Sunday, December 20, 2009

Currencies Mark Time at end of Strong Dollar Week

The GBPUSD has carved out a head and shoulders top from the October low. More importantly, an extremely rare diamond top appears to forming since the early summer months. A diamond top is really the combination of an expanding and contacting triangle. A better short entry may present itself in early 2010. Cable has reached former resistance (now support) at 16130 but trend structure is bearish below 16415. Former supports from 16165 to 16225 are now probable resistance levels. Levels to expect some support in the weeks(s) ahead are 16030, 15920, and 15835. The big trade will come in 2010 from break of the diamond top.

US Dollar / Canadian Dollar

The rally and decline from 10200 counts as a 1-2 base. What I mean by that is that the rally from 10200 is impulsive and the decline from 10875 is corrective. There is little question that the decline is a correction (albeit a complex one). Risk can be moved to 10550. A break above 10875 would shift focus to Fibonacci extensions at 11070 and 11490.

US Dollar / Japanese Yen

Trading above 9080 would signal a breakout and warrant a long position (although risk is not yet clearly defined). Near term, the pair remains range bound and there is the risk of a turn lower and drop below 8940. Longer term - "The USDJPY low in November has that 'look' and feel of an important bottom. The low was in a spike fashion and occurred at the midline of a well defined multiyear channel. Structurally, the decline from the 2007 high (12420) may be a diagonal. Sharp rallies tend to follow diagonals. Keep this longer term picture in mind as we wait for a clear entry."

Japanese Yen to Fall Against US Dollar on Bond Yields Outlook

Dec 19, 2009 (DailyFX via COMTEX) -- The US Dollar pushed sharply higher against the spectrum of major currencies last week as markets reacted to a decidedly upbeat interest rate announcement from the US Federal Reserve. Most significantly, Ben Bernanke and company said "deterioration in the labor market is abating," which traders took as validation of the boost to the priced-in Fed rate hike forecast over recent weeks that was set off by better than expected outcomes for November's nonfarm payrolls and retail sales reports. The US central bank is widely expected to look at the jobless rate as the key gauge for timing a reversal of its ultra-loose monetary stance, and a Credit Suisse gauge now shows that the market is pricing in 81 basis points in monetary tightening over the next 12 months, up from just 52bps at the beginning of December.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan struck a decidedly dour tone, saying the current momentum of self-sustaining recovery is insufficient and warning that overcoming deflation is a critical challenge, with the bank unwilling to tolerate CPI at or below 0%. The bank added that although the economy is picking up, the pace of improvement will be moderate until the middle of the 2010 fiscal year. This suggests the Japanese central bank may be starting to cave in to pressure from the Ministry of Finance to continue on with its liquidity-boosting asset purchase programs, a prospect that promises to underpin domestic bond prices and keep yields contained as the government issues a record amount of debt to finance the gargantuan fiscal deficit.

On balance, this monetary policy landscape seems to point to gains in USDJPY. Japan's savings rate is high relative to other developed countries, reflecting the expense of living on an island with limited space and scarce home-grown resources. This translates into Japanese investors' preference for safe, liquid assets that offer stable income over a long period of time. Typically, this means government bonds. While both Japan and the United States will have to introduce a good bit of new supply to finance their deficits, the latter will not have a central bank that is actively supporting prices and keeping a lid on yields. Indeed, the Fed ended its purchases of US Treasuries in October and looks to be laying the groundwork to begin raising borrowing costs next year. USDJPY is now 81.3% correlated with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, suggesting that the currency may gain as traders digest last week's updates to the US-Japan monetary policy balance.

Japanese Yen to Fall Against US Dollar on Bond Yields Outlook Fundamental Forecast for Japanese Yen: Bearish - Bank of Japan Strikes Dovish Tone, Keeps Policy Unchanged - Japanese Firms Plan Record Spending Cuts in the Fourth Quarter

Friday, December 11, 2009

Foreign Exchange and Trade Services

Foreign Currency Travellers Cheques

Travellers Cheques are a safe and easy way to protect your money when you travel. You can encash them only when you need to, and only against your signature, unlike cash which can be stolen and misused by anybody, immediately. Loss of Travellers Cheque can be reported anywhere in the world by making a single phone and the pre-fixed amount on the cheques are made refundable.

Travellers Cheques are offered in major currencies like USD, GBP, Euro, CAD, AUD and JPY. These are available in various denominations to suit your needs. At present HDFC Bank offers American Express Travellers Cheques which are widely accepted at Merchant Establishments and Financial Institutions across more than 200 countries.

Foreign Currency Cash

Foreign Currency Cash is a convenient way of meeting personal expenses along your journey, paying for taxis / internal travel, food expenses etc.

You could avail of Foreign Currency Cash in USD, GBP, EURO, AUD and CAD from our branches offering Foreign Exchange facilities.

Foreign Currency Demand Drafts

You can now avail of our FCY DD facility to make payments for various purposes like:
* Payment of University fees abroad
* Making a gift remittance to a friend or relative
* Payment of application fees for various exams like TOEFL , GMAT etc.
* Payment for medical treatment abroad
* And all other permitted purposes as per the RBI guidelines.
FCY Demand Drafts are issued in seven currencies like United States Dollars (USD), Great Britain Pounds (GBP), EURO, Japanese Yen (JPY), Australian Dollars (AUD), Canadian dollars (CAD) and New Zealand Dollars (NZD).

