Lots Of Money Can Be Made In Forex Trading, But First-Time Investors Should Be Careful
Currency trading is done on a much greater proportion than any other type of trading in the world. Some 1.9 trillion dollars are handled every single day. About 73 percent of all currency trading is done by 10 worldwide financial institutions with names you’re familiar with: Merrill Lynch, Citigroup, and so forth. Domestic banks and other financial institutions account for another chunk of forex trading, and transactions by “day traders” — regular individuals, people like you and me — account for only 2 percent of all trading.
Even so, many average investors do try their hand at forex trading, and there are many financials institutions who handle such trades. It’s known as “retail forex,” and it’s handled much the same way that day trading of stocks is managed.
The risky part is that unlike the stock market, the forex market is highly unregulated, and people inexperienced with it can be taken advantage of. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) gives a number of bits of guidance for amateur forex traders. Among the CFTC’s tips:
- Avoid companies that predict or guarantee large profits, or that assure little or no financial risk. There is ALWAYS a financial risk in currency trading, and no one can assure profits when it comes to speculative transactions.
- If someone won’t give you his background, don’t deal with him. Similarly, always check out a company’s track record before doing any trading with them.
- The Internet is a haven for shady types. Be suspicious of anyone wanting you to send cash.
- More than anything else, remember that if an opportunity sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
There are a lot of honest and dependable forex trading firms out there, including ones that operate online. But even if the trading company is legitimate, there are still risks inherent in trading. Because currency rates can change for such a variety of reasons, it’s difficult to forecast what investments to make. Even veteran professionals get blindsided sometimes.
In short, forex trading can be profitable, but only if you know what you’re doing. Before embarking on any investing, study the details of how the market works, what causes fluctuations, how to interpret financial indicators, and all the other ins and outs of the market. Forex trading isn’t something to be entered into without due consideration. There is much potential for profit, but there is even larger potential for loss, both at the hands of dishonest trading firms, and of your own lack of experience.
Don’t spend any money on before you take some time to learn about the many out there.