Education

Spurred on by greater internet accessibility, more investment knowledge, and proliferation of forex brokers, online Forex trading has risen in popularity in recent years in Africa, with more and more traders emerging day-in-day-out. To trade the forex market online, choosing the best forex broker, and one you can trust, is a vital first step, as your broker will form a critical part of your trading equation, and essentially be your business partner. Online forex trading is gaining traction and momentum in Africa as a whole, and Ghana in particular, and the challenge many beginner traders are faced with, is finding a legitimate broker they can trust; one who is not only reliable but also within arm’s reach; as close and real as can be. Forex brokers are an integral part of the forex trading equation, and a trader’s aim should be to find the best forex broker available. If you’re new to forex trading, you may get confused by the flood of advertisements from different firms. That is why we have simplified it, helping you take the guesswork out of your search for the best forex broker to trade with. A forex broker is an entity that acts as an intermediary between institutional or individual clients and the global forex market. In addition, the forex broker’s job is to ensure your orders are executed. The forex broker market is saturated with many options, and it has become necessary to apply certain metrics in choosing the right forex broker to attend to your needs. Not all forex trading brokers are regulated, and it’s very important to be wary of unregulated firms, to avoid being scammed or your trading capital being done away with. Take your time to find a reliable forex broker to ensure your money and trades will be handled appropriately and to best industry practices. 1. REGULATORY COMPLIANCE Simply, is the broker licensed and regulated by a reputable regulatory authority. As obvious as this may be, you will be surprised at how many unlicensed and unregulated forex brokers there are. The best forex brokers in Africa are licensed and regulated by industry regulators to grant professional and retail clients the ability to trade foreign currencies by offering them a secure online trading platform. Due to concerns regarding the integrity of a broker, and the safety of clients’ funds, accounts should be opened only with brokers who are duly licensed. Choosing a broker who is licensed to offer the services you need, helps you avoid potential scams, and reduces the risk of losing your money should the broker go bankrupt. Being a dominantly virtual industry, many people do not really know who they are dealing with, because everything is conducted digitally. You should evaluate a broker’s license and compliance with industry regulations, and not pay too much attention to glitzy websites. We advise you to stay away from forex brokerage firms that do not display their regulatory license numbers openly, as this may be a red flag. Many forex brokers these days also tend to show license numbers that are not theirs, hence, to be completely sure, you should visit the regulatory authority’s website to check if the said license number is true, and belongs to who they claim it belongs to. If you’re in Ghana or Africa, you can find a trustworthy broker licensed and regulated by either one of the following: CYSEC-Cyprus (As an EU member state, CySEC’s financial regulations and operations comply with the European MiFID financial harmonization law), the FSC-South Africa, ASIC-Australia, or the FCA-United Kingdom. Forex trading companies in Ghana are most likely to be regulated by any of these reputable industry regulators, any of which can render confidence that your broker is legit. As a globally recognized brand, regulated in the most advanced capital market jurisdictions across the globe, Geldex Invest is not only licensed, but also offers you the ultimate package of an excellent trading experience, and exceptional customer responsiveness. We are licensed and regulated by many of the leading financial regulatory authorities for international brokerage firms. 2. CHOICE OF DIFFERENT ACCOUNT TYPES It’s a plus when a broker offers you a variety of accounts to choose from for online forex trading. This means they can cater to traders with different financial abilities, needs, and aspirations. The best forex trading companies in Africa recognize the power of choice goes a long way. Closely related to the above, is the offer of Demo Accounts. Trading on a Demo account is essential before trading on a live account. Trading on a Demo account gives you the opportunity to trade in real market conditions, but with virtual money. This means it’s absolutely risk-free. The main purpose of the Demo Account is to know the ins and outs of online forex trading, put your strategy to test, and discover your strengths and weaknesses before you go unto a live account. We encourage beginners to trade on demo accounts for only so long; enough to get your feet wet and move to a live account. 3. VARIETY OF TRADING INSTRUMENTS The more tradable instruments a broker offers, the more opportunities are unveiled for you. When choosing a forex broker, go with one that doesn’t only offer the major currency pairs, but also the Minors and Exotics, as well as precious metals and other commodities, for the purpose of diversifying your portfolio. Seeing as trading comes with risks, it’s important to manage these risks in an adequate manner. The best Forex Trading companies in Africa give you the opportunity to diversify your portfolio this way, so as to manage risk in the most effective manner possible. Gold, for instance over the years, has proven to be a very popular trading instrument during times of political and economic instability, such as is currently being experienced globally. If you find yourself in one of the largest gold-producing countries in the world, and own a smartphone, you have no excuse not to learn to trade gold on the forex market. 4.