Foreign Currency Cheque Deposits

You can directly deposit your foreign currency cheques, foreign currency demand draft and Travellers Cheques in to your saving or current account. HDFC Bank will then have the cheques sent for collection and the funds will be credited to your account in Indian Rupees. We accept cheques of various currencies like USD, GBP, Euro, JPY, Australian Dollars, Canadian Dollars, UAE Dirhams, Hong Kong Dollars and Swiss Francs.

Please follow the simple guidelines below to enable faster processing
a. Ensure that your
* Account Number and Name are correct and clear on the payin slip
b. Make sure the Cheque / Draft is countersigned in case of an alteration
* In the payee's name
* In the date
* In the amount
* Or over-writing on the signature
c. Ensure that the amount entered in words and the figures are written correctly.

Please note that Cheques drawn in one currency payable in another country where currency is different will take a longer period to realise and would attract charges of various correspondent banks as per their own tariff schedule over which we do not have any control. For e.g. A cheque drawn in USD payable on a bank in Singapore or Cheque drawn in GBP payable on a bank in South Africa or Cheque drawn in USD payable in Canada.

Cash to Master

Often, foreign ships travel through India and dock their vessels at various ports / harbors in the country. One of the major requirements during such temporary stays, is that of FCY Cash that has to be made available to the Captain of the Ship for covering Crew wages or for other expenses on board the ship.

These requirements are usually met through a facility called "Cash to Master". To collect this cash, the master of the ship has to approach the branch with his passport and a duly filled up application form. This product is available only in United States Dollars, Pounds Sterling and Euro Currencies.

Forexpoint - Non HDFC Bank Account Holders

Now foreign exchange facilities can be availed by customers who do not have accounts with us at any of our branches transacting in Foreign Exchange. You can buy FCY Cash, TC's and FCY DD's from any our branch and also encash your TC's and Cash at our branches (available at select branches only).

Foreign Exchange can be availed against payments by Cash, Cheque or Pay Order/ Demand Draft. A maximum of Rs. 49,999/- (as per Indian Tax Laws) will be accepted in cash and any amount above Rs. 49,999/-, against a Pay Order or Cheque after clearance of the same. You need to carry the required Documentary Proof for issuance of Foreign Exchange.

Foreign Exchange and Trade Services

The following are different methods of transacting in Foreign Exchange and remitting money.

Travellers Cheques

Foreign Currency Cash

Foreign Currency Drafts

Cheque Deposits

Remittances

Cash to Master

Trade Services

Forex Services Branch Locator

Foreign exchange India

Foreign exchange system in India - The central government in India has wide powers to control transactions in foreign exchange. Until 1992 all foreign investments in India and the repatriation of foreign capital required prior approval of the government. The Foreign-Exchange Regulation Act, which governs foreign investment, rarely allowed foreign majority holdings. However, a new foreign investment policy announced in July 1991 prescribed automatic approval for foreign investments in thirty-four industries designated high priority, up to an equity limit of 51 percent. Initially the government required that a company's automatic approval must rely on matching exports and dividend repatriation, but in May 1992 this requirement was lifted, except for low-priority sectors. In 1994 foreign and nonresident Indian investors were allowed to repatriate not only their profits but also their capital. Indian exporters are also free to use their export earnings as they see fit. However, transfer of capital abroad by Indian nationals is only permitted in special circumstances, such as emigration. Foreign exchange in India is automatically made available for imports for which import licenses are issued.

Because foreign-exchange transactions in India are so tightly controlled, Indian authorities are able to manage the exchange rate, and from 1975 to 1992 the rupee was tied to a trade-weighted basket of currencies. In February 1992, the government began moves to make the rupee convertible, and in March 1993 a single floating exchange rate was implemented. In July 1995, Rs31.81 were worth US$1, compared with Rs7.86 in 1980, Rs12.37 in 1985, and Rs17.50 in 1990.

Bombay Stock Exchange

Bombay Stock Exchange Limited is the oldest Stock Exchange in Asia. Popularly known as BSE it was established as "The Native Share & Stock Brokers Association" in 1875. It is the first stock exchange in India to obtain permanent recognition in 1956 of the Government of India under the Securities Contract (Regulation) Act, 1956.

Bombay Stock Exchange played a pivotal role in the development of the Indian capital market and its index, SENSEX, is tracked worldwide. The Exchange has a nation-wide Reach the presence in 359 cities and towns of
India. Since its inception BSE has played a vital role the growth of the Indian corporate sector by providing it with an efficient access to resources. The exchange provides an efficient and transparent market for trading in equity, debt instruments and derivatives. To Reach out to a large number of investors BSE has launched its website in Hindi and Gujarati.

