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Choosing a Forex Broker
In order to trade in the Forex market you will need to find yourself a broker. A broker is someone who executes trades according to your wishes and earns a commission on each trade.
But there are so many brokers out there competing for your business it can be hard to figure out which one is best. This article will give you as idea of what to look for.
Transaction Costs. In the forex market, brokers are paid via the bid/ask spread. There should be no hidden fees or charges to trade. However, there may be additional charges to access certain reports and optional services.
Obviously the smaller the spread the better. Pip spreads vary by broker (and also by currency pairs), so shop around for competitive rates.
Currency Pairs Available. All brokers should at least have the big seven currencies ((AUD, CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, JPY, and USD). But if you plan on trading New Zealand dollars or Danish krones, you should be sure that the broker is able to do so.
Immediate Execution of Orders. Currency prices are constantly moving up and down and any delay in the execution of your order can cut into your profits or add to your losses. Of course its possible a delay will help you, but it never seems to work out that way does it? Look for a broker that can consistently execute your trade at the price you see on your screen. An occasional delay is understandable, but if it happens frequently find yourself a new broker.
Free Tools. In order to analyze currency prices, spot trends, and plan entry and exit points you need access to charting and technical analysis tools. Most brokers offer basic services free of charge with an expanded array of tools for an added charge.
Minimum Account Balance. As a small investor you will need a broker that does not require a large balance to open an account. Many brokers today will let you open a mini-account with as little as $300.
Margin Requirement. The lower the margin requirement, the more leverage you have. If a broker allows you to use 100:1 leverage, that means you can trade $100,000 in currency for only $1,000. You can use margin to rack up huge profits. But don't margin yourself too much or you will find yourself wiped out fast.
Superior Customer Service. This is something traders often overlook when choosing a broker and later regret it when they need assistance. A quality broker should respond quickly to any question you have. They should have knowledgeable reps available 24 hours a day by phone and email.
A User-friendly Trading Platform. Some brokers require you to download a trading program to your PC in order to make trades. Others let you make trades directly over the web. Pick a few brokers out and sign up for a free demo account. You can trade with play money while you test out their software and see which one works best for you.
Recent Forex News
Technical Analysis
Daily Technical Analysis
The EURUSD slipped below my trend line support yesterday, but further bearish pressure was rejected and whipsawed to the upside, topped at 1.2762 and closed at 1.2720. The bias is neutral in nearest term but this fact force me to assume that the bullish correction remains intact. Immediate resistance at
Daily Technical Outlook
Former support around 1.2770 was tested and held, as I was expecting in my article yesterday, and downside pressure remains high. Euro's come back after the 1.2770 attempt was probably caused by ECB chief economist Juergen Stark who said that German banks need more capital. Support trend line coming from
Technical Analysis Daily: EUR/USD
On Wednesday the Euro/Dollar traded within nearly 100 pips range. The European appreciated from 1.2665 to 1.2757 yesterday, matching the positive Interbank sentiment projection, at around +6%, closing the day at 1.2719. This morning trading is neutral for now. On the 1 hour chart trading is still within wide range,
FX Technical Commentary
Euro 1.2730 Initial support at 1.2588 (Aug 24 low) followed by 1.2434 (61.8% retrace of 1.1877-1.3334). Initial resistance is now located at 1.2933 (Aug 12 low) followed by 1.3000 (Big figure Resistance)
Foreign Exchange Market Commentary
EUR/USD closed higher on Tuesday but remains below the 10-day moving average crossing signalling that the corrective rally off August's low appears to have ended. The mid-range close sets the stage for a steady opening on Thursday. Stochastics and the RSI are turning neutral to bearish hinting that additional weakness
Newsfeed display by CaRP
Fundamental Analysis
The Australian Economy Still Looks To Be Firing On All Cylinders
The CAD was in the spotlight overnight as the BOC hiked rates by 25bp to 1.0%, as expected, but held a slightly more hawkish tone in the accompanying statement than the market had been expecting. However, whilst saying that Canadian consumption and investment was expected to stay strong and that
Risk Aversion Subsides Briefly, Markets Consolidate!
