Technical Analysis Can Help You Trade Better In Forex Trading:

As a beginner there are two types of trading strategies you can adopt. The strategies are fundamental analysis and technical analysis. Technical analysis is a great tool to trade in the market and achieve success but I have always almost heard that people say that they had tough luck with charting tools and technical analysis software.

The truth is that you should know how to use the software effectively and then you can achieve success with the technical analysis. There are errors that people make which makes them think that technical analysis is not helping them.

The basic error traders make is that assuming that technical analysis will help them reach answers to what is the price is going to be. That is not going to happen, the technical analysis will always tell from the price trends and the historical trading patterns that yes at this level there will support and there may be levels where you can buy or sell. Never assume that there is going to be a price prediction. Use accurately the technical analysis and you will be making an informed decision about the prices. Also, make sure that you use breakout to your advantage and trade accordingly to make money.

Technical analysis software help you guide easily through these issues but then as with computers you need human intelligence to decipher the data presented. So if the technical analysis software tells you a thing then make sure that you apply your intelligent guess on top of it. That way you will be reasonably sure that you will profit from the technical analysis.

As always the best strategy is to keep it simple when comes to using indicators. Stick to basic indicators and you will be on track. Use 5 or 6 or ten indicators and you will be confused as to what is happening to the charts at any given point in time.

Forex charting is simple tool to help you benefit but do not bend it to suit your decisions and never try to evaluate your past strategies from the forex charting. This is known as curve fitting and it will do more harm than good. There are guide available for giving you help on how to read the charts and also how to use them as excel based plug ins.

is Broker-Bashing one Gigantic Witch Hunt?:

Choose your forex broker accordingly: If you use forex broker competition with a dealing desk then you are more likely (in theory) to experience slippage than if you use an ECN style broker. It is likely that a human will actually be matching and filling orders on a dealing desk which leaves you open to an added delay, especially at busy times. forex broker competition doesn't have this limitation and that fraction of a second saved can make a huge difference. In conclusion, if you are actively trading at busy times then forex broker is probably most suited to your needs. On the other hand if you trade infrequently or you have a small account and cannot afford the commission fees that forex brokers charge then a broker with a dealing desk may be adequate.

My forex Broker is Trading Against Me

This is an extremely common complaint that has lead to the conspiracy theory that most forex brokers competition actually want you to lose your money because they are on the other side of your trades. Let us step away from this theory for the moment and consider the fact that there is ALWAYS someone on the other side of your trades. For you to go short someone else must go long and vice versa so someone somewhere always wants you to lose! Now, some forex brokers competition claim that they match client orders at the dealing desk while others use their dealing desk to offset their clients' trades with their own overall position in the market, which is known as hedging. If forex broker competitive is perfectly hedged then they simply collect the spread that you pay them (which is greater than the spread they pay in the interbank market) and that is their profit. The conspiracy theory has come from the notion that most traders lose and so it would be more beneficial for forex brokers to trade in the opposite direction to their clients rather than go in the same direction and hedge themselves. Experiences of delayed orders, slippage and stop hunting have added fuel to this fire because they can be easily explained as forex brokers competitive stealing your money rather than potentially legitimate problems incurred at busy trading times.

Conclusion

In this article we have attempted to point out to you alternatives to forex broker malpractice theories and a few ways in which you can minimise their effects. If you are a firm believer that your forex broker competition is trading against you and wants you to lose then you are developing a potentially self-destructive frame of mind. This belief may prevent you from identifying problems closer to home such as trading psychology and strategy inadequacies. But the fact remains that if you are unhappy with your forex broker or you are experiencing excessive slippage, multiple re-quotes, poor customer service, possible stop hunting, platform freezing and held orders then you should change forex brokers competitive. At the end of the day the reasons for poor service are of secondary importance behind the effect it has on your trading. It may be that your forex broker is honest but technologically inept or it may be that you are the victim of a bucket shop but try to keep your complaints within the context of market dynamics. If none of the coping strategies listed above make any positive difference then it is definitely time to find a new broker.

Choosing A Forex Broker:

With currency trading becoming ever more popular, the number of forex brokers competiton is growing at a rapid rate. What should one look at when deciding which broker to open an account with? These are the important points to consider.

Spread

Because currencies, unlike futures and stocks, are not traded through a central exchange, the spread can be different depending on the forex broker you use, so it's well worth checking a few out before you open an account. Most forex brokers competiton publish live or delayed prices on their websites so you can compare spreads, but check if the spread is fixed or variable. A fixed spread means exactly that — it will always be the same no matter what time of day or night it is. Some forex brokers competition use a variable spread, which might appear to be nice and small when the market is quiet, but when things get busy they can widen the spread which means the market must move more in your favor before you start to make a profit. Fixed spreads are generally slightly wider than the variable spreads are when at their narrowest, but over the long term fixed can be safer.

Execution

Some forex brokers competition will show live prices on their trading platform, but will they honor them when it comes to pushing the Buy or Sell button? The best way to find out is to open a demo account and give them a test drive. This will also give you the opportunity to see what the speed of execution is like — when you want to buy, you want to buy now, not sit around waiting for ten minutes whilst your order is confirmed!