Bombay Stock Exchange has several achievements to its credit. It is the world's premier exchange in terms of the number of listed companies and the world's 5th in transaction numbers. BSE is the first exchange in
India and the second in the world to obtain an ISO 9001:2000 certification. BSE has also received Information Security Management System Standard BS 7799-2-2002 certification for its BSE Online Trading System (Bolt). It is only the second exchange in the world to receive such a certification. In February 2001, BSE introduced the world's first centralized exchange-based Internet Trading System, BSEWEBX.com. It allows investors anywhere in the world to trade on the BSE platform.

BSE has won several awards for its efficient and responsible work. The World Council of Corporate Governance with BSE awarded the Golden Peacock Global CSR Award for Initiatives in BSE's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). BSE has also won the Asia-Pacific HRM award for its excellent Human Resources practices.

Major Foreign Banks in India are

ABN-AMRO Bank

The history of ABN Amro Bank dates back to the year 1924, when King Willem - I ISSUED Royal Decree declaring the establishment of the Nederlandsche Handel-Maatschappij (Netherlands Trading Society, NTS). The NTS had been established with an aim to promote the trade between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indie.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank Ltd..

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) is one of the most prominent nationalized banks of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Three different banks viz. the Khalij Commercial Bank, the Emirates Commercial Bank and the Federal Commercial Bank merged in the month of July 1985, leading to the incorporation of the Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.

American Express Bank Ltd.

With its headquarters located in New York, U.S., American Express Company is a global financial services provider, also known as "AmEx" in short. American Express had been established in the year 1850, and is well known all around the world for its dedicated Credit Card, Traveler's Check & Charge Card Services.

BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas is one of the oldest banks in the Continent of Europe, and the largest bank in the eurozone (Consortium of countries having adopted the euro as their primary currency), as reported by The Banker Magazine. The bank is present in 87 countries with a 162.700-strong workforce by offering their services to the Bank.

Citibank

Citibank is one of the largest banks in the U.S., and is a part of the Citigroup financial services. Citibank had been founded in the year 1812. Initially its name was City Bank of New York, which was later changed to First National City Bank of New York.

DBS Bank Ltd.

DBS Bank is a Singapore-based bank, and is known to be one of the largest banks to exist in South East Asian Region by Asset Value. The Government of Singapore established the DBS Bank in the year 1968, and it was primarily Aimed at providing development oriented financial services.

Deutsche Bank

Deutsche Bank, headquartered at Frankfurt in Germany, ranks among the leading global business and Securities Banking, Transaction Banking, Asset Management and Private Wealth Management. It is one the world's leading International Financial service providers with roughly Euro 2.2 trillion in Asset and approximately 80.000 employees.

HSBC Ltd.

HSBC Bank is a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, the London based Banking Giant which, according to the Forbes Magazine, is the largest Banking Group in the world, and the 6th largest company in the world as of January 2009.

Standard Chartered Bank

Standard Chartered Bank is a London based bank, currently operating within over 70 nations with more than 1,700 branches and strong workforce 73.000 as of January 2009. Although the bank is located in Britain, still a huge chunk of its revenues originate from the continents of Asia, Africa and Middle East.

Barclays Bank

Barclays GRCB India is led by Samir Bhatia as its Managing Director. In a short period of just two and a half years, Barclays GRCB India has placed itself Amongst the most respected foreign banks in the country that is serving more than 830.000 customers.

Foreign Banks in India

Foreign banks have brought latest technology and latest banking practices in India. They have helped Indian Banking System made more competitive and efficient. Government has come up with a road map for expansion of foreign banks in India.

The road map has two phase. During the first phase between March 2005 and March 2009, foreign banks may establish a presence by way of setting up a wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) or conversion of existing branches into a WOS. The second phase will commence in October 2009 after a review of the experience gained after due consultation with all the Stake Holders in the Banking sector. The review would examine issues concerning extension of national treatment to WOS, dilution of Stake and permitting mergers / acquisitions of any private sector banks in India by a foreign bank.

List of Foreign Banks in India

• ABN-AMRO Bank

• Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

• Bank of Ceylon

• BNP Paribas Bank

• Citi Bank

• China Trust Commercial Bank

• Deutsche Bank

• HSBC

• JPMorgan Chase Bank

• Standard Chartered Bank

• Scotia Bank

• Taiba Bank


By the year 2009, the list of Foreign Banks in India is going to become more quantitative the number of foreign banks are still waiting with baggage to start business in India.

Forex And Daytrading

Online trading is great way for serious investors to make money, but inexperienced Traders often wind up with big loss. A good set of instructions can minimize the risk and save years of expensive trial-and-error learning.

Day Trading

Day Trading had its heyday during the bull market of the 1990's. All the Amateurs have since dropped out, but day trading is still being practiced by professionals. There are fewer opportunities in the current market, but skilled investors can still find them if they know what to look for.

Forex

The Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX), the world's largest Financial Exchange Market, originated in 1973. It has a daily turnover of currency worth more than $ 1.2 trillion dollars.

Unlike many other Securities, FOREX does not trade on a fixed exchange rate, instead, Currencies are traded primarily between central banks, commercial banks, various non-International Banking Corporation, hedge funds, personal investors and not to forget, speculators. Previously, smaller investors were excluded from FOREX due to the huge amount of deposit involved. This was changed in 1995, and now smaller investors can trade alongside the multi-nationals. As a result, the number of Traders within the FOREX market has grown rapidly, and many FOREX courses are appearing to help individual Traders increase their skills.

