Thursday, February 5, 2009

Forex Trading Styles: Choosing The Forex Style That Suits You

When you start out in Forex currency trading you will be faced with deciding which of the two main styles to use. Of course, you could combine both styles but there are only so many hours in the day, so it is likely that you will choose one or other of them.

We will explore the main elements of these Forex trading styles below.

Fundamental Forex trading

As a beginner, this is probably the least likely style that you will use. Fundamental trading is based on the examination of economic data. That said, you may indirectly use fundamentals as some of the data used is covered in the day to day news bulletins and in newspapers.

Fundamentalists analyze government reports, current events, news coverage, political events, changes in interest rates, GDP (Gross Domestic Product) changes, inflation predictions, retail price data, unemployment levels and any other factors that they consider important in currency fluctuations. This can extend to political elections, attacks by terrorists, military conflicts, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc.

Technical Forex trading.

This is the most likely tool for the beginner Forex trader. Charts are used to analyze what has happened in the particular currency market you are interested in and then to predict what is likely to happen in the future, based on past events.

At their most basic, charts display the historic relationship between the two currencies you are interested in. This will show the peaks and troughs in the relationship and when you become sufficiently proficient, a chart should be able to help you predict future currency movements.

If you are new to technical Forex trading then the amount of information available to you may appear overwhelming. Take the time to study what you are looking at and make sure that you trade "on paper" before spending your own money.

There are a number of services online who provide chart data in real time. If you decide to trade on the Forex markets as a day trader, such information is essential. A lot can happen during the course of a day and you need to make sure that you stay on top of any fluctuations. This is especially important since the currency market is open 24 hours on weekdays and is a global marketplace.

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