turn to another profession, business executives. One of the fastest growing industries in business is the business coach. High performance in the business world is critical and now more and more executives are turning to coaches for the same reason as professional athletes.
The moment of truth lies with the trader. The simple reason a Forex coach is valuable is because they are not you. They are not in the fish bowl with you. A coach can impart trading expertise and guide you through the process of Forex trading. A coach will connect you with yourself and maximize your performance.
So when searching for Forex education and online training, seek out education packages that cover strategy, risk management and will introduce you to your trader inside. Seek out those that teach through coaching and are there with you step-by-step.
You are playing the only game that will reward you when you are correct and implement severe penalties when you are wrong. Don’t leave anything to chance. Invest in yourself by investing in your Forex education.
Happy Trading!!
Some people hocking learn to trade packages are internet marketers riding the wave of a hot market in search of profits off of someone else’s products. Others are skilled professional seeking to satisfy the teacher in all of us.
How do you get the necessary skills to become a successful Forex trader? How do you know which product or system is the Holy Grail?
The truth is that this does not exist!
Get your Forex education.
The simple truth is that the Forex market is made of human beings and price is nothing more than a representation of supply and demand, which is nothing more than the collective fear and greed the market perceives of a currency pairs value.
That’s it!
I have heard statistics as high as 95% of Forex traders lose money, so logic will tell you to focus in what the 5% are doing for consistent success. They know their system, execute high probability trades, and manage their risk. Most importantly they know themselves inside and out and how their emotions impact their trading.
Notice I said consistent success. So how is consistency found? Well, not in books, surfing the net or even the going it alone approach. Going it alone is the craziest of all. It will succeed if you are willing to lose your account over and over again until YOU figure it out or quit! Which scenario is more likely?
Let’s draw some examples from other professions that require peak performance under pressure. First, thing that comes to mind is professional sports. What do all professional athletes have in common, regardless of the sport? They all have a coach.
Whether the athlete participates in a team or individual sport they all have a coach! A coach is a teacher, a coach can serve as a motivator, and a coach can point out constructive feedback for improvement.
Let’s turn to another profession, business executives. One of the fastest growing industries in business is the business coach. High performance in the business world is critical and now more and more executives are turning to coaches for the same reason as professional athletes.
The moment of truth lies with the trader. The simple reason a Forex coach is valuable is because they are not you. They are not in the fish bowl with you. A coach can impart trading expertise and guide you through the process of Forex trading. A coach will connect you with yourself and maximize your performance.
So when searching for Forex education and online training, seek out education packages that cover strategy, risk management and will introduce you to your trader inside. Seek out those that teach through coaching and are there with you step-by-step.
You are playing the only game that will reward you when you are correct and implement severe penalties when you are wrong. Don’t leave anything to chance. Invest in yourself by investing in your Forex education.
Happy Trading!!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Forex Education - Banking
Forex Nation -
Here is an interesting video called "The Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America" It is a long view so you may want to rip it ot a DVD.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936
Just another part of the Forex education process!
Todd
ForexJourney.com
Here is an interesting video called "The Money Masters - How International Bankers Gained Control of America" It is a long view so you may want to rip it ot a DVD.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936
Just another part of the Forex education process!
Todd
ForexJourney.com
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Forex Education for Your Future
Here's a statistic that may shock you.
Of the 77 million Baby Boomers in the United States planning for retirement in the next 10 to 15 years, 75% are hurtling towards unexpected financial difficulties, including having to go back to work. Unfortunately may people won't realize how ill-prepared they are for retirement until it is to late...
Here is my recommendation. Get you financial education now!
And while you're at it, a Forex Education with Forex Journey is the way to go.
Now let's fast forward a few years and you have taken he time to invest in your Forex education, which is truly an investment in yourself. You have learned to control your risk. You have built up your account where it alone can support your retirement needs.
Plus, you can continue to grow your account trading just a few hours per week. Your skills are easily transferable to the stock and futures market. In fact, why even wait until you're retirement age start building your life now and perhaps your dreams are closer than your think!
This is all possible if you take a proactive approach and get educated!
Happy Trading!!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
The Power of Expectation
One of the most powerful emotional triggers we can bring into our trading is the power of expectation. Expectations are the fuel that makes our trading goals seem to rush towrds us. Therefore, setting postive expectations is a critical component of our emotional mindset, especially when we are trading.
