Sunday, April 18, 2010

A Review of Automated Forex Brokers

By Review Hound

Several companies offer automated forex broker services. In the following articles, you'll find brief reviews of each.

What forex brokers offer automated services?

GFT Forex is an automated forex broker, whose DealBook FX 2 software offers the investor both a demo and a live forex trading tool in the currency market. This forex trading software offers the investor direct access to some of the tightest spreads, through a stable, standalone forex trading platform, 24 hours a day.

The DealBook FX 2 software shows live, dealable prices, real time data, free real time world and financial news, forex charts, more than 65 technical indicators, and the ability to build the investor’s own indicators.

GCI Financial Ltd., another automated forex broker, provides trading software that tracks real time prices in 20 major currencies, live charts, and real time profit and loss account tracking. The software is offered as a demo also. Market orders are confirmed within seconds at prices clicked on or accepted by the client.

The FX3K is an online automated dealing and trading platform used by automated forex brokers. The FX3K online trading environment includes real time quotes, charting, technical analysis tools, and news. FX3K integrates the client, dealer, back office and system administrator functions. Product features include high speed execution of client orders and the ability to monitor real time margin availability, net exposure and profit and loss on all open positions. FX3K has chat options to allow trader-dealer conversations.

The COESfx Level 1 Trading Platform is used by automated forex broker as an Electronic Currency Network for the execution of best prices for buyers and sellers of foreign exchange. It offers traders live and executable prices, thereby making each participant a market maker. Traders gain access to "best bid/best offer” quotes directly from price providers and other traders. COESfx pricing is derived from a number of partners in the network such as banks, Futures Commission Merchants (FCM’s), Introducing Brokers (IB’s), fund managers and other traders on its Electronic Currency Network.

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Apply “The Secret” To Forex Trading Success

By Review Hound

The Forex market is the largest trading network in the world with $1.8 trillion dollars being exchanged every day. There are dozens of different currencies traded but the big players to focus on are all traded with the US dollar and include: EUR (Euro), GBP (British pound), JPY (Japanese yen), CHF (Swiss franc), AUD (Australian dollar), NZD (New Zealand dollar), and the CAN (Canadian dollar). Each of these currencies is exchanged with the currency of other nations at different exchange rates—which are always in a state of flux because the market trades around the clock (Sunday through Friday). The volatility and sheer size of the market means that there is ample fluctuation to produce big profits—and losses. The challenge for the investor, as always, is to predict which direction the rates of currency pairs will fluctuate.

The beginning point in any investment strategy is determining what type of analysis will be used to help guide enter and exit decisions. Investors who use fundamental analysis look at a nation’s interest rates and other economic indicators when deciding to enter or exit a position. Fundamental investors tend to trade based upon news releases and economic data from the nations involved in the currency pair.

Briefly, technical analysis involves the interpretation of price performance and chart patterns—all historical data. Some technical indicators used in this type of analysis include:

• Moving averages including Simple & Exponential
• Breakout Points
• Lines of Support & Resistance

Technical traders do not believe that the past necessarily predicts the future—but that long and short term trends can be identified and exploited to help guide current decisions on entry and exit points on positions. Technical traders try to identify current trends in the Forex market to determine entry and exit points. If they are correct, they can ride a trend (in either direction) for a profit until an exit point is reached (when the trend is ending).

The most successful traders on the Forex tend to look for long-term trends and favor technical analysis. Fundamental traders have to enter and exit positions very quickly in order to capitalize in price fluctuations caused by news events (interest rate changes, release of economic data, etc.) and are therefore more vulnerable due to excessive trading. If there truly was “a secret” to trading success on the Forex, the top investors all tend to agree on the following:

1. Choose currency pairs involving U.S. dollar (has volume to produce the price fluctuations necessary for big profits and the liquidity to enter/exit positions at will)
2. Find currency pair through backtesting that has most profit potential (pip movement) and least volatility through use of technical analysis
3. After determining trends, set stops and exit points for both protection and maximum profitability
4. Review charts once per day (overtrading and day trading can hurt your portfolio)
5. Remain patient and exit positions once technical decision point has been reached

If there really is a secret to trading success on the Forex it has to be patience. Trading strategies are never perfect because the market will never be predictable 100% of the time. There will be times when any strategy fails and stop points are reached before profits are realized. Continuous back testing, remaining patient, and setting stops are the true secrets of Forex success.

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