As a matter of fact, it's advisable to take FOREX training even before opening a trading account.
It is vital to know the market mechanics of FOREX, leveraging in FOREX, rollovers and the analysis of the FOREX market. Due to this fact, potential FOREX Traders would do well to either Enroll in a FOREX training courses or even purchase some books regarding Forex Trading.

There are pros and cons to enrolling into a FOREX course. For Beginners FOREX course is a rapid method of learning the basics of Forex Trading. Not much time is worked on history of the market or arcane economic theories. Often, online or phone support from a skilled Forex Trader is available to answer any questions. Also, the information is condensed and Practical, often with graph and charts.

The disadvantage is the price, the courses are more expensive than a Paperback from the bookstore.
Also,
the course may just teach the approach of the Trader who wrote it, and individuals have different trading strategies. The student may grow accustomed to the logic and focus of the teacher without coming to realize that nothing is Predictable in the FOREX market, and many different strategies will bring Profits in varying market circumstances. In addition, knowledge of Practical applications may not be enough, as the FOREX is highly unpredictable and there are many external factors, such as political issues, affecting the flow of finances in the market.

The best advice would be to do some background research on the FOREX market first, and then Enroll in a course.

What's Fibonacci Forex Trading

Fibonacci Forex Trading is basically a lot of forex trading systems used by a great number of professional forex brokers around the world, and many billions of dollars are profitable traded every year based on these trading techniques.

Fibonacci was an Italian mathematician and he is best remembered by his world famous Fibonacci sequence, the definition of this sequence is that it's formed by a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two prior numbers, 1, 1, 2, 3 , 5, 8, 13 ... But in the case of currency trading what is more important for the Forex Trader is the Fibonacci ratios Derived from this sequence of numbers, ie .236, .50, .382, .618, Etc.

These ratios are Mathematical proportions prevalent in many places and structures in nature, as well as in many man made Creations.

Forex trading can greatly benefit form this Mathematical proportions due to the fact that the oscillations Observed in forex charts, where prices are visibly changing in an oscillatory pattern, follow Fibonacci ratios very closely as Indicators of resistance and support levels, maybe not to the last cent , but so close as to be really amazing.

Fibonacci price points, or levels, for any forex currency pair can be calculated in advance so that the Trader will know when to enter or exit the market if the prediction given by the Fibonacci forex day trading system he uses fulfills its predictions.

Many people Trie to make this analysis overly complicated scaring away many new Forex Traders that are just beginning to understand how the forex market works and how to make a profit in it. But this is not how it has to be. There I say it's a simple concept but it is quite understandable for any Trader once he or she has grasped the Basics and has had some practice trading using Fibonacci levels along with other secondary indicators that will help to improve the accuracy of the entry and exit point for every particular trade.

Free chapters of a forex day trading system can be downloaded at the author's website in case you are interested in learning more about Fibonacci Forex Trading.

Start Trading Forex For Free

Ya, really true, you can trade the forex markets for free and using the same state-of-the-art software packages that professional Forex Traders around the world, are currently using to make real-time, live currency holes.

And you can also experience the same dynamic market action and go through the same process of making decisions based on breaking news, reacting to charting patterns, and tracking ones performance the same way professional Forex Traders do.

And all this can be done even if you do not put any real money into your account, you will not see any difference in how the market behaves and how you react to the market. In short, at some point, every new Forex Trader needs to start Demo-trading.

Once you start placing holes demo, you will learn a lot about how Forex transactions are placed. I can not emphasize you enough, that this is a very important step for you in order to be able to learn how to become a hole. The demo account allows one to become familiar with trading procedures, such as placing Market, Limit, Stop, opening Orders without any risk. All dollar loss or gain on a demo account are Imaginary but, as mentioned above, the trading experience you Acquire is not.

You should notice that making big gains in a demo-account does not guarantee Profits in live trading, however, those who are not successful trading on paper rarely are successful when money is on the line. So, yes, just playing around and getting familiar with the demo account can be a great learning experience, however, you will not learn how to become a Trader this way. You need to have a trading strategy.

Once you sign up for a mini-demo account, you will need to try one of the trial charting packages from the broker you choose. Any demo software you choose will do because they have all the necessary indicator tools you need. Once you have Downloaded the software you can then set up your demo account and start drawing trendlines, marking support & resistance levels, monitoring Moving Average, etc.. This is also a very good way to get used to how orders are placed. Once you have a real trading system, you will already know how to place orders properly.

And remember, everyone makes mistakes placing orders. So you need to experiment before in a demo account so you can make your mistakes without losing any real money.

Forex Trading Online - 7 Reasons You Should

Forex trading online is a fast way to use your investment capital to it's fullest. The Forex markets offer distinct advantages to the small and large Traders alike, making Forex currency trading in many ways preferable to other markets such as stocks, options or traditional-looking statements. Here are seven reasons why you'll want to look into Forex Trading online.

Forex is the largest market.

Forex trading volume of over 1.9 billion, more than 3 times larger than the equities market and more than 5 times bigger than future, Forex Traders give nearly unlimited liquidity and flexibility.