Here are some thoughts to help you set profitable expectations before beginning your trading session:
Here are some thoughts to help you set profitable expectations before beginning your trading session:
- Trade to be great! Enter every trade with the expectation of making profit and not losing money.
- Embrace the challenge of the market. It is through these challenges were growth lies.
- Don't focus on the results. Instead focus on the process and the results will take care of themselves.
- Believe in yourself.
- Commit that nothing will take you off of your "A" game while trading
- Be decisive and except full responsibility for the outcome.
- Have positive self-talk. Negative talk will lead to negative results.
Expect to be profitable even in the face of obstacles. You have a choice. You can move forward in action or backwards in fear. Positive expectations will promote the positive results and positive results in our business always leads to profit!
This is a sample of the trading methodology at Forex Journey. We go way beyond trendlines and chart patterns!
Happy Trading!!
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Taking a Cue from the Past
Last night I was doing some much needed spring cleaning in the office. I was going through that box in the closet. You know the one? The one that has been sitting there for years and you say every year you are going to get to it!
I was going through this box and it was like going down memory lane, but one of the items I came across just floored me. Back in my early days of trading the Forex market I use to write out cue cards of areas I was struggling with adjusting to the new market. Prior to driving into currencies I traded the stocks and options entirely on end-of-day trading, and jumping into the hustle and bustle of the Forex market brought a new level of emotional intelligence.
I thought you might enjoy excerpts from my cue cards. I still use them, now they are just internalized!
Cue Card #2
#1 - ALWAYS REVIEW AND PREPARE
#2 - ENTRY DECISIONS ON COMPLETED CANDLES ONLY!!
#3 - SET STOPS CAREFULLY
#4 - DO NOT TRADE AGAINST THE TREND
#5 – RISK LESS IF SECOND RETRACEMENT OF MOVE
On another note…
I am getting a lot of questions about Forex Journey training. Mainly around how and where we teach. To the latter, we do daily live online training in our trading room. This room is a live, online interactive room where we are both training live at the beginning of the New York session. Your membership gives you access to this room every morning.
In the room we follow trading rules based on the Forex Journey principals of integrating candlestick and chart patterns, as well as our comprehensive approach to Fibonacci studies. While training in the room buy and sell opportunities are set up, but during the moment of truth, the decision are left to the individual traders. . Money management techniques demonstrated and trading psychology is always on the menu.
Trading in our room is the perfect way to learn to trade the Forex market. Our techniques are potable to any liquid financial market, and will lead confident and discipline trading.
Click here to begin your Forex Journey!
Happy Trading!
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Special Offer - Forex Journey Membership
We are seeking Charter Members!
OK readers, this is the special offer I was telling you about. Now it is up to you to take action!
Join Forex Journey now and enjoy the benefits afforded to Gold Members for the price of Silver Membership. And this benefit is for the life of your membership! That is a $70 savings every month!
Follow the link below to take advantage of this special offer. Action is rewarded and once the memberships fill up this offer will never again be extended.
You can only join with this special rate by clicking on the link below:
Yes, register me for charter membership!
Browse our membership levels and compare benefits:
Compare member benefits!
Sign up and participate in our Forex Forum:
Forex Journey Traders Forum!
Welcome to our community of Forex traders!
Pass this on to your family and friends!!
OK readers, this is the special offer I was telling you about. Now it is up to you to take action!
Join Forex Journey now and enjoy the benefits afforded to Gold Members for the price of Silver Membership. And this benefit is for the life of your membership! That is a $70 savings every month!
Follow the link below to take advantage of this special offer. Action is rewarded and once the memberships fill up this offer will never again be extended.
You can only join with this special rate by clicking on the link below:
Yes, register me for charter membership!
Browse our membership levels and compare benefits:
Compare member benefits!
Sign up and participate in our Forex Forum:
Forex Journey Traders Forum!
Welcome to our community of Forex traders!
Pass this on to your family and friends!!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Forex Strategy: Self Awareness
Trading the Forex market I have found to be a great analogy of life. We trade as we live, with our strengths and weaknesses. Our feeling about ourselves, our cultural views on money and abundance, and especially our perception of wealth creep into every aspect of our trading. This is the reason I place such a heavy emphasis on personal self-mastery. Becoming aware of whom we are as an individual, our strengths and weaknesses, and our perspective on life will determine how well we can deploy the correct principals of strategy and risk management and remove the mask of mental poverty in our trading.