Trading Platform

Good trading software will show live prices that you can actually trade at, not just indicative quotes. It will offer Limit and Stop orders, and ideally will let you attach these to your entry order. One-Cancels-Other orders are another useful feature — they mean you can set up your trade and then leave the software to get on with it. And the most important feature of all — can you actually understand the platform? Having all the bells and whistles is of no use if you can't use them, so again, get a demo account and give it a go.

Finally, before opening an account do a little homework and find out about the company. Forex broker's competition is regulated, but that doesn't mean they all have equal backing. If the market collapses, you want to know that they've got the reserves to cope with it and will still be around when you decide to withdraw your cash. If a broker is elusive when it comes to questions about their parentage and financial backing, then steer clear.

ForexGen | Mortgage Rates Dip For Fourth Straight Week

Mortgage rates dip for fourth week; falling below 6 percent for first time since early October


Rates on 30-year mortgages sank for a fourth straight week, falling below 6 percent for the first time since early October, and are heading lower due to the government's massive new effort to aid the U.S. housing market.

Further drops are likely, analysts said, reflecting the market's positive response to the programs the Federal Reserve and the Treasury unveiled this week to fight the financial crisis.

The Fed's move to spend up to $600 billion buying mortgage-backed securities owned or guaranteed by big mortgage financing titans Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae caused rates to immediately drop by a half-point. Economists say the new Fed program should help keep rates low as the government increases efforts to battle the credit crisis.

"The sharp decline in mortgage rates that occurred after the new program was announced Tuesday was encouraging," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com.

Freddie Mac reported Wednesday that rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages dropped to 5.97 percent this week. That was down from 6.04 percent last week. It was the first time rates have been below 6 percent since they were at 5.94 percent the week of Oct. 9.

Freddie Mac's survey is normally collected from Monday through Wednesday and released on Thursdays. This week, it was put out one day early due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Since some lenders reported their rates Monday, this week's rates don't reflect the full impact of the Fed's dramatic action.

Rates on the 30-year mortgage hit a high for this year of 6.63 percent in late July. Analysts believe rates will continue dropping as signs mount that the country is sliding into a recession and the government steps up efforts to make mortgage financing more available.

"Signs the overall economy is flagging lowered most interest rates market-wide," said Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac.

Rates on other types of mortgages were mixed this week.

For 15-year, fixed-rate mortgages, which are popular with people who are refinancing, rates averaged 5.74 percent, up slightly from 5.73 percent last week.

Rates on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages dipped to 5.86 percent, compared with 5.87 percent last week. Rates on one-year, adjustable-rate mortgages dropped to 5.18 percent, from 5.29 percent last week.

The rates do not include add-on fees known as points. The nationwide fee for 30-year and 15-year mortgages averaged 0.7 point last week. The fee on five-year, adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 0.6 point while the fee on one-year adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 0.5 point.

A year ago, the nationwide average rate on 30-year mortgages stood at 6.10 percent, 15-year mortgage rates averaged 5.73 percent, five-year adjustable-rate mortgages were at 5.86 percent and one-year adjustable-rate mortgages stood at 5.43 percent.

The credit markets, while not as crunched as they were last week ahead of the rescue of Citigroup Inc., are still in rough shape because financial institutions and other investors remain wary about lending. Short-term Treasury rates remain just above zero -- suggesting a high level of fear among investors.

ForexGen Academy

If you are an experienced ‘FOREX’ Trader or just a beginner looking for the opportunities offered in the ‘FOREX’ market, Forexgen has created ForexGen Academy to give you the chance to get a ‘FOREX’ education and improve your trading skills. No hard expressions, no buzz words, and no rocket science language are used throughout these lessons.


How to Get Started?

People are introduced to the exciting world of foreign exchange in many ways: friends, current events, newspapers, television, and many others. For those of you who are new to forex, the following guidelines cover the basics of currency trading.

Step 1: "Practice makes perfect"
Demo trade. The demo account was designed to help traders gain familiarity with the speed and movements of the market. When you are demo trading, you should learn how to: 1) place market orders to enter a trade, 2) place stop-loss orders to protect your positions, and limit orders to take profits, 3) place OCO orders and If Done Orders to execute more advanced strategies.

Step 2: "Study, Study, Study".
Forex traders use fundamental analysis, technical analysis, quantitative analysis and sometimes a combination of all three to make their trading decisions. Fundamental analysis involves the use of economic, financial and political news to determine trading decisions. Technical analysis involves the study of Charts to predict future price movements based on past price patterns and trends. Quantitative analysis consists of the use of preset statistical models and properties in quantifying price formations such as averages, ret cements as well as identifying oversold and undersold situations.

Step 3: Manage your money wisely.
You should always be aware of the amount of money in your account before placing a trade. If you think a long-term trend is developing, then you should consider whether you have enough funds to maintain your margin and withstand any movements against your position(s) that may occur.

Step 4: Open a Live Account.
If you feel ready to trade this market, fill out our application forms and submit them today. Since the emotional factor may be higher than it was when you were demo-trading (as you are now committing real money), it is essential that you develop an effective strategy while demo-trading and plan to abide by it when trading your live account.