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Friday, March 5, 2010
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Forex Review System Trading: How It Can Do Wonders For You
Forex trading is undoubtedly a business involving big risk. However, for minimizing the risks and for maximizing the profits, forex review system trading is there to help you.
It is a known fact that for earning profit, a person needs to take some risk also. Not a single business out there is without risks. However, the best part with some of the options is that they are quite profitable and the degree of risk involved in them can be minimized with the help of some tools.
If you take the example of Forex trading, you can get benefited easily by taking the help of a good forex review system trading. Though some knowledge of Forex gained through reading books or the advice of experts can do well for a person, but still for making good profits, there is a need of something extra.
That additional thing required is the forex trading reviews online. These reviews are in fact the experiences of small investors and evaluations of the good financial institutions. Such reviews not only provide the necessary evaluation, they also offer the best comparison that is based on the prime indicators of the market.
The biggest advantage of such reviews is that they enable the person get known to the technical analysis of the performance of various brokers over the past period of time. Thus, they provide a rough idea to the newbie as to when to move in the correct direction. Also, there are some reviews that are provided by veterans that can help a person to understand this trading to some extent. Thus, a person can minimize the degree of risk involved in forex trading with the help of these reviews.
Among other advantages of forex trading reviews, the special advantage of such reviews is that they depict the opinions of investors that are very important for a starter. By assessing these opinions, a person can easily have an idea as to follow which plan of action that can offer greater profit with lesser risks.
Thus with the help of the best forex review system trading, a person can minimize the degree of risk and can earn good amount of money easily.
Written by: Alan Lim
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you want to really play safe while dealing with forex trading, then Forex Review System Trading is truly helpful to you. You can take the help of this website at http://www.bestonlineforexsystemtrading.com/ for more information.
It is a known fact that for earning profit, a person needs to take some risk also. Not a single business out there is without risks. However, the best part with some of the options is that they are quite profitable and the degree of risk involved in them can be minimized with the help of some tools.
If you take the example of Forex trading, you can get benefited easily by taking the help of a good forex review system trading. Though some knowledge of Forex gained through reading books or the advice of experts can do well for a person, but still for making good profits, there is a need of something extra.
That additional thing required is the forex trading reviews online. These reviews are in fact the experiences of small investors and evaluations of the good financial institutions. Such reviews not only provide the necessary evaluation, they also offer the best comparison that is based on the prime indicators of the market.
The biggest advantage of such reviews is that they enable the person get known to the technical analysis of the performance of various brokers over the past period of time. Thus, they provide a rough idea to the newbie as to when to move in the correct direction. Also, there are some reviews that are provided by veterans that can help a person to understand this trading to some extent. Thus, a person can minimize the degree of risk involved in forex trading with the help of these reviews.
Among other advantages of forex trading reviews, the special advantage of such reviews is that they depict the opinions of investors that are very important for a starter. By assessing these opinions, a person can easily have an idea as to follow which plan of action that can offer greater profit with lesser risks.
Thus with the help of the best forex review system trading, a person can minimize the degree of risk and can earn good amount of money easily.
Written by: Alan Lim
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you want to really play safe while dealing with forex trading, then Forex Review System Trading is truly helpful to you. You can take the help of this website at http://www.bestonlineforexsystemtrading.com/ for more information.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Forex Trading Slumdog - How To Make Millions With A Forex Trading Guide
What are most people actually looking for in a forex trading guide, so that it can help them achieve their dreams of making millions from forex trading? I would say that a good forex trading guide would have consist of forex trading basics, forex technical analysis, fundamental analysis, trading psychology, forex trading systems, money management rules, forex glossary, how to choose forex broker etc.
Some of the forex trading guides provides forex trading tutorials to introduce you to the global forex trading, so that you will know how to trade forex in a shorter time and help you become a successful and profitable forex trader. Along the way, you will gain an understanding of how foreign exchange prices move and how to develop your own trading system. Some guides include forex trading tips, which is important for those who are new to trading, but also adds value to advanced traders too.