The Dollar Traded weaker yesterday as risk aversion was in put on hold after concerns about the Euro zone faded on solid auction from some European Countries. US stocks also rallied as new stimulus proposals from Obama ahead of the US Mid-term elections were announced. In US the DJIA traded
BoE To Keep Both Interest Rate And APF Steady In September
BoE will release interest rate for the month of September where expectations are in favor of keeping both borrowing cost and APF quantity unchanged. The BoE has been keeping both interest rate at 0.50% and APF at 200 billion pounds recently despite the improvement witnessed recently. In the second quarter,
Asia Session Recap
The Japanese yen remained just under 84.00 against the dollar here in Asia despite the constant drone of BoJ jawboning out of Tokyo. While Finance Minister Noda was exclaiming that the BoJ was working on simulations for FX intervention to help stem the rise of the yen, USD/JPY showed its
Daily Financial Market Outlook
The main economic event today is the Bank of England's interest rate announcement, at noon. We expect both the level of the bank rate and the size of the QE programme to be left unchanged at 0.5% and £200bn, respectively. However, the recent run of poor data, such as the
Newsfeed display by CaRP
Technical Analysis
Daily Technical Analysis
The EURUSD slipped below my trend line support yesterday, but further bearish pressure was rejected and whipsawed to the upside, topped at 1.2762 and closed at 1.2720. The bias is neutral in nearest term but this fact force me to assume that the bullish correction remains intact. Immediate resistance at
Daily Technical Outlook
Former support around 1.2770 was tested and held, as I was expecting in my article yesterday, and downside pressure remains high. Euro's come back after the 1.2770 attempt was probably caused by ECB chief economist Juergen Stark who said that German banks need more capital. Support trend line coming from
Technical Analysis Daily: EUR/USD
On Wednesday the Euro/Dollar traded within nearly 100 pips range. The European appreciated from 1.2665 to 1.2757 yesterday, matching the positive Interbank sentiment projection, at around +6%, closing the day at 1.2719. This morning trading is neutral for now. On the 1 hour chart trading is still within wide range,
FX Technical Commentary
Euro 1.2730 Initial support at 1.2588 (Aug 24 low) followed by 1.2434 (61.8% retrace of 1.1877-1.3334). Initial resistance is now located at 1.2933 (Aug 12 low) followed by 1.3000 (Big figure Resistance)
Foreign Exchange Market Commentary
EUR/USD closed higher on Tuesday but remains below the 10-day moving average crossing signalling that the corrective rally off August's low appears to have ended. The mid-range close sets the stage for a steady opening on Thursday. Stochastics and the RSI are turning neutral to bearish hinting that additional weakness
Newsfeed display by CaRP
Fundamental Analysis
The Australian Economy Still Looks To Be Firing On All Cylinders
The CAD was in the spotlight overnight as the BOC hiked rates by 25bp to 1.0%, as expected, but held a slightly more hawkish tone in the accompanying statement than the market had been expecting. However, whilst saying that Canadian consumption and investment was expected to stay strong and that
Risk Aversion Subsides Briefly, Markets Consolidate!
The Dollar Traded weaker yesterday as risk aversion was in put on hold after concerns about the Euro zone faded on solid auction from some European Countries. US stocks also rallied as new stimulus proposals from Obama ahead of the US Mid-term elections were announced. In US the DJIA traded
BoE To Keep Both Interest Rate And APF Steady In September
BoE will release interest rate for the month of September where expectations are in favor of keeping both borrowing cost and APF quantity unchanged. The BoE has been keeping both interest rate at 0.50% and APF at 200 billion pounds recently despite the improvement witnessed recently. In the second quarter,
Asia Session Recap
The Japanese yen remained just under 84.00 against the dollar here in Asia despite the constant drone of BoJ jawboning out of Tokyo. While Finance Minister Noda was exclaiming that the BoJ was working on simulations for FX intervention to help stem the rise of the yen, USD/JPY showed its
Daily Financial Market Outlook
The main economic event today is the Bank of England's interest rate announcement, at noon. We expect both the level of the bank rate and the size of the QE programme to be left unchanged at 0.5% and £200bn, respectively. However, the recent run of poor data, such as the
Newsfeed display by CaRP