The easiest way to grasp the concept of spreads is to take a look at the displays of the exchange kiosks at your airports or urban centres.  As a tourist, you will know that the price at which they sell you foreign currency can be vastly different than the price at which they buy it back.  This difference in those two prices is called the Spread.

When it comes to trading and investments, the forex market tends to stand apart from the rest. Those who have the right balance of skill, knowledge, experience, and foresight can easily turn a small amount of capital into something much larger. As the level of interest in forex rises across the globe, the number of forex brokers and the degree of services provided has also increased. There are an endless number of trading options available to catch the eye of any avid (or potential) forex trader, but it can be difficult for market participants to select a forex broker. Let’s take a look at some of the different options.

The forex market is active 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That means traders can log into their trading platform of choice and move currency around. Despite this 24/7 availability, it’s unwise to trade around the clock without a specific strategy in mind. 

When trading forex, timing can be everything. There are ideal times to trade and not-so-good times to trade. Let’s take a look at the best times to trade forex and the best times to stay away from the market. 

A wide range of trading strategies are used in the forex market on a daily basis, and each one carries advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to delivering results, some techniques boast better track records than others. 

Swing trading has earned a strong base of support among forex traders. It’s typically viewed as a fundamental form of forex trading since positions are often held for much longer than a day and not just overnight.

This is because most fundamental traders, or fundamentalists, are swing traders, basing their moves on fundamentals that often require multiple days—or longer—to generate sufficient price shifts that will turn a profit.

As swing trading strategies become more commonplace in the forex market, it's important to gain a deeper understanding of exactly what’s involved. