FOREX Currency Systems – Four Tips to Pick a System that Makes Money

With the many FOREX currency systems available, you can in theory, simply turn your computer on and follow the signals to generate automatic profits.

That’s the theory - but the fact is, there are many FOREX currency systems sold that are obvious scams, and the systems will never work.

This article aims to give you tips on picking systems that can make money, and avoid the scams.

There are two main reasons why most FOREX currency trading systems fail to live up to their Hype:

1. Black Box Systems

These are systems where the logic is not revealed to the buyer - and for a FOREX currency trading system to be used successfully, the trader must have confidence in it.

If you don’t know the logic of the system, you will not have the confidence to follow it when a losing period occurs.

You need to follow a system rigidly to make money - otherwise you may as well not have a system in the first place.

Using a FOREX Currency trading system is all about having the discipline to follow the system - and if you don’t have confidence in the logic, you will never do this.

2. Curve Fitting and Optimization

Another indication of a currency trading system that is a scam, is one that involves curve fitting, or optimization.

These systems give a fantastic performance in back testing - because of the tweaking of the system rules, to make them fit the data, and produce profits.

A trader once likened this to shooting holes in a barn door, and then drawing circles around every hole - to make each shot look like a bull’s-eye.

Let’s face it, we would all be millionaires, if we had tomorrow’s news today - but we don’t.

Avoid any system that offers unique rules, or many variations for trading different markets.

If the system is based on solid logic - it should work on ANY trending market, and should not be optimized, or curve fitted to an individual market.

You will never see a hypothetical performance that fails!

Most unscrupulous vendors achieve great performance by making the system fit the data - and this causes the system to fail in real time trading.

Here are four tips, to help you separate out the scams, from the good FOREX currency-trading systems:

1. The Rules and Logic are Fully Explained

You will then have confidence in the system when it suffers a string of consecutive losses.

2. Some Evidence of a Real Time Track Record

Has the system has made money in the real world of trading?

This is the acid test of a system. If there is not a real record, look for a hypothetical audit done in real time - many systems do this before launching, and this gives a good indication of how the system will perform.

3. Look for Simple Systems

There is absolutely no correlation between how complicated a system is, and its profit potential. In fact, simple systems tend to work best, and will tend to be more robust in the brutal world of trading.

Most of the top FOREX currencies trading systems are based on simple logic.

4. Avoid any Optimized System

As already mentioned, if the system has sound principles, and then it should work on a broad spectrum of financial instruments - avoid any system that optimizes individual markets.

Not all FOREX currency trading systems fail - but if you want to get one that works, be realistic and do your homework first.

Accepting Losses With Grace

The lack of a proper trading plan which includes precise rules for entering and exiting a trade will most certainly guarantee failure over the long term. Beginners usually suffer from the same common ailments. They abandon trading plans purely on impulse because things are not going exactly as how they had envisioned. Repeatedly they use unreliable methods that fail to produce a profit. Many traders hold on to losing positions telling themselves “it is going to turn” when every indicator says otherwise because they cannot bear the thought of a loss.

Why do they torture themselves? Why don’t they just identify what’s going wrong and make a change? For some people recognizing that a trade or even a trading method is not working and making a change is easy, but for others it’s very difficult. They have to look at their limitations admit that they have made a mistake and that’s hard because it hurts our ego. Psychologically it’s risky, it’s often easier to fool ourselves. Just keep going, living in a state of denial until your account is depleted. If you recognize any of these traits in yourself you must stop trading immediately.

Take a good look at what has been happening, try and identify the problem. If you look close enough you may see a pattern. This is why it is vital to record every trade and as much information about it as possible. You have to break out of old patterns and see things in a new light.

You will never be a successful trader if you continue to live in a state of denial. What can be done to return to reality? There is a lot you can do. First of all make sure you are not trading under stress. When stressed out you can’t see clearly, you become rigid and unable to see alternative views. One of the easiest solutions is to trade smaller. The smaller the trade the less the stress, especially for the beginner. If you are experienced and in a loosing streak reduce your contracts until you get your confidence returns. Some people need to take a break altogether. Get away from it all. Take your mind off the trading.

The second thing you can do is to make sure you have a life. Trading can be addictive especially when you are winning. Do not put all your emotional eggs in the trading basket. You need to have other roles that give your life meaning and purpose. By defining your identity in a variety of ways, you will not place un-natural importance on trading events. Therefore, you will be able to take losses in stride and look at your trading more objectively.

Finally, radical acceptance is a key mental strategy for coping with market uncertainty. Many traders make the mistake of thinking they can control the markets. Nobody can control the markets. We must learn to accept anything that comes our way and to trade accordingly. Adopt the attitude that trading is a journey and that all we can do is go where the markets take us.

To succeed on this journey you cannot afford to lose too much. Manage risk and just accept what you get and enjoy the ride. This way you will trade more freely and creatively. Don’t live your life in denial. Accept your limitations, work around them, and become a winning trader. Write out your trading plan with precise entry and exit points. Most important set your stops and mentally decide you will not break them. Test your system on paper and when confident test in real time with the minimum contract size. You will have losing trades, accept them with grace and go on to the next trade.

“How To” Start Trading The Forex Market?

What Is FOREX or FOREX MARKET? PART I

The Foreign Exchange market (also referred to as the Forex or FX market) is the largest financial market in the world, with over $1.5 trillion changing hands every day.

That is larger than all US equity and Treasury markets combined!

Unlike other financial markets that operate at a centralized location (i.e. stock exchange), the worldwide Forex market has no central location. It is a global electronic network of banks, financial institutions and individual traders, all involved in the buying and selling of national currencies. Another major feature of the Forex market is that it operates 24 hours a day, corresponding to the opening and closing of financial centers in countries all across the world, starting each day in Sydney, then Tokyo, London and New York. At any time, in any location, there are buyers and sellers, making the Forex market the most liquid market in the world.

Traditionally, access to the Forex market has been made available only to banks and other large financial institutions. With advances in technology over the years, however, the Forex market is now available to everybody, from banks to money managers to individual traders trading retail accounts. The time to get involved in this exciting, global market has never been better than now. Open an account and become an active player in the largest market on the planet.

The Forex Market is very different than trading currencies on the futures market, and a lot easier, than trading stocks or commodities.

Whether you are aware of it or not, you already play a role in the Forex market. The simple fact that you have money in your pocket makes you an investor in currency, particularly in the US Dollar. By holding US Dollars, you have elected not to hold the currencies of other nations. Your purchases of stocks, bonds or other investments, along with money deposited in your bank account, represent investments that rely heavily on the integrity of the value of their denominated currency ¨the US Dollar. Due to the changing value of the US Dollar and the resulting fluctuations in exchange rates, your investments may change in value, affecting your overall financial status. With this in mind, it should be no surprise that many investors have taken advantage of the fluctuation in Exchange Rates, using the volatility of the Foreign Exchange market as a way to increase their capital.

Example: suppose you had $1000 and bought Euros when the exchange rate was 1.50 Euros to the dollar. You would then have 1500 Euros. If the value of Euros against the US dollar increased then you would sell (exchange) your Euros for dollars and have more dollars than you started with.

Example:

You might see the following:

EUR/USD last trade 1.5000 means
One Euro is worth $1.50 US dollars.

The first currency (in this example, the EURO) is referred to as the base currency and the second (/USD) as the counter or quote currency.

The FOREX plays a vital role in the world economy and there will always be a tremendous need for the exchange of currencies. International trade increases as technology and communication increases. As long as there is international trade, there will be a FOREX market. The FX market has to exist so a country like Germany can sell products in the United States and be able to receive Euros in exchange for US Dollar.

RISK WARNING:

Risks of currency trading

Margined currency trading is an extremely risky form of investment and is only suitable for individuals and institutions capable of handling the potential losses it entails. An account with an broker allows you to trade foreign currencies on a highly leveraged basis (up to about 400 times your account equity).The funds in an account that is trading at maximum leverage may be completely lost if the position(s) held in the account experiences even a one percent swing in value. Given the possibility of losing one's entire investment, speculation in the foreign exchange market should only be conducted with risk capital funds that, if lost, will not significantly affect the investors financial well-being.