Stochastics are amongst the most popular technical indicators when it comes to Forex Trading. Unfortunately most traders use them incorrectly. In this article we will review the correct way to use this popular technical indicator.

George Lane developed this indicator in the late 1950s. Stochastics measure the current close relative to the range (high/low) over a set of periods.

Stochastics consist of two lines:

%K - Is the main line and is usually displayed as a solid line
%D - Is simply a moving average of the %K and is usually displayed as a dotted line

There are three types of Stochastics: Full, fast and slow stochastics. Slow stochastics are simply a smother version of the fast stochastics, and full stochastics are even a smother version of the slow stochastics.

Interpretation:

Buy when %K falls below the oversold level (below 20) and rises back above the same level.

Sell when %K rises above de overbought level (above 80) and falls back below the same level.

The interpretation above is how most traders and investors use them; however, it only works when the market is trendless or ranging. When the market is trending, a reading above the overbought territory isn't necessary a bearish signal, while a reading below de oversold territory isn't necessary bullish signal.

Trending market

When the market is trending is necessary to adapt the oscillator to the same conditions: When the market is trending up, then the signals with the higher probability of success are those in direction of the trend "Buy signals", on the other hand when the market is trending down, selling signals offer the lowest risk opportunities.

Thus when the market is trending up, we will only look for oversold conditions (when the stochastics fall below the oversold level [below 20] and rises back above the same level) to get ready to trade, and in the same way, when the market is trending down we will only look for overbought conditions (when the stochastics rise above de overbought level [above 80] and falls back below the same level.

Taking all overbought/oversold signals during a trending market will lead us to many whipsaws. If you are not comfortable with the number of signals given, try expanding your trading to other currency pairs.

Trend-less market

During a ranging market we could use the interpretation explained above to trade off stochastics.

Divergence

Divergence trades are amongst the most reliable trading signals in the Forex market. A divergence occurs either when the indicator reaches new highs/lows and the market fails to do it or the market reaches new highs/lows and the indicator fails to do it. Both conditions mean that the market isn't as strong as it used to be giving us opportunities to profit from the market.

Stochastics can also be used to trade off divergences.

Price behavior

A price behavior can be incorporated into any kind of system or Forex strategy. When using divergences or overbought/oversold condition with a price behavior approach, the probability of success of our signals increases enormously. Why? Because price dictates at the end, how all indicators will behave, it also gives us a lot of information about the probable direction it will take in the future.

I hope this article helps you become a better trader.

Don't forget to read our risk disclaimer.

source : http://www.straightforex.com/forexstrategy.html

Most FOREX traders rely on analysis to make plan their trading strategy. This article will discuss fundamental analysis. The other common form of analysis is technical analysis. After reading this article you should have a better understanding of fundamental analysis and how to use it as part of your FOREX strategy.

Political and economic changes are the basis of fundamental analysis. These can frequently affect currency prices. Traders that take advantage of fundamental analysis will gather their information from a variety of news sources. They are looking for information about unemployment forecasts, political ideologies, economic policies, inflation and growth rates.

Fundamental analysis will provide you with an overview of currency movements and a broad picture of the economic conditions. Most traders then will combine their fundamental analysis with technical analysis to plot actual entrance and exit points as well as confirming the information provided by their fundamental analysis.

Just like most markets the FOREX market is controlled by supply and demand. Many economic factors can affect the supply and demand but the two most critical ones are interest rates and the strength of the economy. The over all strength of the economy is affected by changes in the GDP, trade balances and the amount of foreign investment.

There are many economic indicators released by government and academic sources. These indicators are usually released on a monthly basis but will sometimes be released weekly. These are pretty reliable measures of economic health and are closely followed by all traders.

There are many indicators that are released but some of the most important and commonly followed are : interest rates, international trade, CPI, durable goods orders, PPI, PMI and retail orders.

Interest Rates - can cause a currency to either strengthen or weaken depending on the direction of movement. In some cases high interest rates will attract foreign money, however high interest rates will frequently cause stock market investors to sell of their portfolios. They do this believing that the higher cost of borrowing money will adversely affect many companies. If enough investors sell of their holdings in can cause a downturn in the market and negatively affect the economy.

Which of these two affects will take place depends on many complex factors, but there is usually an agreement among economic observers as to how the current change in interest rates will affect the general economy and the price of the currency.

International Trade - If there is a trade deficit (more items imported than exported) it is usually considered a negative indicator. When there is a trade deficit it means that more money is leaving the country to buy foreign goods than is entering the country and this can have a devaluing effect on the currency. Usually though trade imbalances are already factored into the market consideration. If a country normally operates with a trade deficit then there should not be an affect on the currency price. The currency price will normally only be effected by trade differences when the deficit is greater than the market expected.

