Can You Really Make Money With Forex Trading?

Can You Really Make Money With Forex Trading?

by Geoff White

Forex trading sounds attractive but does anyone make any money from trading foreign exchange?
At first sight, there ought to be a winner and a loser in each currency deal. But that's misleading - if I was selling you dollars and you were buying dollars from me, then there would be a clear winner and loser. If I chose to sell you $100 for the "bargain" price of $110 and you were to take me up on the deal, I'd gain $10 from the exchange.

But Forex trading isn't that straightforward.

The quick answer is that, yes, it is possible to make money from trading currencies. You simply have to buy at a better rate than you are selling at. Currencies move all over the place, 24 hours a day. Look at any chart and you will see this in action.

All you need to do is "catch the waves" correctly!

Hmm. Don't these articles always make it out to be easy when it's nothing of the sort - the same as television chefs always cook perfect meals yet when you follow their exact instructions, your food looks nothing like theirs.

Undoubtedly, some people make a lot of money trading currencies. Adding 50% to your "bank" each month is by no means unheard of.

You need a system to follow. And an account that will prevent you from making enormous losses if there's an unexpected movement in the wrong direction.

Read a good book or two. Maybe get hold of a course - there are plenty to choose from online. Some brokers will even give you a free Forex tutorial when you open an account. After all, it's in their interest that you use their services and you won't continue to do that if you lose money every time you make a trade.

Then start small.

It's no good using the demo accounts that are available. Don't fool yourself, you won't make the same decisions when there's no money at stake. Watch any quiz show and see how many gambles you take at home that you wouldn't take if you were sitting in the hotseat.

So put aside some money you can afford to lose. If you're thinking about putting in next month's mortgage payment, stop right now.

Become unattached to the cash. It is now your trading account, not those dollars that were in your wallet or bank account.

Then take calm, collected decisions.

Set software up so that if a trade goes the "wrong" way, the software coolly and calmly ends the trade.

Set the software up so that if a trade goes the "right" way, it also ends the trade when you've reached a profit target.

Not getting greedy is probably one of the key secrets to making money with Forex trading. It's far better to get out while the going is good than to hold on, only to see the profit you would have made disappear into thin air.

Good luck with your Forex currency trading and remember to stay within your comfort zone when you are playing the foreign exchange markets.