Forex trading can be an incredibly profitable way to make a living. The combination of margin leverage and a low minimum amount required for trading make forex trading ideal for small investors.
However, despite the opportunities for profit, the majority of forex traders lose all of their money within a year.
Why? Well I have found six root causes that can explain why so many new forex traders fail:
1. Unrealistic Expectations. Too many novice traders read about how easy it is to make money trading forex and they just jump in and lose everything before they even know what hit them.
Forex trading is not a get rich quick scheme. It requires hard work and research to be successful. And even then, you cannot expect every trade to be a winner. Even the best traders lose on trades. The key is knowing when to cut your losses and focus on the winners.
2. Not doing enough research. Forex trading is easy to learn, but difficult to master. Experienced traders make it seem so easy, but predicting currency prices is a complex endeavor. And as a small investor you are at a disadvantage. Large financial institutions have resources that you don't. They may have an entire staff analyzing the most recent economic indicators while you just have yourself. You must be prepared to spend some solid time learning before you can expect to win big.
3. Gambling instead of investing. If you think you can beat the market without doing research and just picking currency trades based on a hunch, good luck. I've seen people do this and they usually pick a few winners and make some short-term profits, but in the end they just get slaughtered.
4. Lack of focus. Depending on which broker you use, there are likely dozens of currencies you can trade. But when you are just starting out, think small. Pick a few of the most popular currencies, such as the US Dollar, the Japanese Yen, and the Euro, and focus exclusively on them. The more currencies you trade, the more data you will have to analyze in order to spot trends. Better to know a few currencies really well than to know just a little about each.
5. Not having a trading system. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of different trading systems available. Some you will have to pay for, but many are free. Choose a system that is right for you based on your capital, your goals, and your personality. Without a system, you might as well be throwing darts.
6. Not sticking to your system. Having a trading system is not enough, you have to follow it through good times and bad. This is easier said than done. Its easy to get greedy and go for the big score or get nervous and get out too soon. You must follow your system to determine both entry and exit points. If you ignore them you risk missing out on a big upswing or being stuck in a trade as it goes sour.
The best forex traders know that knowing when to get out of a trade is even more important than knowing when to get in.
Monday, September 15, 2008
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