Self-mastery is taught within the context of Forex trading, but in reality it is all about identifying who we are as a person. What drives us and what holds us back. Each aspect can help or hinder us from becoming successful traders. Identifying our personal traits is so critical to our trading that it should be brought from the back pages (usually under the last chapters of “trading psychology”) to the first page of our Forex education curriculum.
Mastery of yourself not only will lead to success in the Forex market, but also success in whatever venture one decides to pursue. Forex Journey is my journey and from personal experience I have found that to experience success trading this market you will come to know yourself. This is the primary reason why we teach life and mind skills to our gold and platinum members at Forex Journey. The 90% that don’t succeed fail because they did not acknowledge who they are as a person, which determines who they are as a trader.
Trading currency is hard, but not because of complex strategies or risk management models. Forex is hard because the market is comprised of living, breathing emotional beings that can think and act both independently and as a group. It’s the human element that makes the market what it is. Know the psychology of the market through fundamentals is mandatory, but what most people ignore is that they themselves are the other half of the equation.
It all starts with becoming aware of who you are as a person to fully understand the strength and weakness you will bring to the table as a trader. Becoming aware will lead to an understanding which in turn will lead to overcoming.
Success in the Forex market cannot be borrowed or outsourced. It must be earned piece by piece and the first piece is starts with you.
Happy Trading!!
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Seeking Charter Members
Yes, it's true!!
I am about to unleash a shameless self-promotion post, but I justed want eveyone to know Forex Journey.com is here!
Trade Using One of the Most Powerful Forex Trading Systems in the World!
We believe success-orientated thoughts lead to success-orientated actions and actions are always rewarded.
Are now ready to take action now!! Forex Journey!!
New to Forex? Click here to sign up for a FREE Live Webinar designed to Introduce you to the Forex Market.
BECOME A MEMBER a learn with a community of currency traders. Click here to see what's in it for me with our membership levels!
Ready to expand your knowledge? Click here to sign up for our Online Web Seminar series. These 60-90 presentations will drill down in detail on selected trading topics to enhance your trading edge!
The secret weapon in currency trading is right between your ears and we intend to harness that weapon to YOUR fullest extend!!We are pleased to announce Forex Journey Website which features:
Live Market Training
One-on-One Coaching
Mind Power Self-Mastery in Trading to Your Strength
Live Workshops
Online Webinars and much more...I have seen so many traders look for the "Holy Grail" of trading inside the latest and greatest strategy without realizing that the true path to success lies within.
The goal of our website is to teach traders to manage 3 Key Elements: trading through sound strategies and approaches, mastering the mind through identifying their unique trading personalities and trading to the individual's strengths (no one size fits all here!) and lastly, through mastering money management principals.What makes us different? We put the trader at the center and craft success for the individual student.
Become a Member of Forex Journey! 3 membership level to choose. Begin your journey today.
Get your FREE Forex Trader's Screensaver , designed specially for traders!
Happy Trading (with Forex Journey!)
I am about to unleash a shameless self-promotion post, but I justed want eveyone to know Forex Journey.com is here!
Trade Using One of the Most Powerful Forex Trading Systems in the World!
We believe success-orientated thoughts lead to success-orientated actions and actions are always rewarded.
Are now ready to take action now!! Forex Journey!!
New to Forex? Click here to sign up for a FREE Live Webinar designed to Introduce you to the Forex Market.
BECOME A MEMBER a learn with a community of currency traders. Click here to see what's in it for me with our membership levels!
Ready to expand your knowledge? Click here to sign up for our Online Web Seminar series. These 60-90 presentations will drill down in detail on selected trading topics to enhance your trading edge!
The secret weapon in currency trading is right between your ears and we intend to harness that weapon to YOUR fullest extend!!We are pleased to announce Forex Journey Website which features:
Live Market Training
One-on-One Coaching
Mind Power Self-Mastery in Trading to Your Strength
Live Workshops
Online Webinars and much more...I have seen so many traders look for the "Holy Grail" of trading inside the latest and greatest strategy without realizing that the true path to success lies within.
The goal of our website is to teach traders to manage 3 Key Elements: trading through sound strategies and approaches, mastering the mind through identifying their unique trading personalities and trading to the individual's strengths (no one size fits all here!) and lastly, through mastering money management principals.What makes us different? We put the trader at the center and craft success for the individual student.