Forex Never Sleeps

You can run Forex Trading Online 24 / 7, from 7AM New Zealand time on Monday morning, to 5pm New York Times on Sunday evening. No waiting for markets to open: they're open all night! This makes Forex trading online a very attractive component that fits easily into your day (or night!)

No Bulls or Bears

Because Forex trading online involves the buying of one currency while simultaneously selling another, you have an equal opportunity for profit no matter which direction the currency is headed. Another advantage is that there are only around 14 pairs of Currencies to trade, as opposed to many thousands of stocks, options and future.

Forex Trading online offers great leverage

You can make the most of your investment resources with Forex Trading online. Some brokers offer 200:1 margin ratios in your trading accounts. Mini-FX accounts, which can typically be opened with only $ 200-300, offer 0.5% color, meaning that $ 50 in trading capital can control a 10,000 unit currency position. This is why people are flocking to Forex Trading online as a way to highly leverage their investments.

Forex prices are Predictable

Currency prices, though volatile, and create and follow trends, allowing the technically trained Forex Trader to spot and take advantage of many entry and exit points.

Forex trading online is free Commission

That's right! The Commission, the Exchange Fees or any other Hidden Fees. This is a very transparent market, and you'll find it very easy to research the Currencies and the countries involved. Forex brokers make a small percentage of the bid / ask spread, and that's it. No longer any need to compute Commissions and Fees when executing a trade.

Forex trading online is instant

The FX market is astoundingly fast! Your orders are executed, filled and confirmed usually within 1-2 seconds. Since this is all done electronically with no humans involved, there is little to slow it down!

Forex trading online can get you where you want to go quick and more profitably than any other form of trading. Check it out and see what Forex trading online can do for you.

Benefits of Trading the Forex Market

Trading the Forex market has become very popular in the last years. Why is it that Traders around the world see the Forex market as an investment opportunity? We will try to answer this question in this article. Also we will discuss come differences between the Forex Market, the stock market and the future market.

Some of the benefits of trading the Forex market are:

Superior liquidity.

Liquidity is what really makes the Forex market different from other markets. The Forex market is by far the most liquid market in the Financial world with nearly 2 trillion dollars traded Everyday. This guarantee price stability and better trade execution. Allowing Traders to open and close transactions with ease. Also such a tremendous volume makes it hard to manipulate the market in an extended Mann.

24hr Market.

This one is also one of the greatest advantage of Forex trading. It is an around the click market, the market opens on Sunday at 3:00 am EST

Justify Full when New Zealand begins operations, and closes on Friday at 5:00 pm EST when San Francisco terminate operations. There are transactions in practically every time zone, allowing active Traders to choose at what time to trade.

Leverage trading.

Trading the Forex Market offers a great buying power than many other markets. Some Forex brokers offer leverage up to 400:1, allowing Traders to have only 0.25% in color of the total investment. For instance, Trader using 100:1 means that to have a $ 100,000 position, only U.S. $ 1,000 are needed on margin to be able to open that position.

Low transactions costs

Almost all brokers offer Commission free trading. The only cost Traders incursion in any transaction is the spread (difference between the buy and sell price of each currency pair). Spread this could be as low as 1 pip (the minimum Increment in any currency pair) in some pairs.

Low minimum investment

The Forex market requires less capital to start trading than any other markets. The initial investment could go as low as $ 300 USD, depending on leverage offered by the broker. This is a great advantage since Forex Traders are able to keep their investment risk to the lowest level.

Specialized trading

The liquidity of the market allows us to focus on just a few instruments (or currency pairs) as our main Investments (85% of all trading transactions are made on the seven major currencies). Allowing us to monitor, and at the end get to know each instrument better.

Trading from anywhere.

If you do a lot of traveling, you can trade from anywhere in the world just having an internet connection.

Some of the most important differences between the Forex market and other markets are explained below.

Forex market vs.. Equity Markets

Liquidity

FX market: Near two trillion dollars of daily volume.
Equity market: Around 200 billion on a daily basically

Trading hours

FX market: 24hr market, 5.5 days a week.
Equity market: Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 5:00 ET EST.

Profit potential

FX market: In both, rising and falling markets.
Equity market: Most Traders / investor profit only from rising markets.

Transactions costs

FX Market: Commission free and tight spreads.
Equity market: High Commissions and Transaction Fees.

Adquisitivo

FX market: Leverage up to 400:1.
Equity market: Leverage from 2:1 to 4:1.

Specialization

FX market: most volume (85%) is made on Major Currencies (U.S., EUR, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD and AUD.)

Equity market: More than 40,000 stocks to choose from.
Forex market vs.. Future market

Liquidity

FX Market: Near two trillion dollars of daily volume.
Future market: Around 400 billion dollars on a daily basically.

Transactions costs

FX Market: Commission free and tight spreads.
Future market: High Commissions Fees.

Margin

FX market: Fixed rate of color on every position.
Future market: Different levels of color on overnight positions than day time positions.

Trade execution

FX market: Instantaneous execution.
Future market: Inconsistent execution.