The measurement of the cost of living (CPI) and the cost of producing goods (PPI) are a couple of other important indicators. You should also watch the GDP which measures the value of all the goods produced in a country and the M2 Money Supply which measures the total amount of currency for a country.

In the US alone there are 28 major indicators, these can have a strong effect on the financial market and should be closely watched. This information can be found many places on the internet and is provided by many brokers.

source : http://www.forexarticlecollection.com/fundamental-analysis/forex-fundamental-analysis.html

The Elliott Wave Principle, developed by Ralph Nelson Elliott in 1930s and 40s, is a powerful analytical tool that is still being used for forecasting stock market behavior. The basic concept of this Principle is that stock market prices rise and fall in distinct patterns and that those patterns can be linked together into waves.

Since it was first published, this classic guide to the Elliott Wave Principle has acquired a cult status globally among technical analysts. With subsequent new editions, the contributors have refined and enhanced the message of the original publication while retaining all the predictions from past editions.

Elliott Wave Counts may be summed up as follows:

Wave 1 is normally the most weak of the impulse waves. It is based on short covering of the bears from a previous move. The next Wave is created at the end of the first Wave and after the currency pair is sold off.

Wave 2 comes to an end when the market fails to make new lows.

Wave 3 is the most lengthy and most strong of the impulse waves. This leads to strong currency buying or selling in the trend's direction that usually starts slowly, but tends to accelerate as it breaks to new highs above the top of Wave 1.

A correction will occur, especially after a strong trend. Traders will then start making profits, paving the way for Wave 4.

Again, the currency pair will rally ushering in the Wave 5 rally. This Wave is usually supported by the retail traders and not institutional buyers and tends to lack the momentum generated in the third Wave.

This is in a nutshell Elliott Wave analysis can be deployed to enhance traders forex swing trade evaluations. A closer look into the Elliott Wave theory and other strategies could be useful for traders and enable them to use these as tools for increasing their forex swing trade opportunities.

When evaluating the Forex market for swing trade opportunities, the focus should be placed on forecasting directional changes for a given currency pair, relying on technical analysis. In this analysis there are different indicators. The most reliable tool used to predict Forex market swings is Elliott Wave analysis that can be used to identify trends and countertrends, continuation and exhaustion of trends and also to evaluate the potential of pricing targets of a trend.

Elliott strongly believed that the market's movement was a direct result of the mass psychology of the time and that the stock market is a fractal that is an object similar in shape, but at different scales. An apt example of a natural fractal is a stalk of broccoli. The stalk and individual branches look strikingly the same because the branches are smaller in scale. According to Elliott this mass psychological move resembles the herding tendency in human beings.

Summing up, the market price actions are not the cause of economic growth or slow down, but the reflection of the mass psychology of investors. If the mood of the investing public is upbeat then a bull market ensues. This is counter to what most individual perceive, that is because there is a bull market the mood of the investing public is upbeat.

source : http://www.forexcycle.com

Introduction

This is a guide that tells you, in simple understandable language, how to choose the right charts, read them correctly, and act effectively in the market from what you see on them. Probably most of you have taken a course or studied the use of charts in the past. This should add to that knowledge.

Recommendation

There are several good charting packages available free. Netdania is what I use.

Using charts effectively

The default number of periods on these charts is 300. This is a good starting point;

• Hourly chart that’s about 12 days of data.
• 15 minute chart its 3 days of data.
• 5-minute chart it’s slightly more than 24 hours of data.

You can create multiple "tabs" or "layouts" so that it’s easy to quickly switch between charts or sets of charts.

What to look at first

1. Glance at hourly chart to see the big picture. Note significant support and resistance levels within 2% of today’s opening rate.

2. Study the 15 minute chart in great detail noting the following:

• Prevailing trend
• Current price in relation to the 60 period simple moving average.
• High and low since GMT 00:00
• Tops and bottoms during full 3 day time period.

How to use the information gathered so far

1. Determine the big picture (for intraday trading).

Glancing at the hourly chart will give you the big picture – up or down. If it’s not clear immediately then you’re in a trading range. Lets assume the trend is down.

2. Determine if the 15 minute chart confirms the downtrend indicated by big picture:

Current price on 15-minute chart should be below 60 period moving average and the moving average line should be sloping down. If this is so then you have established the direction of the prevailing trend to be down.

There are always two trends – a prevailing (major) trend and a minor trend. The minor trend is a reversal of the main trend, which lasts for a short period of time. Minor trends are clearly spotted on 5-minute charts.

3. Determine the current trend (major or minor) from the 5 minute chart:

Current price on 5-minute chart is below 60 period moving average and the moving average line is sloping downward – major trend.

Current price on 5-minute chart is above 60 period moving average and the moving average line is sloping upward – minor trend.

How to trade the information gathered so far

At this point you know the following:

• Direction of the prevailing trend.
• Whether we are currently trading in the direction of the prevailing (major) trend or experiencing a minor trend (reaction to major trend).

Possible trade scenarios:

1) Lets assume prevailing (major) trend is down and we are in a minor up-trend. Strategy would be to sell when the current price on 5-minute chart falls below the 60 period moving average and the 60 period moving average line is sloping downward. Why? Because the prevailing trend is reasserting itself and the next move is likely to be down. Is there more we can do? Yes. Look for further confirmation. For example, if the minor trend had stalled for a while and the lows of the past half hour or hour are very close to the 5 minute moving average then selling just below the lows of the past half hour is a better place to enter the market then just below the moving average line.

2) Lets assume prevailing (major) trend is down and 5-minute chart confirms downtrend. Strategy would be to wait for a minor (up trend) trend to appear and reverse before entering the market. The reason for this is that the move is too “mature” at this point and a correction is likely. Since you trade with tight stops you will be stopped out on a reaction. Exception: If market trades through today’s low and/ or low of past three days (these levels will be apparent on the 15 minute chart) further quick downward price action is likely and a short position would be correct.

3) A better strategy assuming prevailing trend down, 5-minute chart down, and just above days lows is to BUY with a tight stop below the day’s low. Your risk is limited and defined and the technical condition (overdone?) is in your favor. Confirmation would be if today’s low was a bit higher than yesterday’s low and the price action indicated a very short-term trading range (1 minute chart) just above today’s low. The thinking here is that buyers are not waiting for a break of today’s or yesterday’s low to buy cheaper; they are concerned they may not see the level.

4) Generally speaking, the safest place to buy is after a sustained significant decline when the bottoms are getting higher. Preferably these bottoms will be hours apart. By the third or forth higher bottom it is clear a bottom is in place and an up-move is coming. As in the example above your risk is limited and defined – a low lower than the last low.

5) The reverse is true in major up-trends.

Other chart ideas

• There are always two trends to consider – a major trend and a minor trend. The minor trend is a reversal of the major trend, which generally lasts for a short period of time.
• Buying above old tops and selling below old bottoms can be excellent entry levels; assuming the move is not overly mature and a nearby reaction unlikely.
• When a strong up move is occurring the market should make both higher tops and higher bottoms. The reverse is true for down moves- lower bottoms and lower tops.
• Reactions (minor reversals) are smaller when a strong move is occurring. As the reactions begin to increase that is a clear warning signal that the move is losing momentum. When the last reaction exceeds the prior reaction you can assume the trend has changed, at least temporarily.
• Higher bottoms always indicate strength, and an up move usually starts from the third or fourth higher bottom. Reverse this rule in a rising market; lower tops…
• You will always make the most money by following the major trend although to say you will never trade against the trend means that you will miss a lot of opportunities to make big profits. The rule is: When you are trading against the trend wait until you have a definite indication of a selling or buying point near the top or bottom, where you can place a close stop loss order (risk small amount of capital). The profit target can be a short-term gain to nearby resistance or more.
• Consider the normal or average daily range, average price change from open to high and average price change from open to low, in determining your intra-day price targets.
• Do not overlook the fact that it requires time for a market to get ready at the bottom before it advances and for selling pressure to work it’s way through at top before a decline. Smaller loses and sideways trading are a sign the trend may be waning in a downtrend. Smaller gains and sideways trading in an up trend.
• Fourth time at bottom or top is crucial; next phase of move will soon become clear… be ready.
• Oftentimes, when an important support or resistance level is broken a quick move occurs followed by a reaction back to or slightly above support or below resistance. This is a great opportunity to play the break on the “rebound”. Your stop can be super tight. For example, EURUSD important resistance 1.0840 is broken and a quick move to 1.0860, followed by a decline to 1.0835. Buy with a 1.0820 stop. The move back down is natural and takes nothing away from the importance of the breakout. However, EURUSD should not decline significantly below the breakout (breakout 1.0840; EURUSD should not go below 1.0825.
• After a prolonged up move when a top has been made there is usually a trading range, followed by a sharp decline. After that, a secondary reaction back near the old highs often occurs. This is because the market gets ahead of itself and a short squeeze occurs. Selling near the old top with a stop above the old top is the safest place to sell.
• The third lower top is also a great place to sell.
• The same is true in reverse for down moves.
• Be careful not to buy near top or sell near bottom within trading ranges. Wait for breakaway (huge profit potential) or play the range.
• Whether the market is very active or in a trading range, all indications are more accurate and trustworthier when the market is actively trading.