Become a Member of Forex Journey! 3 membership level to choose. Begin your journey today.
Get your FREE Forex Trader's Screensaver , designed specially for traders!
Happy Trading (with Forex Journey!)
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Learn Forex Trading: Which Forex Strategy Is Right For Me?
Learning to trade Forex is not an easy task, but by no means is it difficult either. Learning to trade Forex does not require a great intellect or a college degree. Doctors have failed as traders and construction workers have become millionaires. Trading is all about discipline, determination and perseverance.
The key is to understand who you are as a trader and trade to your strength. Leveraging your strength can be magnified by deploying the appropriate Forex trading strategy.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of Forex trading strategies out there. Logic will tell us that there is a currency strategy out there which leverages our strengths. It is not a one-size-fits-all world. To immediately cut to the chase and take away the magic, it all comes down to two basic Forex strategies; trend-following and range-bound.
All Forex trading strategies use a variety of indicators and combinations, MACD, Moving Averages, Stochastic, Chart Patterns, Candlesticks, Pivot Points, Fibonacci ratios, Elliott Wave analysis, Bollinger Bands and the list goes on and on. Let’s take away the magic again. These indicators and studies are merely measuring support and resistance and trend in the Forex market.
But which strategy really works? This is the age old question?
First, we must understand who we are as traders. Does our personality fit the pip sniper mode or does our disposition attract us more towards swing trading. Finding your trading personality will mean studying and experiencing the different time frames and associated Forex trading strategies. Over time you will notice a higher level of success and/or comfort trading one style over others. Pay attention! The market is telling you where your skill is more capable of extract consistent profits for the market. This is why journaling is so important to your Forex trading routine.
Secondly, if you are using someone else’s strategy, a most of us are, deploy this strategy without change until you fully and completely understand all aspect of the strategy through back-testing and actual experience. As I was told; dance the dance you have been taught until you learn a dance of your own!
Don’t fall into the trap of jumping from strategy to strategy or combining different strategies when the one you are using doesn’t yield immediate success. This is only a recipe for disaster. Take the time to really understand the trading strategy. Study the components individually so a deeper understanding of the strategic mechanisms is mastered.
Above all, know when and when not to deploy this strategy. You will not find consistent success implementing a trend following system in a range-bound currency market.
So what’s the right strategy for you? It is simple, the one that works. It doesn’t matter if it is complicated or simple, trend-following or range-bound, uses Fibonacci studies, pivot points or both. If you understand the components, internalize its use, and drive consistent profits into your trading account, then you have your Forex trading strategy.
It doesn’t matter what the experts say, your account balance is the ultimate judge and jury for your Forex trading strategy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Todd Judkins specializes in teaching real people how to trade the Forex market for long term success by focusing on strategic, mind and money skills. He is a currency trader, educator and success coach to traders. Are you now ready to take action? To begin training with Todd for immediate, online Forex trading education visit: http://www.forexjourney.com and sign up for his FREE Video Newsletter.
The key is to understand who you are as a trader and trade to your strength. Leveraging your strength can be magnified by deploying the appropriate Forex trading strategy.
There are hundreds, if not thousands of Forex trading strategies out there. Logic will tell us that there is a currency strategy out there which leverages our strengths. It is not a one-size-fits-all world. To immediately cut to the chase and take away the magic, it all comes down to two basic Forex strategies; trend-following and range-bound.
All Forex trading strategies use a variety of indicators and combinations, MACD, Moving Averages, Stochastic, Chart Patterns, Candlesticks, Pivot Points, Fibonacci ratios, Elliott Wave analysis, Bollinger Bands and the list goes on and on. Let’s take away the magic again. These indicators and studies are merely measuring support and resistance and trend in the Forex market.
But which strategy really works? This is the age old question?
First, we must understand who we are as traders. Does our personality fit the pip sniper mode or does our disposition attract us more towards swing trading. Finding your trading personality will mean studying and experiencing the different time frames and associated Forex trading strategies. Over time you will notice a higher level of success and/or comfort trading one style over others. Pay attention! The market is telling you where your skill is more capable of extract consistent profits for the market. This is why journaling is so important to your Forex trading routine.