All this makes the Forex market very Attractive to Investors and Traders. But I need to make something clear, although the Benefits of trading the Forex market are Notorious, it is still difficult to make a successful career trading the Forex market. It requires a lot of education, discipline, commitment and patience, as any other market.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Forex volumes

Forex is the world biggest financial market. In April 2004, average daily volume used to be 1.9 trillion US dollars, which is higher than:


* eleven average volumes of all world stock exchanges together (167 billion US dollars);


* forty average volumes of NYSE - biggest stock exchange in the world (46 billion US dollars);


* 300 US dollars every day for every world citizen.


By April 2007, average daily volume increased to 3.2 trillion US dollars (~70% higher than in April 2004).

Most important markets: USA, United Kingdom and Japan. More than half of Forex volume is done in the UK and USA. Highest activity is detected in period of different markets' working hours interference.


Forex indicator

Successful traders

We at Forex4you believe that no advice or a hint can compare to those of real, practising traders with hands-on experience. That's why we decided to start a new section on our site - Successful traders!

Forex4you is going to choose some of the most successful clients, and ask them for interviews! Let great traders share their experiences and wisdom with beginners and newbies, we say!

Our first "Successful trader" is Kase Cheah from Australia. Interview with him is available at the following link:

Successful traders - Kase Cheah, Australia

It contains a lot of relevant information, advices and hints! Highly recommended to read!

Forex indicators

Forex technical indicator is a mathematical manipulation of a security price and volumes aimed at forecasting of future price changes. Trader is able to make decisions about how and when to enter or exit market, which position it is more suitable to open, on the basis of signals from technical indicators.


There are a lot of technical indicators although many of them have very slight differences.

According to their functions, indicators can be divided into three groups:


* Trend indicators help to assess the price direction and detect the turn moments synchronously or with a delay.


* Oscillators allow one to find the turning moments a little in advance or synchronously.


* Psychological indicators provide the information about the overall mood of market participants.


Technical indicators can be drawn up in a separate indicator window or they can be imposed directly into the price chart. For better forecasts several indicators may be used.


Metatrader 4 has a variety of built-in indicators. Use the menu at the top of the page to find out more about them.

Forex trading in the US

* The NFA – the National Futures Association. The NFA is a self-regulatory organization for the US futures industry. Its purpose is to safeguard market integrity and protect investors by implementing forex regulations. Membership in NFA is mandatory for any futures or forex broker operating in the US .It is an independent regulatory body with no ties to any specific marketplace.

* The CFTC – the Commodity Futures Trading Committee. Created by congress, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) was formed in 1974 as an independent agency with the mandate to issue forex regulations for financial markets in the United States. The CFTC's forex regulations assure the economic utility of the markets by encouraging their competitiveness and efficiency, and protecting market participants against and abusive forex trading practices.

The CFTC has some regulatory authority over retail off-exchange forex markets. The Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) allows the sale of over-the-counter forex futures and options to retail customers if, and only if, the counterparty (the person on the other side of the transaction) is a regulated entity.

These regulated entities include the following: financial institutions, such as banks and savings associations, registered broker-dealers and certain of their affiliates, registered futures commission merchants (FCMs) and certain of their affiliates, certain insurance companies and their regulated affiliatess financial holding companies, and investment bank holding companies. Under the CEA, the CFTC has the authority to shut down any unregulated entity that acts as a counterparty to forex futures oroptions transactions with retail customers. The CFTC also has the authority to take action against registered FCMs and their affiliates for violating the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation pro-visions of the CEA in connection with OTC forex transactionsinvolving retail customers, but the CFTC cannot adopt rules toregulate these transactions. NFA (National Futures Association) has rules to protect customers in the retail off-exchange forex market.

As mentioned later in this article, firms that introduce customers to forex dealers do not have to be regulated entities. NFA’s rules provide, among other things, that a forex dealer FCM must take responsibility for the activities of unregulated entities that solicit retail customers. Additionally, NFA’s rules require forex dealer FCMs to: observe high standards of commercial honor and just and equitable principles of trade in connection with the retail forex business; supervise their employees and agents and any affiliates that act as counterparties to retail forex transactions; maintain a minimum net capital requirement based on the value of open customer positions; and collect security deposits from those customers. NFA’s forex rules do not apply to all FCMs and their affiliates, however. Therefore, you should ask the dealer if NFA regulates its forex activities.


Forex trading in the UK

In the United Kingdom, operations of Forex brokers are regulated by FSA - Financial Services Authority.

The Financial Services Authority is non-governmental, independent body, whose primary function is to make financial retail markets that is, the markets that most of us use for trading-- work more efficiently. Their main goal is, essentially, to ensure that retail customers (that is, the little guys on the bottom of the financial dog-pile) get a fair deal.

Starting in 2004, the FSA has created a UK-wide strategy to build up the country's financial capability (in all markets, not just Forex), as well as raise confidence among consumers. In other words, they've put plenty of rules in place that make consumers more comfortable taking part in the market.

This affects UK brokers who work on behalf of residents in the UK in several ways. For one, according to FSA regulations, all legit Forex brokers must meet strict financial standards. These brokers are required to work with FSA financial regulators, submitting regular financial reports and proving that they follow regulations at all times. Brokerage firms who are found in violation are either fined or, in extreme cases, have their regulatory status terminated.