Limitations of charts

Scheduled economic announcements that are complete surprises render nearby short-term support and resistance levels meaningless because the basis (all available information) has changed significantly, requiring a price adjustment to reflect the new information. Other support and resistance levels within the normal daily trading range remain valid. For example, on Friday the unemployment number missed the mark by roughly 120,000 jobs. That’s a huge disparity and rendered all nearby resistance levels in the EURUSD meaningless. However, resistance level 200 points or more from the day’s opening were still meaningful because they represented resistance to a big up move on a given day.

Unscheduled or unexpected statements by government officials may render all charts points on a short-term chart meaningless, depending upon the severity of what was said or implied. For example, when Treasury Secretary John Snow hinted that the U.S. had abandoned its strong U.S. dollar policy.

source : http://www.goforex.net/reading-charts.htm

The foreign exchange market (FOREX) offers many advantages to investors. But you need to know where to begin.

This short guide will give you the FOREX basics, so you can quickly start participating in this fast growing market.

In the past, foreign exchange trading was limited to large players such as national banks and multi-national corporations. In the 1980’s the rules were changed to allow smaller investors to participate using margin accounts. Margin accounts are the reason why FOREX trading has become so popular. With a 100:1 margin account, you can control $100,000 with a $1,000 investment.

A Learning Curve

FOREX is not simple, though, so you’ll need some knowledge to make wise investment decisions. Although it is relatively easy to start trading on the FOREX, there are risks involved.

Your first move as a beginner should be to find out as much as possible about the market before risking a dime.

Find A Broker

FOREX traders usually require a broker to handle transactions. Most brokers are reputable and are associated with large financial institutions such as banks. A reputable broker will be registered as a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as protection against fraud and abusive trade practices.

Open an Account

Opening a FOREX account is as simple as filling out a form and providing the necessary identification. The form includes a margin agreement which states that the broker may interfere with any trade deemed to be too risky. This is to protect the interests of the broker, since most trades are done using the broker’s money.

Once your account has been established, you can fund it and begin trading.

Many brokers offer a variety of accounts to suit the needs of individual investors. Mini accounts allow you to get involved in FOREX trading for as little as $250. Standard accounts may have a minimum deposit of $1000 to $2500, depending on the broker. The amount of leverage (how much borrowed money you can use) varies with account type. High leverage accounts give you more money to trade for a given investment.

Trades are commission-free, meaning that you can make many trades in one day without worrying about incurring high brokerage fees. Brokers make their money on the ’spread’: the difference between bid and ask prices.

Paper Trading

Beginning traders are strongly advised get accustomed to FOREX by doing "paper trades" for a period of time. Paper trades are practice transactions that don’t involve real capital. They allow you to see how the system works while learning how to use the various software tools provided by most FOREX brokers.

Most online brokers have demo accounts that allow you to make free paper trades for up to 30 days. Every new FOREX investor should use these demo accounts at least until they are consistently showing profits.

FOREX Software

Each broker has its own set of software tools for making transactions, but there are a few tools that are common to all FOREX brokers. Real-time quotes, news feeds, technical analyses and charts, and profit-and-loss analyses are some of the features you can expect to see on most online brokers’ web sites.

Almost every broker operates on the Internet. To access a broker’s online services you’ll need a reasonably modern computer, a fast Internet connection, and an up-to-date operating system. Once your account is set up, you can access it from any computer just by entering your account name and password. If for some reason you are unable get to a computer, most brokers will allow you to make trades over the phone.

There are lots of ways to make money. FOREX trading is just one more potential stream of income — if you are prepared to learn and practice.

source : http://bucksrus-conquest.com/how-to-get-started-in-forex-trading-free-article-courtesy-of

here are proven ways to make money trading Forex and this website is dedicated to showing you the things that you really need to know to profitably trade the currency market.

There are no big secrets to uncover and you don't need to be a rocket scientist to succeed either. There are no "born traders" so if someone else can do it, so can you!

Many new traders buy "money back guaranteed" systems promising incredible results. The reality is most of those systems won't work that well for the majority of new traders. Often these systems are derived from stock or futures programs and simply don't suit the dynamics of the Forex market.

There is more to currency trading than waiting for some moving averages to cross, betting the farm and setting a 30 pip stop-loss order. If that's all there was to it, everyone would be doing it. That being said, we all need to start someplace and a complete packaged system is a good place to get your feet wet.