A hard reality of our current situation is that at the time of writing this article, if you did a dollar conversion of your salary in Ghana as of January 2022, it’s safe to say you’ve been hit with a 50% salary cut, if not more; and it won’t stop there. Troubled? You should be. If you’re reading this article, you’re most likely particularly interested in Online Forex Trading, or are simply like many looking for an alternative investment. As the world teeters on the brink of economic catastrophe, with economists anticipating another global economic recession a little over 10 years after we came out of one, institutional investors, businesses, households and everyday people are frantically searching for alternative investments. Forex investment has a lot to offer all kinds of traders, from beginners to professional traders; and in this article Geldex explores the five most compelling reasons why you must consider Online Forex Trading as your next investment move. Global Economic Hedge With Global economic activity experiencing a broad-based and sharper-than-expected slowdown, inflation has been higher than expected in the aftermath of lingering effects from the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the rising cost of living, and tightening financial situations. These are all weighing heavily, especially in the face of global growth being projected to slow from 6.0% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2023 – a record low since 2001. This comes with attendant inflation – forecast to rise from 4.7% in 2021 to 8.8% by the end of 2022. The IMF has warned: “The worst is yet to come, and for many people 2023 will feel like a recession”. As Ghana engages in Debt Restructuring with the International Monetary Fund, government securities, including Treasury bills and bonds – previously regarded as an all-safe, risk-free investments – are most likely to lose a large aspect of that safety and protection from risk. Now more than ever, in the present economic situation Forex Investment has become an absolute necessity to guard against financial shocks, missing out on high-potential opportunities, and to hedge against inflation. The currency market allows you to invest in Forex by trading currencies based on how you perceive their relative values will change over a period of time. Depending on which direction you believe a particular currency is headed, you can speculate or project both ways; either long or short. After having gained enough experience, you can allocate your risk across the currencies of several countries; allowing you to profit from changing global macroeconomic conditions. A level playing field Online Forex Trading was previously reserved for multi-national corporations, banks, financial institutions, and very wealthy investors. With prevalence of the Internet and technological advancements, Forex trading companies and proprietary currency trading platforms, this investment opportunity is now open to everyone willing to invest. The same technologies that have made online forex trading possible are the same ones that have made information freely available. In addition, unlike other capital markets, the news that drives currency prices is available to everyone on a real-time basis. Unlike stocks, bonds and even commodities which can many times be influenced by proprietary information held by insiders and key stakeholders of those assets, control of the currency market is much less centralized – and thus far less influenced by insider information, if ever. This aspect of online forex trading makes it one of the most transparent markets for trading. Knowledge is indeed power, and today’s information technology provides it in abundance. The speed at which technological advancements have ensured news travels across the globe means that someone investing in Forex can monitor their open positions from anywhere on the globe, and can react just as swiftly as a professional trading from the very centre of it in New York, London or Tokyo. Resources previously available only to large financial institutions are now open to all who may be interested in Forex investment. This means you can do your own analysis of events that influence a country’s economic health and actual monetary flow, which are the elements driving and impacting currency valuations. Thus, the online forex trading market cannot be controlled by one person or a few individuals and institutions. Considering how incredibly complex the online forex market can be, coupled with the myriad of influences (both macro and micro) they are subject to, everyday people investing in Forex are now better-positioned than they have ever been to take advantage of information and use it to manage their capital profitably. Volatility In simple terms, volatility refers to the price fluctuations of assets. It measures the difference between the opening and closing prices over a period of time. When looking to invest, many people tend to gravitate toward more stable options – such as the Real estate market, which is largely viewed as a solid investment market. But who says volatility has to be a bad thing? In actual fact, when a market moves frequently it creates an avenue for many opportunities to make strong gains within a relatively short period of time. Warren Buffet was once quoted as saying: “Look at market fluctuations (volatility) as a friend, rather than an enemy”. The volatility of currencies is influenced by a number of factors, including but not limited to: The economic stability of a particular country Global economic happenings as a whole Political news, events and policies (e.g., interest rate fluctuations, currency revaluations, political upheavals, trading sanctions, monetary policy changes, trade deficits, tax changes, import restrictions, etc.) Trade deals, etc. On any given day, Forex markets can move between 50-100 pips on a major currency pairing, allowing investors to cash-in on poor-performing assets or seize upon potential opportunities that present themselves. Regulation Forex Market regulations refer to the rules, laws and guidelines that Forex Trading Companies or brokers operating within the Online FX Trading space must abide by. They extend to the continuous oversight and enforcement of these rules. Forex Investment is well regulated by several bodies across the globe – including CYSEC (Cyprus Securities and
