Today, an ever-increasing number of Forex traders are using trading platforms supplied with their Forex broker’s trading account. A competitive Forex broker, with a reliable trading platform is essential for your currency trading success.

Not all brokers are equal in terms of the service they provide – so, here are the essentials for choosing the right broker and trading platform:

1. Trading platforms for download

A trading platform, which requires downloading, is ideal for professional traders with experience in the Forex Market - and most of these platforms function as a Windows client application. These trading platforms normally aggregate all of the relevant data into a single screen, for the trader's convenience.

A good downloadable trading platform, will offer one click execution of a trading signal, and limit order execution. It will also have the ability to personalize the presentation of the data on the trader's screen - so it’s viewable in a format the FX trader prefers.

2. Web based trading platforms

For traders who have security systems installed on their computers – i.e. a firewall, downloading a trading platform may be difficult. In this case, what’s needed is a secure web based platform. Many brokers provide web based trading platforms that are accessible at any time.

All good trading platforms should give the forex trader, clear and easy usability. This includes:

· Opening and closing positions and limit orders

· Facility to easily deposit and withdraw funds

· Automatic control system

· Complete and detailed presentation of opened and closed positions

· Real time account

· Account equity value

· Total exposure of positions

· Total collateral for account exposure

· Cash on account

· Details of deposits and withdrawals and currency conversions

· Full account information regarding existing limit orders, account history, etc.

Good Forex brokers will also have 24 hour support - should you need it - and the opportunity for you to test a demo version of the trading platform.

Quite simply, a smooth and reliable forex trading platform is essential for your forex trading strategy - so make sure you get one!

What else should you look for from your forex broker?

Make sure that the fees are low - and that the bid, and ask spread is about 3 – 5 pips. Make sure you don’t pay more than this - and be careful there are no extra handing, or dealing fees to pay.

You should also look for the facility to deposit and withdraw money online.

Make sure you get the leverage you need – standard leverage is 100:1. Today, many brokers are offering 200:1, or even 400:1 - to help you maximize your forex trading profits.

Finally

When choosing a forex broker, shop around - as the services they offer vary greatly – so, it’s always best to take your time. Try their Forex demo account - and make sure you’re confident and familiar with the services provided, before starting to trade in the online currency markets.

The Forex market is basically a worldwide currency exchange market which is similar to the stock market except instead of trading stocks you buy and sell currency pairs from different countries. It is one of the fastest growing markets on the planet with its daily turnover of more than 2.5 trillion dollars a day. This turnover is more than 100 times of what the NASDAQ exchange does daily.

Forex is a market just like any other market that trade goods. In this market you can buy Euro with American dollars or sell Japanese Yen for Canadian dollars. That is really all their is to the whole thing. Many veteran stock market traders have been turned on to Forex recently because of the fast profits that can be made in small fluctuations of currency prices.

How Do You Make Money With Forex?

The way that you make money from the Forex market is the really nothing more than buying a currency at a cheap price and selling it for more. The profit is from the very small fluctuations that take place in the currency exchange market.

The average daily fluctuations in the Forex market are around 1% but the investment profit are multiplied by over 100. If you bought a pair of currencies that increased by 0.3% in a couple of hours after the purchase your profit would be over 30% return on investment. This is a much bigger and faster rate of return compared to the average 8% the stock market gives to investors. The other great thing about the Forex market is that these returns can happen in one day or even a few minutes!

When investing in the Forex market you can never lose more than your margin. You can profit as much as you want but never have to risk more than you originally invested. You can choose the pair of currencies in any direction the market is moving in and still make a profit. Whether the exchange rate is moving up or down you can either buy Euro and sell dollars or buy dollars and sell Euro.

How Do You Trade In The Forex Market?

When you start trading in the market you can select a pair of currencies and decide the volume or the amount of the deal you wish to trade with. Next you deposit the margin which collateral is needed to complete the process. This is usually a tiny portion of the deal around 1%.

Before you decide to make the deal live you still have the option to "freeze" it for a few seconds. During this time you can change the terms, go through with it or forget about the whole deal. When you decide to accept the deal and it is running you hold an "open position" in which you can monitor the status of the deal. Once the deal is running you may change some terms or close it. By closing the deal you can take your profit or minimize ant losses that you might have incurred.

What Is The Easy-Forex Trading Platform?

The Easy-Forex Trading Platform allows investors to get started right away with Forex trading online without having to open accounts or fill out long forms and applications. Forex traders can deposit money instantly and start trading with a credit card or Paypal account.

Easy-Forex also provides investors with all the tools and support to make the best deals and maximize profits. They offer 1-on-1 training and support and can help walk new investors through the whole process of making a currency exchange deal.

The Easy-Forex Trading Platform also has features like a "stop loss" which can let you decide at what rate you want to close the deal to take any profits you might of made or prevent losses. This can be setup so you do not have to be in front of your computer when you hold a open position.

