I have a post for everyone today that basically discusses whether or not forex trading is suitable for everybody, so hopefully everyone will find it useful.
Foreign exchange exists in a niche of its own. If you wish to enter, then you must learn it, adapt to it and be involved very deeply in its development. It cannot be learnt, unlearnt and re-learnt. It is a skill for life, pretty much like riding a bike. You may still possess the right balance, you know how the gears work and you can take the weight of the bike, but practice is that fine line of difference between you falling in a ditch and riding safely on the highway. Practice does make perfect and that is exactly what is needed in forex trading. Anyone who lacks practice can get minced when trading the forex markets. How suitable is it for anyone? That again depends on how well equipped the person is with regards to the following requirements:
1. Knowledge is power
Knowledge helps in every circumstance. It is with great care and precision that a person receives the knowledge to do things and when it is associated with their livelihood, they tend to be extra vigilant. Similarly when it is their livelihood, people tend to learn everything they can about the subject. In that case, you might argue that someone with a penchant for finance and mathematics would rule the forex market, but that is not necessarily the case. Someone with a fine understanding of international relations will realise how nations are responding to one another's statements and how it affects their respective economies, and on that basis can make an estimate on how the forex market will perform.
This can give you a very rough idea of where you stand. There is no doubt that a financial or economic background can be best suited for forex, but it can also be said that despite having no education or knowledge of these subjects, rough estimations on global scenarios can still be made. Do however note that you can never be too knowledgeable or educated about the forex market. You will always have something new to learn.
2. Experience is strength
A lot can be said about how the forex market treats first-timers and how more often than not, only the most intelligent and lucky ones will walk away with more than they started with. But experience plays a big part. One must realise that like any other market, a relatively newly developed system such as forex will take its own time to adapt to the people's requirement. Right now, it entirely depends on how good a trader is and how experienced he is in these matters. As and when he faces new challenges, his experience grows and sooner or later he starts finding patterns and sticks by them in order to reap profits.
That is why forex trading can be rightly called a fruit that leaves a bitter taste in many people's mouths. Not everyone has the patience or the stamina to go back to the place where they lost out a lot. Hence, you can learn from a forex tutorial until you feel good about yourself and start generating consistent returns. Or else it's time to hang up your boots and not enter the trading ring again.
3. Mind and soul are cleansed
This comes down to how well your heart and mind can respond to the market, and there are a few pre-requisites to have before entering the market. First on that list would be patience. You have to learn to cannot control yourself for a few hours, sitting in front of your computer looking at numbers that may not make sense, and accepting that there may be days where you don't make a single cent. If you lack such patience, then the forex market is not the place to be. It is this patience that separates an expert from a rookie.
Greed can also be the root cause of all failures in the forex market. Your greed can make you lose much more than you would under normal circumstances. This has primarily got to do with the way in which you respond to your first winning trades. If your greed takes over, it is quite certain that you will invest the full amount of winnings back into the market in the hope of earning bigger and better returns. It's important to note that not everyone can earn supernormal profits in this market. It is just not possible for many people, but greed will encourage many people to attempt to do so. So forex trading is not the place to be for greedy traders.
Fear can be the greatest obstacle in this market. It has got to do with the fact that as and when people start experiencing losses, they tend to let go of opportunities as they are afraid of making the wrong decision. They wait too long and at times take harsh and brash decisions fearing they have lost their opportunity and this in turn can lead to another problem. Thus, fear can be the obstruction in the path of a trader that either makes or breaks him. One must learn not to be afraid and to take the risk that is necessary for any form of business, because at the end of the day the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
4. It's just business, nothing personal
Another simple way of looking at forex is to think of it as a business with its ups and downs. If you can do that, then half the battle is won. When things can too personal or important for a person, then the line between business and oneself is broken and separate entities no longer exist.
By now, you must already have decided whether or not you are cut out to be a forex trader. Having considered each of the above points, you will know that forex trading is not for everyone, but it can still be mastered by anyone if they are disciplined and have the right mindset.
