Recent reports show that the notional value of forex trading is more than 6.6 trillion dollars per day. Most of the trading that is transacted is in the major currency pairs. Company treasurers can use forex trading to hedge profits and liabilities in other countries while tourists use it to change currencies. 

There are several ways to trade the forex markets, and before you begin to risk capital, you should determine the most suitable process for you. You also want to understand the different trading strategies often used to generate revenue when trading the forex markets. Once you have a good understanding of a strategy and find a process that is easy to employ, you can begin to practice trading and eventually risk your capital in the forex markets.

How Do You Start Trading Forex?

The first step is to determine the most efficient way for you to transact currency transactions. There are several ways for you to accomplish your goal. The most common ways to trade currencies are through contracts for differences (CFD) brokers, a forex broker or bank, a futures contract, or an exchange-traded fund. 

Each of these products provides an investor with a different asset to trade. CFDs are the most flexible but are not legal in the United States. A contract for differences allows an investor to purchase an asset that tracks the movements of a forex currency pair. An investor is only responsible for the change in the exchange rate. CFDs are an efficient way to engage in forex trading. CFDs also provide investors with leverage. Leverage allows you to enhance your gains by increasing the size of the position you take. You will need a margin account to trade forex with leverage. When you sign up with a CFD broker, they will ask some personal background questions to determine how much leverage to offer you in your margin account. Note that while leverage can increase your potential gains, it can also increase your losses to ensure you have a firm understanding of the risks involved. 

You can also set up an account with a forex broker, a stockbroker, or a bank with multiple account types. A forex account will give you access to the forex market via an over-the-counter transaction. You will be exchanging one currency for another digitally and will be asked to move money when the transaction reaches maturity. For example, if you trade a spot over-the-counter currency transaction, you are obligated to exchange currency two business days after the trade is transacted. Most of the time, you will likely extend your trade through the forward market, and your broker will handle the movements of your currency. 

You might also consider opening a futures account. Futures trading allows you to transact on a regulated futures exchange. However, the number of currency pairs might be limited. Futures trading also provides clients with leverage via a margin account. 

Lastly, you might consider purchasing or selling an ETF that tracks the movements of a currency pair. For example, the FXY ETF tracks the movements of the USD/JPY. The holdings are usually Japanese yen futures contracts, which allows the ETF to track the movements of the underlying asset.

Once you have decided which type of asset you might want to trade, the next step is to find a reliable broker to facilitate your transactions. During the due diligence process, you should look up your potential broker and read any reviews that might influence your thought process. You also want to evaluate the site and trading platform to see if they are easy to use. Many sites or downloadable apps are very sophisticated and complicated to get started. If you are a novice trader, look for something simple to understand and easy to navigate. If you find it too difficult, you could get lost before understanding the ins and outs of forex trading.

How Do You Create A Trading Strategy?

Before you risk your capital on forex trading, you should spend some time evaluating different types of trading strategies. You need to decide if you want to trade over short periods, like day trading, or more extended periods, where you hold your positions for weeks or even months. 

There are fundamental trading strategies in which you look at the interest rate differentials or macro backdrop to determine the future direction of a currency pair. Investors interested in understanding the long-term trend in the currency markets need to have some background news related to macroeconomics. For example, a stronger-than-expected inflation report in the United States is likely to buoy U.S. yields and help benefit the upward trend in the U.S. dollar.

Another type of trading strategy is through technical analysis. Technical analysis studies past price movements and includes patterns, momentum, trend following, and mean reversion. You might want to learn about support and resistance levels and the different studies that help determine if a trend is accelerating or decelerating. 

Test Using A Demonstration Account

Before you start trading your capital, you should test your strategy and your ability to navigate your broker’s website and trading platform using a demonstration account. Demo accounts use fake demo money that is not real, allowing you to see if your strategies can be effective. Many brokers have live demo accounts that allow you to trade in real-time using demonstration money.

The Bottom Line

The upshot is that there is a process involved in starting to trade Forex. First, you need to determine the type of instrument you want to trade. Next, you should evaluate different trading strategies. You then need to perform due diligence on your broker. Lastly, you should use a demo account to see if your strategy is viable before you begin to risk real capital.