Let's zoom in into some of the contents that are provided in a forex trading guide. Basically, you can find contents like the mechanics and introduction to forex trading, how to be a profession forex trader etc in the forex basics section. Forex technical analysis
helps you to be able to read forex charts, use of Fibonacci, support and resistance etc.
Are you a very emotional person who reacts hugely to cases when you win or lose money? If you are, the trading psychology part will teach you how you can control your emotions, how you can overcome greed etc when it comes to trading.
You may find that most people first thing will look for the trading system, let it be a forex course, an ebook, or a tutorial. Why is that so? Most people thought that they can profit with the trading system alone, which is untrue as there is a need for money management and emotions control too!
There are many forex trading systems out there in the world, but you have to find one that fits your personality. There are methods like forex scalping, forex trend trading, breakout system and the list continues. Most traders love automated forex trading as a forex trading software will trade for them without having to open and close a trade manually. Of course, there are pitfalls in those systems too!
So by the time you have gone through everything in a forex trading guide, provided that guide is not a slumdog, and have found your trading system with money management, discipline and emotions controlFree Articles, you should be ready to make money trading forex online.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you're serious to turn your forex trading slumdog to start making money, download my FREE 56-page ebook at http://www.forextradingpower.com.
The author, Daniel S, is the founder of http://www.ForexTradingPower.com where you can get free premium forex trading tips and resources.
Written by: Daniel S.
Some of the forex trading guides provides forex trading tutorials to introduce you to the global forex trading, so that you will know how to trade forex in a shorter time and help you become a successful and profitable forex trader. Along the way, you will gain an understanding of how foreign exchange prices move and how to develop your own trading system. Some guides include forex trading tips, which is important for those who are new to trading, but also adds value to advanced traders too.
Let's zoom in into some of the contents that are provided in a forex trading guide. Basically, you can find contents like the mechanics and introduction to forex trading, how to be a profession forex trader etc in the forex basics section. Forex technical analysis
helps you to be able to read forex charts, use of Fibonacci, support and resistance etc.
Are you a very emotional person who reacts hugely to cases when you win or lose money? If you are, the trading psychology part will teach you how you can control your emotions, how you can overcome greed etc when it comes to trading.
You may find that most people first thing will look for the trading system, let it be a forex course, an ebook, or a tutorial. Why is that so? Most people thought that they can profit with the trading system alone, which is untrue as there is a need for money management and emotions control too!
There are many forex trading systems out there in the world, but you have to find one that fits your personality. There are methods like forex scalping, forex trend trading, breakout system and the list continues. Most traders love automated forex trading as a forex trading software will trade for them without having to open and close a trade manually. Of course, there are pitfalls in those systems too!
So by the time you have gone through everything in a forex trading guide, provided that guide is not a slumdog, and have found your trading system with money management, discipline and emotions controlFree Articles, you should be ready to make money trading forex online.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you're serious to turn your forex trading slumdog to start making money, download my FREE 56-page ebook at http://www.forextradingpower.com.
The author, Daniel S, is the founder of http://www.ForexTradingPower.com where you can get free premium forex trading tips and resources.
Written by: Daniel S.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Forex Software System Trading-The Worthy Investment
You can get the best possible returns from your money invested in forex trading
by indulging in forex software system trading. The software can help you keep tab on what is happening around the world around the clock. By using this software you will be able to cash on opportunities even when you are deep asleep.
Irrespective of whether you are a beginner or an old hand in the forex trade, forex software system trading can help you maximize your profits. It helps you to take advantage of situations and opportunities even when you are not around or in situations where for some reason you cannot access your forex account
.
Forex software system trading involves an software which helps you to keep tab of the changes in the market through out the world at all times. The forex market works for 24 hors a day for 5 days a week. It is open throughout to accommodate the different time zones. It is but natural that it is not humanely possible to observe the market through this period. Forex software system trading helps you do exactly this.