Foreign exchange exists in a niche of its own. If you wish to enter, then you must learn it, adapt to it and be involved very deeply in its development. It cannot be learnt, unlearnt and re-learnt. It is a skill for life, pretty much like riding a bike. You may still possess the right balance, you know how the gears work and you can take the weight of the bike, but practice is that fine line of difference between you falling in a ditch and riding safely on the highway. Practice does make perfect and that is exactly what is needed in forex trading. Anyone who lacks practice can get minced when trading the forex markets. How suitable is it for anyone? That again depends on how well equipped the person is with regards to the following requirements:
1. Knowledge is power
Knowledge helps in every circumstance. It is with great care and precision that a person receives the knowledge to do things and when it is associated with their livelihood, they tend to be extra vigilant. Similarly when it is their livelihood, people tend to learn everything they can about the subject. In that case, you might argue that someone with a penchant for finance and mathematics would rule the forex market, but that is not necessarily the case. Someone with a fine understanding of international relations will realise how nations are responding to one another's statements and how it affects their respective economies, and on that basis can make an estimate on how the forex market will perform.
This can give you a very rough idea of where you stand. There is no doubt that a financial or economic background can be best suited for forex, but it can also be said that despite having no education or knowledge of these subjects, rough estimations on global scenarios can still be made. Do however note that you can never be too knowledgeable or educated about the forex market. You will always have something new to learn.
2. Experience is strength
A lot can be said about how the forex market treats first-timers and how more often than not, only the most intelligent and lucky ones will walk away with more than they started with. But experience plays a big part. One must realise that like any other market, a relatively newly developed system such as forex will take its own time to adapt to the people's requirement. Right now, it entirely depends on how good a trader is and how experienced he is in these matters. As and when he faces new challenges, his experience grows and sooner or later he starts finding patterns and sticks by them in order to reap profits.
That is why forex trading can be rightly called a fruit that leaves a bitter taste in many people's mouths. Not everyone has the patience or the stamina to go back to the place where they lost out a lot. Hence, you can learn from a forex tutorial until you feel good about yourself and start generating consistent returns. Or else it's time to hang up your boots and not enter the trading ring again.
3. Mind and soul are cleansed
This comes down to how well your heart and mind can respond to the market, and there are a few pre-requisites to have before entering the market. First on that list would be patience. You have to learn to cannot control yourself for a few hours, sitting in front of your computer looking at numbers that may not make sense, and accepting that there may be days where you don't make a single cent. If you lack such patience, then the forex market is not the place to be. It is this patience that separates an expert from a rookie.
Greed can also be the root cause of all failures in the forex market. Your greed can make you lose much more than you would under normal circumstances. This has primarily got to do with the way in which you respond to your first winning trades. If your greed takes over, it is quite certain that you will invest the full amount of winnings back into the market in the hope of earning bigger and better returns. It's important to note that not everyone can earn supernormal profits in this market. It is just not possible for many people, but greed will encourage many people to attempt to do so. So forex trading is not the place to be for greedy traders.
Fear can be the greatest obstacle in this market. It has got to do with the fact that as and when people start experiencing losses, they tend to let go of opportunities as they are afraid of making the wrong decision. They wait too long and at times take harsh and brash decisions fearing they have lost their opportunity and this in turn can lead to another problem. Thus, fear can be the obstruction in the path of a trader that either makes or breaks him. One must learn not to be afraid and to take the risk that is necessary for any form of business, because at the end of the day the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
4. It's just business, nothing personal
Another simple way of looking at forex is to think of it as a business with its ups and downs. If you can do that, then half the battle is won. When things can too personal or important for a person, then the line between business and oneself is broken and separate entities no longer exist.
By now, you must already have decided whether or not you are cut out to be a forex trader. Having considered each of the above points, you will know that forex trading is not for everyone, but it can still be mastered by anyone if they are disciplined and have the right mindset.