While strict rules may keep some good brokerage firms from operating in the UK, these harsh rules are generally pretty good for you. Since the FSA keeps records of any formal proceedings they've had to enter into against regulated firms, any information about rule breakers (that is, Forex brokers that you shouldn't trust) are kept on record. Simply by visiting the FSA website, you can find out if the firm you're considering using has had any serious problems or infractions. And that's very useful information - after all you can lose your money on the Forex market because of a bad broker.

Forex trading in India

India has a rather strict foreign currency exchange policy - even though many liberalization measures have been taken recently, it's still an economically isolated, or highly protected country. Indian currency - rupee, is highly regulated by the national banking authority - Reserve Bank of India, and so Indian citizens still cannot freely exchange rupee to other currencies, they have to prove their need and there are annual limits for different needs (more). Even popular money transfer systems such as Western Union which is spread worldwide and available to everyone, are forbidden in India - residents can only receive money, but not send.

However, because of the globalization there is a definite need to open the economy, so Reserve Bank of India has been softening rules and regulations in recent years.

One of the important changes in regards to Forex trading is that in year 2008 Reserve Bank of India has finally allowed currency futures trading. Speculative trading became a permissible operation too - since it became impossible to ask for a proof of a hedging need.

We at Forex4you are happy that one of the biggest and the most perspective country in the world is finally joining the world of opportunities of Forex trading market!

More details are available on the official website of RBI - here Note that Indian brokers are only allowed to provide USD/INR pair at the moment. Since we're located outside India, in British Virgin Islands, we do provide customers with many more pairs, many of which are much more interesting for traders because of their nature. Rupee, being a highly regulated currency, is not as volatile as other currencies and doesn't allow as much analysis since movements depend on RBI decisions and not on market events.

Our another advantage over brokers registered inside India is that we don't have any fees or minimum transactions/deposits. Services are much more affordable at our company!

Even though we're registered outside India, we do have an office in Mumbai where an Indian company that has a contract with us, provides our Indian stakeholders with support and consultations.

About Currency Trading

As we know, there is only one way to make money trading; buy lower and sell higher (or sell higher and buy back lower for short sales). To buy lower and sell higher prices must trend higher from where you bought (or lower from where you sold). If prices never trended there would never be an opportunity to make a profit! Furthermore, without up and down price movements institutional traders (hedgers) would have no need to insure themselves from price changes and trading volume would disappear What this means is that price trends are the essence of all-profitable trading.

The realization that trends are the essence of profitable trading makes the idea of trading currencies very exciting, because currencies are the worlds best trending markets! Countless studies of trend following systems prove that currency trends are the most consistent and often the most profitable. Regardless of the type of trend following system used; long term, intermediate term or short term, currencies invariably outperform all other markets including stocks, bonds and other commodities. It should come as no surprise that some of the worlds' most successful traders are currency traders.

One-reason currencies trend better than every other market is because of their macro-economic nature. Unlike many commodities whose supply and demand fundamentals can literally change with the weather, currency fundamentals are often less random and more predictable.

In summary, Forex Trading is not conducted on a regulated exchange and as a result there are additional risks involved, and this type of trading may not be suitable for all individuals, but currencies remain one of the best all around markets. Currencies represent the worlds' largest market place, and have the most powerful and persistent price trends.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

BASICS OF FOREX TRADING

This article gives an introduction on the fundamentals of trading Forex online, a brief explanation of the markets and the major advantages of Forex trading online. Currency or Forex, all terms used to describe the trade in the world of many currencies. On the foreign exchange market is the biggest market in the world, with trades amounting to more than 1.5 trillion dollars every day. On the foreign exchange market has no center or courses and is considered to be excessive over (OTC) market. Forex traders make incredible wealth day after day from the comfort of your home. Foreign currency, usually traded on margin. A relatively small deposit you can manage many more positions in the market. Foreign Exchange Trading takes place directly between the two partners to a transaction, whether by phone or e-broker network throughout the world. This trade, which involves the simultaneous buying of one currency and selling another.

There are two reason to buy and sell currencies. About 5% of daily turnover, and governments that buy or sell goods and services in foreign countries must convert profits into foreign currency in their national currency. The remaining 95% of trading for profit, or speculation. Currency combinations used in the trade is called a cross (for example, euro / dollar or GB pound / Japanese yen).. The market is called the spot market, since the trades are solved immediately, or? On the ground ". One of the key benefits of Forex trading is the ability to trade 24 hours a day, on Sunday evening (20:00 GMT) on Friday evening (22:00 GMT). Unlike stock trading currency on the Forex market does not snap off at the "close" each trading day. Advantage Forex time 24 hours a day, the market is that there is little or no gaps in the market, ie there is no chance that prices will close one day, and again the next day. The fact that Forex is often traded without commissions makes it very attractive as an investment opportunity for investors who wish to do business on the basis of.

Because the market is constantly moving, always trading opportunities, whether a currency is strengthening or weakening in relation to other currencies. When you trade currencies, they literally work against each other. Different Rates of payment of interest rates.