The software can take decisions and trade in limit, even when you are lost in your dreams. If this scares you let me tell you, it is you who control the actions of your software. All you of to do is define the parameters and when a specific pair of currencies reach that point; the software will conduct the trade within the limits specified by youComputer Technology Articles, irrespective of your presence. It is like having a reliable partner.
The software can be especially helpful when you are new in the trade. It can help you follow trends and predict a situation. It will be like having an ally in this volatile market. If you are a veteran in the forex market the forex software system trading will help you maximize your profits and take advantage of all possible expected openings.
In the beginning when you are not comfortable with the software you can even opt for using it in demo mode. Once you get the hang of it are confident you can switch to the full version.
Always remember hat the software will work as well as you program it to. It is you who have to choose the settings depending upon your strategies. Forex software system trading will only follow instructions and work to your advantage even in your absence.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you are looking for a reliable ally in the forex trade market, then try Forex Software System Trading to make a lot of money. For more information, log on to http://www.bestonlineforexsystemtrading.com/.
Written by: Alan Lim
by indulging in forex software system trading. The software can help you keep tab on what is happening around the world around the clock. By using this software you will be able to cash on opportunities even when you are deep asleep.
Irrespective of whether you are a beginner or an old hand in the forex trade, forex software system trading can help you maximize your profits. It helps you to take advantage of situations and opportunities even when you are not around or in situations where for some reason you cannot access your forex account
.
Forex software system trading involves an software which helps you to keep tab of the changes in the market through out the world at all times. The forex market works for 24 hors a day for 5 days a week. It is open throughout to accommodate the different time zones. It is but natural that it is not humanely possible to observe the market through this period. Forex software system trading helps you do exactly this.
The software can take decisions and trade in limit, even when you are lost in your dreams. If this scares you let me tell you, it is you who control the actions of your software. All you of to do is define the parameters and when a specific pair of currencies reach that point; the software will conduct the trade within the limits specified by youComputer Technology Articles, irrespective of your presence. It is like having a reliable partner.
The software can be especially helpful when you are new in the trade. It can help you follow trends and predict a situation. It will be like having an ally in this volatile market. If you are a veteran in the forex market the forex software system trading will help you maximize your profits and take advantage of all possible expected openings.
In the beginning when you are not comfortable with the software you can even opt for using it in demo mode. Once you get the hang of it are confident you can switch to the full version.
Always remember hat the software will work as well as you program it to. It is you who have to choose the settings depending upon your strategies. Forex software system trading will only follow instructions and work to your advantage even in your absence.
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If you are looking for a reliable ally in the forex trade market, then try Forex Software System Trading to make a lot of money. For more information, log on to http://www.bestonlineforexsystemtrading.com/.
Written by: Alan Lim
Friday, December 26, 2008
Forex Options Trading - Advantage of Technical Analysis
By: Timothy Stevens
In the world of foreign currency exchange, it is important for any trader to be able to analyze the market and look for the signals in order to determine his or her next move. Every decision made should be based upon the information one can gather in the movement of the market. But, how do you actually analyze the complexity of this market?
In analyzing the world's largest financial market, there are two options for any trader. One is to use fundamental analysis which is concerned with the different factors that can affect the price or the value of any currency. Such factors include the performance of the government, the economic situation and the political issues. All of these are important factors in determining fundamental analysis.
The other way to analyze the foreign exchange market is to use technical analysis. This procedure is actually used more often compared to fundamental analysis. This is a more efficient way to analyze the market and insure that you will earn money. Basically, technical analysis uses charts as well as statistical data in order to see what can happen next. This procedure is aided by the belief which says that what happens in the past could happen again. With that in mind, the trader would then be able to use the charts to predict what movement it will make in the near future.
Knowledge is indeed power and the foreign exchange market is a prime example for that. The forex technical analysis is the best choice for any aspiring trader.
Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com
In the world of foreign currency exchange, it is important for any trader to be able to analyze the market and look for the signals in order to determine his or her next move. Every decision made should be based upon the information one can gather in the movement of the market. But, how do you actually analyze the complexity of this market?
