What is Forex Currency Trading?

Everyone is talking about it. It's the newest get rich quick scheme on the block and you want a piece of the action. Who wouldn't? But before you go any further, it's good to spend some time to familiarize yourself with some of the basics. What is forex? Forex stands for foreign exchange, i.e. the currency of any country anywhere in the world, such as the US Dollar, the Chinese Yuan, the British Pound and so on. The concept of forex trading implies that one currency is exchanged for another; hence it is also called currency trading. There exists a huge international forex market where currencies are bought, sold and traded.

The forex market is one of largest financial markets in the world. And the amazing thing is that Sunday to Friday, it is a 24 hour market, it does not close daily like the stock market. Further, it is an international market, so it is bigger than almost any domestic stock market could ever be. Speculators on the forex market make money depending on the movements of the market and many have their own forex trading strategy. The most widely traded currencies are the US Dollar, the Euro, the British Pound, and the Japanese Yen. As you can see, these are the world's most powerful economies, implying that due to the amount of trade going on in these countries, businesses in these countries need plenty of foreign exchange.

As a speculator or forex trader, one would take a position on a country, depending on what one believes are the future prospects for that country and then either buy or sell its currency. For instance, if you believe that the US dollar will depreciate against the Euro, as a forex trader, you would sell US dollars right now at a higher price with the expectation of buying them from the market at a lower price when the US dollar depreciates. You will make the differential between the higher price and the lower price per dollar that you sold. Since you did not actually have stock of US dollars at the time you sold, this is called a short position.

The opposite of this is a long position, meaning that you believe the US dollar will appreciate and as a forex trader, you buy US dollars in hopes of selling them at a higher price when the market for them goes up. This is a simple long trade. There are plenty of forex currency trading systems to help you maximize your profitability.

An understanding of factors that go into successful forex currency trading is essential when you decide to become a forex trader, or maybe eventually a broker. The main factors that interact to form the basis for the trade are time, currency, interest rates and exchange rates. A solid understanding of these elements and their interplay is what makes a good forex trader.

The internet is a big driving force in the increased popularity of forex currency trading. With the introduction of the internet into every home, the average person now has gained access to the huge forex market. Earlier a playground for rich individual investors or huge institutions like financial companies and banks, the international forex market is now open to you and millions of others. And people are already tapping it to make their private fortunes.