The interest rate differential, as a rule, do not affect trade considerations unless you plan to hold a position with a large differential for a long period of time. This is one of the main drivers of currency trends. You can have both positive and negative interest rate differential, so it can work for or against you when you make a trade. This is indeed attractive to the buyer's currency that pays a higher interest rate during a short currency, which has a lower interest rate. Fortunately, there is daily limits on currency transactions, and no restrictions on trading hours, except weekends. This means that almost always is the opportunity to respond to movements in currency markets and a low risk of getting caught without the possibility of exit. A Forex trading method with a high percentage of victories pay psychologically, keeps morale high, and enjoyable to trade. A string of profits will build your confidence. The losses should be small and wins should be larger than losses.

FOREX TRADING COURSES ONLINE

Many years ago, Forex trading was possible when you’re in the actual trading platform. If you’re not present there, you can’t make a trade. Thanks to the introduction of the internet, it is now possible to conduct the Forex transactions from the comfort of your own home or even in the office. There are now Forex trading courses offered online which can help you with your trading concerns.The communication industry has definitely contributed a lot to the growth of the fprex market. Trades can be done by way of phone or through online resources. Because of this, the Forex market is far larger than other major fiancial markets.By taking up trading courses on the internet, you can learn a lot about Forex trading. Newbies in the industry will definitely learn a great deal about this market and how to conduct their trades. A lot of things are free online but the trading courses require a minimal fee. The knowledge that you can gain from these courses are nothing compared to the fee that you’re going to pay.

Besides, if you can become a good trader, you can earn more profits.Before signing up for a trading course, you need to consider things like:1.Who offered the trading course? Was offered by a reputable company or firm?2.What is the reason behind the course offer?3.Is the company or firm trying to promote a trading site where you can join in the future?4.Is the course trying to push you in using a certain trading website? Are you being pushed to invest money?Answer the questions and from your answers, you can already determine if the trading course is worthy or not.You have to find a trading course which provides high standard learning. All the information contained in the website should not be replicated elsewhere. There are traders who don’t enroll in any trading course at all because they were able to find the information in free online resources. So why pay for information that you can get for free online, right? Conduct your research and check the background of the company or firm offering the trading courses.Before choosing a trading course online, try to check Forex articles and expert advice posted on the internet for free.

You can even forums and discuss Forex issues there. You can meet fellow traders who can provide you with useful info on how to trade effectively and wisely.A good trading course should be able to provide you with different kinds of views from different established companies. It should not concentrate mainly on how a certain company conducts its trade. Look for reputable companies and firms that offer excellent trading courses. With a bit of research online, you will surely find the course that you’re looking for. Since you’re going to pay for the trading course, it should teach you everything you need to know about Forex trading which includes developing a trading system, using trend indicators, signal generators, flow charts, and many other things. The course should also teach you about the best trading software programs available in the market today.Start looking for the best trading course online. With a very minimal fee, you can already gain priceless knowledge that you can use when you finally decide to enter the Forex market. Now, Forex trading will not be very difficult for you.

FOREX TRADING SOFTWARE

You can find several types of software for Forex trading. All the trading software offered in the market has its own disadvantages as well as advantages or benefits. In order to choose the best software that you can use in Forex trading, you need to know your needs. So what systems are available for you?

Most of the software offered in the market help in easing the burden of trading in the Forex market. As compared to the stock market, the Forex market is open for longer hours; in fact, it is open twenty four hours a day. With efficient software, you can keep track of all the things happening in the Forex market. You can’t possibly stay all hours of the day and night staring at the computer for updates in the market. With the software, you can continue with your everyday routine activities and once you have time to study and analyze the stock market, you can simply use the trading software to monitor the day’s activities.

The software will do all the difficult tasks for you. The trading software can automatically monitor all the activities in the Forex market round the clock. The trader can decide the degree of independence of the software. Most traders leave all the dirty work to the software especially if they are also quite busy with their work.

Here is a very good example of how trading software works:You decided to invest on a certain trade. When you were out doing the laundry or perhaps you’re in the grocery, you started losing money because of some unfavorable changes in the market. If you have an efficient software, you can minimize your loses because the software will automatically trade away once there is an indication of an unfavorable change in the Forex market. So you see, this is already one of the advantages of having trading software as a trader.

Some trading software takes emphasis on the signal indicators or generators and other market trends. You can benefit a lot from this software because you can confidently trade without any doubts on your mind. You see, this kind of program use tested and complex mathematical algorithms. Forex moguls are incurring lots of profits through the use of this kind of software. The software is tried and tested. In fact, this kind of software can help you in making a precise trading decision through the advanced algorithms and trend indicators. The indicators can give you trading tips, as well as accurate Forex information.

Combo software programs are also offered. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced trader, you can make use of this program. This kind of software can monitor the changes in the Forex market and at the same time provide helpful trend indicators or signal generators.It doesn’t really matter what kind of software you purchase and use. As long as the software works for you, you can utilize it for as long as you want. Software programs are mostly updated by their publishers and so you don’t need to worry about anything. Test trials are also available for traders who are hesitant in purchasing a certain software program.Be wise in choosing the appropriate software program that you will use in Forex trading. Trading in a very complex market is not as easy as you think and you need to be prepared for everything with the help of the trading software.