In analyzing the world's largest financial market, there are two options for any trader. One is to use fundamental analysis which is concerned with the different factors that can affect the price or the value of any currency. Such factors include the performance of the government, the economic situation and the political issues. All of these are important factors in determining fundamental analysis.
The other way to analyze the foreign exchange market is to use technical analysis. This procedure is actually used more often compared to fundamental analysis. This is a more efficient way to analyze the market and insure that you will earn money. Basically, technical analysis uses charts as well as statistical data in order to see what can happen next. This procedure is aided by the belief which says that what happens in the past could happen again. With that in mind, the trader would then be able to use the charts to predict what movement it will make in the near future.
Knowledge is indeed power and the foreign exchange market is a prime example for that. The forex technical analysis is the best choice for any aspiring trader.
Article Directory: http://www.articlecube.com
3 Top Forex Trading
by: sean mcneely
3 Top Forex Trading TipsWith the Forex market capturing the attention of people all around the world it is very important that you learn a few key tips to help you ensure that you are properly on your way towards getting the results that you are after. Simply jumping into the market is not likely to give you the results desired and instead will leave you frustrated. Following these five simple tips will help you to ensure you get the best results possible from all of your Forex transactions.Stick to pairs – This is a golden rule of thumb. While of course you can trade the currencies across each other without penalty, it is a wise idea to limit the currencies that you deal with. Even better to restrict them to pairs that you can easily compare to each other. Of course you can compare the USD to all of the other currencies if you are looking to engage in a new transaction, but if you are considering all of the currency choices available it might take you hours to pick one which could still turn wrong. It is much better instead to choose a pair that you always use together. For example, you could do pairs involving the USD and the GBP with another pair consisting of CAD and AUD. By always trading within these pairs, you are going to significantly decrease the amount of information you need to review for each trade.Never make a trade without research – This should be an easy tip to follow. If you are a new investor, this is extremely important because it will help you to learn the market, if you are a seasoned investor it will help you to keep from becoming overconfident. Decisions in the market should never be made unless you are basing them on actual proper research. Simply using a gut feeling is not acceptable and will result in losses. Taking a couple of minutes for some quick research is not that difficult and if you are trading in pairs as mentioned in the previous tip you will find that it is quite easy and fast to do.Plan your strategy out – If you were going to build a house and expect it to stand you would do plenty of research to get ready then you would spend a bit of time trying to ensure that you have all of the materials, knowledge and people necessary to be successful. This is a strategy for building a house and in a similar manner; you need a strategy for Forex. Diving in is never a good idea for anything and Forex is certainly not any different. Finding true success means having a specific goal in mind, what do you really want from the market? Are you looking to buy a car? Are you looking to fund your retirement? Are you even looking to become the richest person in the world? You need to know where you are trying to go so that you can set up a strategy that you stick to without fail.While Forex might look impossible to succeed with, following these three simple tips will help you to find the success that you are looking for without leaving your anxious or stressed. A few minutes following each tip when you first start trading will save a lot of hassle, and for those already trading a review to ensure you follow these suggestions will help you to improve your overall experience.