My current focus is on automated trading systems and trading robots. Many "would be" new traders are overwhelmed by all the information available and don't know how to get started. These automated systems can successfully trade your account, even if you have a very limited knowledge of the Forex market.

This is also a great solution for those that struggle with technical analysis, or traders that can't sit in front of their computers all day and night. You still need to be aware of the market particulars, but automated systems make it much easier for new traders to get started profitably.

One of these systems you should take a look at is the Bogie EA. An amazing program, the Bogie EA is one of the top contestants from the 2007 Automated Trading Championship.

For those of you that prefer a more traditional "hands-on" trading system, Mark McRae's package is a good starting point. This complete trading system includes a large library of trading information which includes Ebooks as well as a very good selection of information on pattern setups, indicators and almost anything else related to trading.

Mark is offering a free Forex mini course that I recommend you check out. This free course will give you a feel for the complete program he offers.

The biggest part of learning to trade Forex is you need to realize trading is about dealing with probability. Certain methods will give you an edge which will help swing the odds of success in your favor.

Trading Forex is exciting and it can also be very rewarding. You are able to trade any time of the day Monday through Friday and it can be done effectively without being glued to your computer screen.

To make money trading Forex, there is information you need to know. There are a few key sources professional traders use and once you discover which methods work best, you will be ready to build "your" system.

$3.2 trillion daily!

The reality is you're going to have to do a little homework to be successful at this. You can learn how to claim some cash from the $3.2 trillion (according to BIS in Sept/07) that trade through the Forex market every trading day, but to make money trading Forex, you need to treat it like a business and invest some of your time to achieve profitable results.

In the end, the results you get will be the product of the time and effort you put in. Do this the right way and it can change your life. If you are looking to get rich quick, Forex can do it, but it can break you just as quickly, so beware.

Updates are made regularly to this website via the Trading Tips page. To keep up to date you can either sign up for the notification via email, or subscribe to the RSS feed for that page.

Typically, 95% of traders who open accounts to trade the currency market will lose all of their "investment". However, with a proper strategy, you can become a member of the successful 5%.

source: make-money-trading-forex.com

Introduction

The following is a list of questions you may like to consider before opening an account. You can use this checklist to narrow down your selection of companies that fit your requirements. You may also wish to refer to the forex broker ratings page on this site to read about traders unique experiences with particular brokers.

The following links will also give you some background information on U.S. FCM's (Futures Commission Merchants).

• Selected Financial Data for FCM's
• NFA Background Affiliation Status

1. Word of Mouth

• What do other traders say about the broker?
• What is their customer service like?

2. Customer Protection

• Is the broker regulated?
• What regulatory organisation are they registered with and what protections does it afford you?
• Are client funds insured against fraud?
• Are client funds insured against bankruptcy?

3. Execution

• What business model do they operate? i.e. Are they a Market Maker[?], ECN[?] or no-dealing desk broker[?]?
• How fast is their order execution?
• Are orders manually or automatically executed? [?]
• What is the maximum trade size before you have to request a quote?
• Are all clients trades offset?

4. Spread [?]

• How tight is the spread?
• Is it fixed or variable?

5. Slippage [?]

• How much slippage can be expected in normal and fast moving markets?

6. Margin [?]

• What is the margin requirement? e.g. 0.25% margin = max 400:1 leverage [?]), 0.5% margin = max 200:1 leverage, 1% margin = max 100:1 leverage, 2% margin = max 50:1 leverage, etc.
• Does the margin requirement change for different currency pairs or days of the week?
• At what point will the broker issue a margin call?
• Is it the same for standard and mini accounts? [?]

7. Commissions

• Do they charge commissions? (Most market makers' commissions are built into the spread)

8. Rollover Policy [?]

• Is there a minimum margin requirement in order to earn rollover interest?
• What are the swap rates like for going long or short in a particular currency pair?
• Are there any other conditions for earning rollover interest?

9. Trading Platform

• How intuitive and functional is it to use?
• Are there many disconnections during trading hours?
• How reliable is it during fast moving markets and news announcements?
• How many different currency pairs can you trade?
• Do they offer an Application Programming Interface (API) to allow you to automate your trading system?
• Does it offer any other special features? (e.g. One click dealing, trading from the chart, trailing stops, mobile trading etc.)

10. Trading Account

• What is the minimum balance required to open an account?
• What is the minimum trade size?
• Can you adjust the standard lot size traded? [?]
• Can you earn interest on the unused margin balance in your account?

source : http://www.goforex.net/forex-broker-guide.htm