Education

As extensively discussed in several of our previous articles, in addition to fundamental analysis, Forex Trading Investment requires you to learn the elements of analyzing forex charts; and staying disciplined. Having said that, it helps to chart out your own Trading Plan, and stay focused as much as possible, on that. The online forex market attracts different types of Traders, all of whom operate with distinct trading strategies, relying on various techniques to predict and speculate in the market. Various trading techniques adopted by different types of forex traders are mainly based on the knowledge of the forex market and the trading strategy that fits their goals and personality types. In this article, we present and discuss the features of the 4 main types of Forex Traders you will find on the market. DAY TRADERS This is arguably the most common type of trader there is. As their name implies, Day Traders, or Intraday Traders, as they’re also called, operate on a day-to-day basis. This type of Trader opens and closes trades throughout the course of the day. In general terms, they operate with price action characteristics to buy, sell and hold trade positions. They tap into the price movements that occur within a day or a particular trading session; A currency’s price volatility and average day range, are elements that Day Traders take seriously. Thus, before a Day Trader initiates a trade, it’s essential that the pair in question have sufficient price movement. Since trading is established on the grounds of entering and exiting a trade position at a fast rate, volume and liquidity is very crucial. In effect, pairs with a small daily range or volume won’t be of much interest to Day Traders. For Fundamental analysis, this category of traders focuses on events that are likely to cause short-term market moves. They are typically very knowledgeable and highly skilled in the market they choose to invest in. They employ a variety of techniques and make trading decisions quickly to ensure their success. To avoid the risk of slippage and overnight funding costs, Day Traders close out all their positions at the end of every day, leaving no positions running overnight. If you have a good grasp of price analysis and enough time on your hands to analyze the forex market and charts when the market opens, monitoring it throughout the day, you will find Day trading suitable. Major Elements of Day Traders, Aside from Closing All Positions at The End of The Day Include: Engaging In High-Volume Trading Ability To Focus on Technical Patterns A Focus on Quick Turnover Rate Pairing Volatile Currencies Which Can Show Large Movements Within Short Time Fram Trading Through Day Averages and Characteristics Rather Than Long-Term Strategies The success of the Day Trader depends on establishing how to trade and having a good operation and risk management plan in place. Since trading occurs within a short span of time, the ability to make quick decisions is of the essence. POSITION TRADERS On the opposite end of the spectrum from Day Traders, are Position Traders. This type of trading investment is long-term where you can take and hold positions over a period of several months, or even years. Unlike Day Traders, Position Traders are less interested in short-term price fluctuations, and rather pay attention to weekly and monthly price action analysis. Although they combine both fundamental and technical analyses, Position Traders often adhere more strictly to fundamental analysis, while technical charts are a tool to help determine the best entry and exit points. When trading stocks for instance, Position Traders will pay more attention to earning reports, stock splits, reorganizations and acquisitions, looking out for associated opportunities. The Distinguishing Features of Position Traders Include: Holding Fewer Trade Positions (Sometimes Only a Handful A Year) Making Decisions by Taking Economic Models, Governments, And Interest Rates into Account Working Across Major Currencies, As Well As Favorites of Emerging Markets Seeking To Capture the Bulk of a Position’s Movement in The Hope That It Will Appreciate Over Time Focusing More on Fundamental Analysis On the positive side, Position Trading makes lower demands on a trader’s time, as compared to other trading investment styles; many Position Traders work on not more than 10 positions over a year, giving them enough time to develop other aspects of their portfolio. The draw-down, on the other hand, is that Position Traders tend to rely on a bet that a certain trend will continue, and when it doesn’t, the risk of long-term capital losses can be huge. SWING TRADERS Somewhere in between Day and Position Traders are Swing Traders, who make a profit investing in trading by holding a position anywhere from overnight to several weeks. While Position Traders hold trading positions over a longer period, Swing Traders hold their trades over the medium term; This involves price swings and holding their trades over the course of several weeks. As their name suggests, these traders buy when the market begins to swing upwards, and sell when this price swing halts, stops, or tops out. Swing Traders make use of fundamental analysis, the intrinsic value of a pair, price trends, patterns, and technical analysis to search for financial instruments with short-term price momentum. The goal of this type of trading investment is to trade on large price moves daily by spending longer time frames (weeks to months) monitoring the pair in question. If you do not have all the time to analyze forex charts in as detailed a manner throughout the day, but only for a couple of hours, this trading strategy may be most ideal for you. Swing Traders Operate with The Following Principles: A Focus on Global Trends Rather Than Daily Fluctuations A Blended Approach to Fundamental and Chart Patterns Analyses; They’ll Look at Macroeconomics as Well As Daily Trends A Focus on Short-Term Price Momentum to Capitalize on Upward Swin Placing More Positions in Liquid Currency Pairs Like the Pound and the Dollar Capturing High and Low Extremes