3 Top Forex Trading TipsWith the Forex market capturing the attention of people all around the world it is very important that you learn a few key tips to help you ensure that you are properly on your way towards getting the results that you are after. Simply jumping into the market is not likely to give you the results desired and instead will leave you frustrated. Following these five simple tips will help you to ensure you get the best results possible from all of your Forex transactions.Stick to pairs – This is a golden rule of thumb. While of course you can trade the currencies across each other without penalty, it is a wise idea to limit the currencies that you deal with. Even better to restrict them to pairs that you can easily compare to each other. Of course you can compare the USD to all of the other currencies if you are looking to engage in a new transaction, but if you are considering all of the currency choices available it might take you hours to pick one which could still turn wrong. It is much better instead to choose a pair that you always use together. For example, you could do pairs involving the USD and the GBP with another pair consisting of CAD and AUD. By always trading within these pairs, you are going to significantly decrease the amount of information you need to review for each trade.Never make a trade without research – This should be an easy tip to follow. If you are a new investor, this is extremely important because it will help you to learn the market, if you are a seasoned investor it will help you to keep from becoming overconfident. Decisions in the market should never be made unless you are basing them on actual proper research. Simply using a gut feeling is not acceptable and will result in losses. Taking a couple of minutes for some quick research is not that difficult and if you are trading in pairs as mentioned in the previous tip you will find that it is quite easy and fast to do.Plan your strategy out – If you were going to build a house and expect it to stand you would do plenty of research to get ready then you would spend a bit of time trying to ensure that you have all of the materials, knowledge and people necessary to be successful. This is a strategy for building a house and in a similar manner; you need a strategy for Forex. Diving in is never a good idea for anything and Forex is certainly not any different. Finding true success means having a specific goal in mind, what do you really want from the market? Are you looking to buy a car? Are you looking to fund your retirement? Are you even looking to become the richest person in the world? You need to know where you are trying to go so that you can set up a strategy that you stick to without fail.While Forex might look impossible to succeed with, following these three simple tips will help you to find the success that you are looking for without leaving your anxious or stressed. A few minutes following each tip when you first start trading will save a lot of hassle, and for those already trading a review to ensure you follow these suggestions will help you to improve your overall experience.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Using Stop Loss Orders to Determine When to Enter a Trade
by: Derek Frey
http://www.mytradesignals.com/
Many people enter into trades with little more than a desire for profit. In Forex we normally use between 50 – 400 to 1 leverage. Because of the large amount of leverage we are able to use, simply hoping for a profit is not enough. Traders need a solid plan before the pull they trigger. When planning any battle, successful generals begin at the retreat and work their way backwards. Traders should do the same. The first and most important decision is when to admit defeat and retreat. Survival to fight another day is more important that going down with the ship. This article proposes that traders take a different approach to figuring out when and where to place their next trade. The approach is simple. Just like the generals, start by figuring out when to get out. This may sound strange, but if you apply this idea to whatever other methods you are using to determine your entry signals, your bottom line should improve. The overall idea is simple, rather than first looking for a good entry point, look for a point where you would want to be stopped out. At this point you are probably saying “who ever wants to get stopped out?” The answer is, not the majority. But let’s look at several statistics for a moment to get some perspective. Depending on who you believe, anywhere between 75-95% of all retail Forex traders blow out their account within one year. So it seems that the 5-25% of traders who are winning are doing something different then the majority who are losing. One of those main differences is not being bothered by getting stopped out. Many new traders complain that they hate trading with stops because they have been stopped out of a trade that almost immediately turned around and would have been a huge winner had they not run the stop. They take that to mean that they should not trade with stops. Trading without some kind of risk management is like playing Russian roulette by yourself, it may not be the next pull of the trigger that kills you, but pull it enough times and sooner or later it’s a sure thing. Trading without risk management is much the same. You may get away with it for a while, but the lesson you are learning will sooner or later prove deadly. There are many forms of risk management, from the extremely complex, like cross hedging with options, to the very simple, such as using stops. The use of stop loss orders is one of the simplest and often most effective way to manage the risks of any given trade. The reason many traders have had a bad experience with using stops is not the fault of the stop itself, but rather the placement of the stop. Most traders get into a trade and then decide where to run a stop, if at all. They often have a fixed dollar amount that they are willing to risk per trade and they then place the stop loss order accordingly. All of this on the surface sounds like a good plan, but in practice it often leads to the scenario mentioned before, where the trade gets stopped out and then the market turns on a dime and goes the way the trader had originally anticipated, leaving them to mistakenly blame the stop. The individual points that led to the stop being placed are not bad in and of themselves, but put together this way, they often lead to the frustration mentioned above. So let us look at these issues from another angle. Rather than getting into a trade and then deciding where to get out, let’s determine the exit