Most importantly Easy-Forex lets you start trading with as little as $50 and also has demo mode feature so that you can do practice trades and learn the Forex market. As with any market trading, Forex trading involves a substantial risk of loss, and may not be for everybody but the Easy-Forex Trading Platform helps new investors interested in the currency trading market get started in as little as 5 minutes.

The foreign exchange trading community has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years as more and more investors are finding the incredible financial potential. It is regulated by the investor and is open 24 hours a day for business. In fact, forex trading has become so popular today that many investors are creating home-based businesses exclusively around this market. There is relatively little headache and hassle involved with the process and can also be executed from home with a personal computer and an internet connection.

One of most attractive advantages to the foreign exchange market that lies within the 24-hour access benefit is that this creates the option for a trader to take positions in the market without waiting for an opening bell to ring. Regardless of the time zone the trader is in, there is always foreign exchange trading experts ready to buy and sell currency prices. Providing this type of access gives the foreign exchange trader a huge advantage over other investment markets.

Foreign exchange trading is based on a pair principle in that every currency is traded in pairs. Every trade engages two separate currencies on what is called a two-way market. The financial advancements to be made in this type of trading are having an instinct based on current events that will depreciate a certain currency. The pair system works as a cause and effect relationship and as one currency makes gains on the market, the other currency suffers a loss. Foreign exchange trading allows revenue to be made both the losses and the gains in relation to the investor's currency.

A huge benefit to choosing forex trading is the relatively small selection of choices when compared to other investment choices such as mutual funds or the stock markets. When dealing with forex trading, most traders tend to begin with only one select currency and will graduate to trading three or four as they become more experienced.

Foreign exchange trading demonstrates the ability to track the trends that take place over both long and short periods. Every currency takes an individual course and reveals its own set of characteristics allowing the investor a peek at the future of a specific currency by looking into its past. This sets forex trading very high in the ranks of investment options because it provides an array of option and prospects within the foreign exchange market.

Most individuals that are just beginning to learn the foreign exchange trading market require the expertise of a foreign exchange broker. In order to trade, it is necessary to seek out a good broker and open a margin account on the foreign exchange market in order to participate. This margin account is an absolute necessity and these are settled every day. This means that when you lose profits they are taken out of that margin account and similarly when profits are gained, they are put into the margin account that same day.

Now that most of the advantages are obvious to potential investors, there are a few things to understand before setting out to invest in forex trading. First, make sure that the currency pair is well researched and the trends are paid particular attention to, as this can be a great tool with foresight. Remember, there is no good plan with foreign exchange trading or other markets without an exit plan! Know the limits and be disciplined enough to follow these strategies to bring success to any foreign exchange trading experience.

Forex day trading is the buying and selling of foreign currency within an individual trading day. Most day traders take on this role as a full time investor and are working with significant amounts of money. Day traders tend to be highly educated as well and without them, there would be no liquidity within the Forex market. Forex day traders have a pivotal part to play by keeping the markets flowing liquidly through their daily activities on the Forex market.

Many people who initially set out to invest in the Forex day trading field are typically funded through various sources and have made it the full time job of choice. There have been many companies that promise huge results to the beginner. Specifically promising large returns in Forex day trading however, the majority of those who try to day trade without a fundamental understanding of the workings of the market generally lose their shirts. Don't be fooled, there is no get rich quick scheme hidden behind the curtain of Forex day trading. It has to be understood and all aspects of the Forex day trading business need to be comprehended fully in order to succeed.

The pivotal difference between casual trader and Forex day traders is usually the amount of capital, which is a definite advantage. The average Joe who gets into Forex day trading hoping to make a ton of money on intra-day movements is in for a huge disappointment. In order to benefit from Forex day trading, a large amount of capital is required as well as able to be lost. Capitalizing on small investments can accrue earnings but it is a much longer process when using small amounts of capital. Like most things, you've got to spend the big bucks to generate the big bucks. But not without the knowledge and safeguarding measures that Forex brokers can provide for any investor.

Gaining a complete understanding of the Forex day trading market will bring forth personal strategies. Coupled with the tried and true strategies that are utilized in by Forex brokers will give an individual investor the tools needed. Forex day trading strategies such as swing trading, trading news and arbitrage are a few of the most common ones that are implemented by brokers and investors. Remember that these strategies that are in print are strategies that have previously tried until they showed effective limit losses and a solid history of profits consistently.

With the Forex day trading system rising so rapidly in popularity there has naturally been a negative connotation associated with this controversial subject. The Forex day traders that are both professional and individual investors keep the Forex market rolling day after day. Many people suggest avoiding day trading at all costs while others will state that Forex day trading is the only way to generate substantial income from the foreign exchange market. If there is not the presence of required skills to navigate the financial markets and the resources needed, it is best the amateurs leave the Forex day trading to the professionals.