Secondly, if you are using someone else’s strategy, a most of us are, deploy this strategy without change until you fully and completely understand all aspect of the strategy through back-testing and actual experience. As I was told; dance the dance you have been taught until you learn a dance of your own!
Don’t fall into the trap of jumping from strategy to strategy or combining different strategies when the one you are using doesn’t yield immediate success. This is only a recipe for disaster. Take the time to really understand the trading strategy. Study the components individually so a deeper understanding of the strategic mechanisms is mastered.
Above all, know when and when not to deploy this strategy. You will not find consistent success implementing a trend following system in a range-bound currency market.
So what’s the right strategy for you? It is simple, the one that works. It doesn’t matter if it is complicated or simple, trend-following or range-bound, uses Fibonacci studies, pivot points or both. If you understand the components, internalize its use, and drive consistent profits into your trading account, then you have your Forex trading strategy.
It doesn’t matter what the experts say, your account balance is the ultimate judge and jury for your Forex trading strategy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Todd Judkins specializes in teaching real people how to trade the Forex market for long term success by focusing on strategic, mind and money skills. He is a currency trader, educator and success coach to traders. Are you now ready to take action? To begin training with Todd for immediate, online Forex trading education visit: http://www.forexjourney.com and sign up for his FREE Video Newsletter.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Online Currency Trading: Making A Profit By Trading Forex
Yes, learning Forex trading is key, but can anyone really make a business out of trading the Forex market? Or, shall we say, can one make enough of a profit to make a living trading the Forex market? Many would not attempt to answer that question, and realistically, there is no real easy answer. Some people do, in fact, make a living as traders, not only in Forex, but in the stock market, futures market, or other types of investment instrument markets. However, it’s important to understand that making a profit in the Forex market, or any other kind of liquid financial market, takes time and effort. It’s not something that you can suddenly make a decision to do and expect to become successful without Forex education, mentoring and most important your personal desire, dedication and perseverance.
Making a profit in Forex trading requires knowledge of which economic and geo-political news events moves a currency pair and its seasonal fluctuations. You need to know what affects the spot price and how to adjust your trades accordingly. In other words, you need to understand the fundamentals, as well as the technicals.
In order to learn the important things about the Forex market, you need to have experience; it is not something you can learn from simply reading a Forex dummies book, surf currency trading sites on the web and following the global currency trends. The key to making a profit trading the Forex market or any trading in any other market for that matter, is knowing when and how to trade, and equally important, when not to trade, and that comes not from reading the newspapers or a book but from gaining the experience. Trading with a mentor can accelerate the process.
If you are limited on the amount of funds in your Forex trading account, you might want to consider utilizing a mini account or super mini account and compound that account to profit. The Forex Journey trading process, once learned, will have typical deviations built into the methodology. Adjusting to the nuances of currency trading will become inherent and you will learn to process a $5,000 account applying the same principals as you would manage a $500,000 account. The power is truly in the Forex trading process.
Choosing currency pairs that are less volatile (read more liquid) gives you a better chance of making a profit during your early trading transactions. The experience will allow you to gain insight into how the Forex market works and teach you the best way to conduct Forex trading business. Once you gain the experience that you need, you are in a better position to consider some of the more volatile currency pairs since you will be better educated with the knowledge of how certain events affect the price of most currencies.
The most important thing is to remember that not to rush into anything. Do all of your research first so that you will make the right choices in your swing trading activities. Choose a Forex education course and mentor that specializes in swing trading. In the end, you are only in competition with yourself, so there is no need to think you need to make a decision right away on any currency pairs you need to trade. Your goal should be first getting comfortable with the strategic concepts. Second, master money management techniques and finally, learn to trade from your personality.
Happy Trading!!
Friday, May 04, 2007
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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Todd Judkins specializes in teaching real people how to trade the Forex market for long term success by focusing on strategic, mind and money skills. He is a currency trader, educator and success coach to traders. Are you now ready to take action? To begin training with Todd immediately, online Forex trading visit: http://www.forexjourney.com and sign up for his FREE Video Newsletter.
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.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Todd Judkins specializes in teaching real people how to trade the Forex market for long term success by focusing on strategic, mind and money skills. He is a currency trader, educator and success coach to traders. Are you now ready to take action? To begin training with Todd immediately, online Forex trading visit: http://www.forexjourney.com and sign up for his FREE Video Newsletter.
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