point and let that dictate where we get in. To do this you will need a chart. Choose the chart’s time-frame based on how long you intend to hold the trade. If you only hold your trades for a few hours then a 15 or 60 minute chart should be fine. If you are more of a swing trader, then daily or even weekly charts would be best. Currencies tend to trend more than most other markets. However, they do not trend all the time. In fact the opposite is true. Most markets only trend about 30% of the time. The remaining 70% of the time they are trading within a range or chopping. Therefore, learning how to trade the chop is paramount if you want to be a trader for years to come. What follows is a simple yet effective way to trade the chop. Trading the Chop First, start by looking at long term support and resistance zones. Markets tend to have certain zones that they “bounce” off of time and time again before penetrating them. These zones are what you want to look for. Start with weekly or even monthly charts, no matter what time-frame you trade in. This will tell you in an instant whether the market is trending or choppy. Once you determine the underlying market condition, look for significant areas of support and resistance. Finally, move to a daily chart and then to a 60 minute chart. After going through these different time-frames you should be able to find a number of these zones. The best are those that coincide through all the time-frames. That will only happen if the market is at or near relative new highs or lows. When it does happen, though, it is time to sit up and pay attention. However, you do not need to wait for perfect conditions to use this method. You only need a support or resistance zone in whatever time-frame you are comfortable trading. Once you have identified these areas on a chart, you need to look closely and determine where that level would be broken and place your stops accordingly. A move through this level would signify that the market is breaking out from the previously established range. Once you find what the highest high is in the case of a resistance level, or lowest low in the case of a support level, you need to go a certain distance beyond that so you are not stopped out by a move of only one or two pips beyond these levels. There are many ways to determine how much extra distance to give each market. One way that I have used is to simply look for the next closest Fibonacci number. This method is not scientific, but one that has served me well over the years. The Fibonacci sequence is one that was discovered by a mathematician all the way back in 13th century. The sequence is as follows: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144… For the purposes of using them for stops I normally only use 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, and 89. So if the last two digits of the highest high in a resistance zone had been 25, then you would use either 34 or 55 depending on which particular market it is in. The more volatile, or greater the average true range (ATR), the wider you should go. Once you identify the zone you can then come up with your exact stop point. Look at the daily chart of the USD/JPY and you can see that we have had significant resistance between roughly 121.50 and 122.25. Each time the market has reached this zone it has failed to follow through. There have been three attempts to break out from this zone, each one being lower than the last, forming a descending trend line. This is what you want to look for. Once you identify the zone you can then come up with your exact stop point. Simply find the recent highest high, in this case 121.66, and then find the next closest Fibonacci number (89) and you have your stop (121.89). Determining your entry point Now that you know where you are going to run your stop you can use that to determine your entry point. This is the point where you want determine how much actual money you are willing to risk on the trade. Most money managers will tell you to never invest more than 1% of your account on one trade. That rule really only works for traders using 50k or more. Most traders start with less and therefore are forced to break that rule. Starting with a $5,000 account and only risking 1% would mean that you can only risk $50 per trade, which in some cases is less than the bid/ask spread once you enter the trade, so it is obviously not realistic. But try to keep the amount you risk on any one trade as low as you can. Trading is a long-term endeavor. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that your next trade is “the big one” and you are sure it will work, and therefore put half or even all of your account into it. That is not money management, it is gambling. But let’s say you are comfortable risking $400 on a trade, or 40 pips on a 100k contract. Looking at a Daily chart of the USD/JPY, you can see that the most recent high was 121.66. Using the Fibonacci stop idea you would run your stop at 121.89 because 89 is the next closest Fibonacci number above 66. Now you have your stop well above a significant point of resistance. To calculate your entry point, simply subtract the 40 pips you are willing to risk from your stop point to arrive at 121.59 (121.89 – 40 = 121.59). The next day the market traded up to 121.63 so a limit order at 121.59 should have been filled. Once the order is filled, you can trail your stop with the market or move it to coincide with other support and resistance zones within the range. Your target would be somewhere near the bottom of the range. In this example your target would be a move to 119.50 or below. So let’s review this method. First determine if the current market is trending or chopping. Then look to identify areas of support and or resistance. Next find the highest high in a recent resistance level or the lowest low in a support level. Determine the next closest Fibonacci number and you have your stop point. Then take the amount you are willing to risk per trade and either subtract it from your stop if it is a short trade or add it to your stop if it is a long trade. You now have both your stop and entry points, and you are only risking whatever amount you determined you were comfortable with. Your stop is placed at a level that signifies a change in the recent trend, and therefore is mush less random than most other stops. This method is not to be used exclusively, but it is one that can compliment whatever other indicators or patterns you are using to determine you next trade. This method should help you avoid getting stopped out at insignificant points that have you selling near highs and buying near lows within the established trading range.