With financial markets becoming accessible to more and more people, Forex Trading Opportunities have grown exponentially over the past two decades. Online Foreign Exchange Trading, commonly known as FX Trading, refers to the practice of buying and selling currency values with the aim of making a profit. Being a global market, FX Trading is conducted all over the world, with New York, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong serving as the major financial hubs with the largest markets. Having previously been a preserve mainly of large financial institutions such as banks, multi-national corporations, and the wealthy few, Online FX Trading has become increasingly popular with many who have internet access and a fair knowledge of the basics of FX Trading, owing to its relatively easy entry requirements and suitability for beginners. Although retail online forex trading has for a long time been considered a secondary source of income, many who have treated it as a primary source of income, have gained financial freedom by participating in it, given that a 9 to 5 job alone, most often than not, does not offer us the financial stability and freedom we desire. Although a 9 to 5 may offer you some job security, that doesn’t seem to be holding much ground in this post-pandemic economic situation we’re faced with now. In this article, we discuss the benefits of trading forex in Africa, both for individuals and for their respective countries as a whole. 1. A LARGE AND GLOBAL MARKET TRADEABLE 24-HOURS-A-DAY The sheer size and scale of the online Forex market sits at the top of the list when it comes to the benefits of online trading. As the world’s largest financial market, about $6 trillion on average, is exchanged daily. At ALL hours of the day, traders in every part of the world, are buying and selling currency pairs, making forex a truly global marketplace, with a very wide scope of profitability. In our very first article, How to Make Money from Forex in Ghana, we indicated the fact that, unlike other financial or capital markets, the forex market does not need a physical location to operate from, but rather, operates via an electronic network of corporations, banks, and individuals engaged in trading one currency for another. This makes it possible and convenient for forex markets to operate 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, across different time zones and financial centers. What makes this possible is the overlap in trading times of major sessions. Where most stock exchanges are open from 9am-4pm (depending on the country from where it operates), the FX Market operates continuously from the start of the week on Monday morning in New Zealand, till Friday afternoon New York time when it closes. Since it operates this way, the online FX market is not subject to any centralized exchange system; As long as there’s a market open somewhere in the world, you can trade. This is great news for those who want to start off trading on a part-time basis. 2. FLEXIBILITY AND WIDE RANGE OF CURRENCY PAIRS The very first point serves as an excellent springboard for another benefit of trading forex in Africa, which is the ability to participate in trading activities from anywhere on the globe. As already stated above, with market sessions, one is not limited to traditional office hours. Thanks to technological advancements, you don’t need to be tied to a desk, staring at six screens of charts to gain a decent handle on the market. With the additional element of a wide range of currency pairs to trade in, there is the flexibility to trade in your chosen currency pair at your own preferred time. Due to the flexibility Forex trading offers, a lot more people with regular jobs are choosing online day trading as an additional source of income. If you trade online full-time, you get to set your own hours and be your own boss. You can work from the comfort of your home, making profitable trades, while giving you leverage to spend time with your family and loved ones. Given this opportunity, you’re able to make time for other priorities, which a regular job may not fully allow you to. You can work even when you’re on a trip to some Island; all you need is a smart device with a good internet connection. That is the beauty of forex trading – the ability to make money while on the move, anywhere, anytime. 3. ACCESSIBLE AND BEGINNER FRIENDLY Yes, you read right. The Online Forex market can be beginner friendly if you make the commitment to acquiring the knowledge and equipping yourself with the required tools. First-Time traders who can only afford to make smaller investments can easily enter the forex market. Trading with the Best Forex Broker grants you access to real-time market pricing, news, price charts, tools, and strategies. As mentioned earlier, accessibility is one of the biggest advantages of forex trading; Compared to other capital markets, it does not require a large initial investment, making it easy to enter, and accounting for its popularity among beginner and even hobbyist traders. As a beginner, a good forex broker offers you a range of educational sources and Demo Accounts allowing you to practice and hone your skills on the market without the risk of losing real money. Demo Accounts essentially offer you a “Try-Before-Purchase” test run. They give you the opportunity to get used to a trading platform, familiarize yourself with market movements, and develop a risk management strategy, all without making any financial commitments, in a simulated live trading environment. It’s critical to bear in mind, however, that regardless of your investment capital, Knowledge and skill are the bedrock of successful profitable FX Trading. 4. HIGH LIQUIDITY Online Trading benefits include High Liquidity. In capital markets or trading terms, Liquidity refers to the ease with which an asset can be bought or sold. Combined with the high volumes and 24-Hour-a-Day activity, the global scale of
