Diversifying Forex Trading Strategies

by David McLauchlan

The critical difference between who will win and who will lose in the business of Forex market trading is learning how to manage your money. For example, if 100 Forex traders begin trading by using a system with 60% of winning odds, only about 5 of those traders would see a profit by the end of the year. Despite those 60% winning odds, only 95% of those Forex traders will lose because of poor money management skills. When entering a trading system one must have great money management skills in order to succeed. Traders enter the Forex system to make a profit, after all, not to lose money.

The amount of money you will put on a trade and the risks you are willing to accept for that trade is money management. It is very important to understand the concept of managing money and to understand the difference between managing money and trading decisions, in order to diversify your Forex trading strategies. There are a number of different strategies that can be employed that will aspire to preserve your balance from any high-risk liabilities.

To begin with an understanding of the “core equity” is a necessity. Basically the core equity illustrates the starting balance of the account and what amounts are in the open positions. Your money management will greatly depend on this equity so it’s very important to understand the meaning of core equity. For instance, if you have an open account with a balance of $5,000 and you enter a trade with $1,000 your core equity will be $4,000. If you enter another trade for another $1,000 then your core equity would be $3,000.

From the outset, it’s best to diversify trades by using several different currencies. By only trading one currency pair, you will generate very few entry signals. For example, if you have an account balance of $100,000 and have an open position for $10,000 then that makes your core equity $90,000. If you choose to enter on a second position, then calculate the 1% risk from your core equity, but not your starting account balance. This would mean that the second trade would not exceed $900. Then if you decide to enter a third position, with a core equity of $80,000 then the risk from that trade should not surpass $800. The key is to diversify the lots between all currencies that have a low correlation.

For example, if you want to trade EUR/USD and GBP/USD with a $10,000 (1% risk) standard position size in money management, then it would be safe to trade $5,000 in each EUR/USD and GBP/USD. This way, you will only be risking 0.5% on each position.

When trying to diversify your Forex trading strategies, it’s very important to understand the strategies of the Martingale and the Anti-Martingale. The Martingale rule means: increasing your risks when you’re losing. Gamblers worldwide who claim that one should increase the size of a trade even when one is losing have adopted this strategy. Basically, gamblers use the rule in the following way: bet $20, if you lose bet $40, if you loose bet $80, if you lose bet $160, if you lose bet $320, etc.

The strategy is to assume that if you lose more than four times, then the chances to win become bigger and as you add more money, you will be able to recover from your loss. Although there are many people who choose to use this strategy, the truth is, the odds are still the same 50/50 regardless of the previous losses. Even if you lose five times in a row, the odds for your sixth bet, and even for those there after, are still 50/50. This is a common mistake made by those who are new to the trading business. For instance, if a trader started with a $10,000 balance and lost four trades of $1,000 a piece for a total of $4,000 then the traders remaining balance would be $6,000. If the trader thinks there is a higher chance of winning the fifth trade and increases the size of the position four times, enough to recover from the loss, then if the fifth trade loses the trader will be down to $2,000. A loss like this can never be recovered back to the $10,000 starting balance. No experienced trader would use such a risky gambling tactic as the result is negative - losing all the money in a short period of time.

Structure Of The Forex Market

By David McLauchlan

First what is Forex: The FOREX or Foreign Exchange market is the largest financial market in the world, with an volume of more than $1.5 trillion daily, dealing in currencies. Unlike other financial markets, the Forex market has no physical location, no central exchange. It operates through an electronic network of banks, corporations and individuals trading one currency for another.

The Forex, or foreign currency exchange, is all about money. Money from all over the world is bought, sold and traded. On the Forex, anyone can buy and sell currency and with possibly come out ahead in the end. When dealing with the foreign currency exchange, it is possible to buy the currency of one country, sell it and make a profit. For example, a broker might buy a Japanese yen when the yen to dollar ratio increases, then sell the yens and buy back American dollars for a profit.

In the beginning countries would trade with each other using the barter system. If one nation needed lumber but had cattle, they would trade one product for another. This was pure trading. This type of economy has many limitations, but served mankind well for many centuries. However, nations quickly saw the benefit of having a system of exchange, and while some cultures used pretty rocks, or animal teeth, precious metals quickly became established methods of exchange. God and silver were the most popular. Initially gold and silver coins were used, and in fact the name of the British standard currency, the pound sterling, came from the Hasterling region where gold coins were made, and originally meant coins of the Hasterling’s. Up until World War I most nations had central banks that supported the value of their currencies and most used gold as the standard. Paper money was printed and it legally could be exchanged for gold but this did not often happen. Since it was rarely converted, some banks and some nations believed they no longer needed to keep reserves of gold in their vaults, as the US once did with Fort Knox. Inflation then occurred.

Near the end of World War II a conference known as Bretton woods had many nations reach an agreement on a reserve currency system based on the US dollar. The World Bank and other organizations agreed, and a fixed exchange rate system was reached. The value of the dollar was fixed on a certain amount of gold, and other currencies were fixed on value to the dollar. Currency trading after this however has evolved and currencies have grown in value, and gone down in value, leading to fluctuation.

Today traders take advantage of the fluctuation in value among currencies through the forex or foreign currency markets. It is quite common to see a trader who suspects that the value of the Euro will go up against the yen or the dollar and follow the old axiom of “buy low and sell high.” On of the ways this is done is through margin trading. With margin trading a trader doesn’t have to have all the money in an account that is being traded. If a trader has 10,000 and works with a one percent margin, he is able to trade $100,000 in currency. This adds great leverage to the trade and makes forex trading very attractive to many who are looking for a large and quick return on their investments. Forex traders are also attracted to the low costs associated with trading since most trades are without commission. The fact that there is a 24 hour trading cycle is also attractive to many. Traders have opportunities for large profit, but they also have risk inherent. An aggressive trader may experience profit and loss swings of up to 30% in a day. This can be 30% to the good, or to the bad, so forex trading requires education and courage as well as capital. However there are no daily limits and no restrictions on trading hours other than the weekend when markets are closed. For this reason there are always opportunities. Money will always be made.

Some nations in the past have complained about hedge funds and other large institutions involved in forex trading, saying that they have intentionally devalued their currencies to make quick profits. George Soros, the famous billionaire who is involved in politics, has been accused of this practice by the government of Indonesia. Whether it is true or not, and if true whether it should or should not be done is not for this article. However, when institutions control such large amounts of money, the chance of manipulation does exist. As long as foreign currency is traded, there will be such accusations. However, the forex market remains a way to achieve substantial financial gain.

There is a wealth of opportunity in the Forex Market. Millions will be made by millions but of course the contrary is also true unfortunetaly. Always be cautious and do not mortgage the farm...