http://www.mytradesignals.com/
Many people enter into trades with little more than a desire for profit. In Forex we normally use between 50 – 400 to 1 leverage. Because of the large amount of leverage we are able to use, simply hoping for a profit is not enough. Traders need a solid plan before the pull they trigger. When planning any battle, successful generals begin at the retreat and work their way backwards. Traders should do the same. The first and most important decision is when to admit defeat and retreat. Survival to fight another day is more important that going down with the ship. This article proposes that traders take a different approach to figuring out when and where to place their next trade. The approach is simple. Just like the generals, start by figuring out when to get out. This may sound strange, but if you apply this idea to whatever other methods you are using to determine your entry signals, your bottom line should improve. The overall idea is simple, rather than first looking for a good entry point, look for a point where you would want to be stopped out. At this point you are probably saying “who ever wants to get stopped out?” The answer is, not the majority. But let’s look at several statistics for a moment to get some perspective. Depending on who you believe, anywhere between 75-95% of all retail Forex traders blow out their account within one year. So it seems that the 5-25% of traders who are winning are doing something different then the majority who are losing. One of those main differences is not being bothered by getting stopped out. Many new traders complain that they hate trading with stops because they have been stopped out of a trade that almost immediately turned around and would have been a huge winner had they not run the stop. They take that to mean that they should not trade with stops. Trading without some kind of risk management is like playing Russian roulette by yourself, it may not be the next pull of the trigger that kills you, but pull it enough times and sooner or later it’s a sure thing. Trading without risk management is much the same. You may get away with it for a while, but the lesson you are learning will sooner or later prove deadly. There are many forms of risk management, from the extremely complex, like cross hedging with options, to the very simple, such as using stops. The use of stop loss orders is one of the simplest and often most effective way to manage the risks of any given trade. The reason many traders have had a bad experience with using stops is not the fault of the stop itself, but rather the placement of the stop. Most traders get into a trade and then decide where to run a stop, if at all. They often have a fixed dollar amount that they are willing to risk per trade and they then place the stop loss order accordingly. All of this on the surface sounds like a good plan, but in practice it often leads to the scenario mentioned before, where the trade gets stopped out and then the market turns on a dime and goes the way the trader had originally anticipated, leaving them to mistakenly blame the stop. The individual points that led to the stop being placed are not bad in and of themselves, but put together this way, they often lead to the frustration mentioned above. So let us look at these issues from another angle. Rather than getting into a trade and then deciding where to get out, let’s determine the exit point and let that dictate where we get in. To do this you will need a chart. Choose the chart’s time-frame based on how long you intend to hold the trade. If you only hold your trades for a few hours then a 15 or 60 minute chart should be fine. If you are more of a swing trader, then daily or even weekly charts would be best. Currencies tend to trend more than most other markets. However, they do not trend all the time. In fact the opposite is true. Most markets only trend about 30% of the time. The remaining 70% of the time they are trading within a range or chopping. Therefore, learning how to trade the chop is paramount if you want to be a trader for years to come. What follows is a simple yet effective way to trade the chop. Trading the Chop First, start by looking at long term support and resistance zones. Markets tend to have certain zones that they “bounce” off of time and time again before penetrating them. These zones are what you want to look for. Start with weekly or even monthly charts, no matter what time-frame you trade in. This will tell you in an instant whether the market is trending or choppy. Once you determine the underlying market condition, look for significant areas of support and resistance. Finally, move to a daily chart and then to a 60 minute chart. After going through these different time-frames you should be able to find a number of these zones. The best are those that coincide through all the time-frames. That will only happen if the market is at or near relative new highs or lows. When it does happen, though, it is time to sit up and pay attention. However, you do not need to wait for perfect conditions to use this method. You only need a support or resistance zone in whatever time-frame you are comfortable trading. Once you have identified these areas on a chart, you need to look closely and determine where that level would be broken and place your stops accordingly. A move through this level would signify that the market is breaking out from the previously established range. Once you find what the highest high is in the case of a resistance level, or lowest low in the case of a support level, you need to go a certain distance beyond that so you are not stopped out by a move of only one or two pips beyond these levels. There are many ways to determine how much extra distance to give each market. One way that I have used is to simply look for the next closest Fibonacci number. This method is not scientific, but one that has served me well over the years. The Fibonacci sequence is one that was discovered by a mathematician all the way back in 13th century. The sequence is as follows: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144… For the purposes of using them for stops I normally only use 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, and 89. So if the last two digits of the highest high in a resistance zone had been 25, then you would use either 34 or 55 depending on which particular market it is in. The more volatile, or greater the average true range (ATR), the wider you should go. Once you identify the zone you can then come up with your exact stop point. Look at the daily chart of the USD/JPY and you can see that we have had significant resistance between roughly 121.50 and 122.25. Each time the market has reached this zone it has failed to follow through. There have been three attempts to break out from this zone, each one being lower than the last, forming a descending trend line. This is what you want to look for. Once you identify the zone you can then come up with your exact stop point. Simply find the recent highest high, in this case 121.66, and then find the next closest Fibonacci number (89) and you have your stop (121.89). Determining your entry point Now that you know where you are going to run your stop you can use that to determine your entry point. This is the point where you want determine how much actual money you are willing to risk on the trade. Most money managers will tell you to never invest more than 1% of your account on one trade. That rule really only works for traders using 50k or more. Most traders start with less and therefore are forced to break that rule. Starting with a $5,000 account and only risking 1% would mean that you can only risk $50 per trade, which in some cases is less than the bid/ask spread once you enter the trade, so it is obviously not realistic. But try to keep the amount you risk on any one trade as low as you can. Trading is a long-term endeavor. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that your next trade is “the big one” and you are sure it will work, and therefore put half or even all of your account into it. That is not money management, it is gambling. But let’s say you are comfortable risking $400 on a trade, or 40 pips on a 100k contract. Looking at a Daily chart of the USD/JPY, you can see that the most recent high was 121.66. Using the Fibonacci stop idea you would run your stop at 121.89 because 89 is the next closest Fibonacci number above 66. Now you have your stop well above a significant point of resistance. To calculate your entry point, simply subtract the 40 pips you are willing to risk from your stop point to arrive at 121.59 (121.89 – 40 = 121.59). The next day the market traded up to 121.63 so a limit order at 121.59 should have been filled. Once the order is filled, you can trail your stop with the market or move it to coincide with other support and resistance zones within the range. Your target would be somewhere near the bottom of the range. In this example your target would be a move to 119.50 or below. So let’s review this method. First determine if the current market is trending or chopping. Then look to identify areas of support and or resistance. Next find the highest high in a recent resistance level or the lowest low in a support level. Determine the next closest Fibonacci number and you have your stop point. Then take the amount you are willing to risk per trade and either subtract it from your stop if it is a short trade or add it to your stop if it is a long trade. You now have both your stop and entry points, and you are only risking whatever amount you determined you were comfortable with. Your stop is placed at a level that signifies a change in the recent trend, and therefore is mush less random than most other stops. This method is not to be used exclusively, but it is one that can compliment whatever other indicators or patterns you are using to determine you next trade. This method should help you avoid getting stopped out at insignificant points that have you selling near highs and buying near lows within the established trading range.
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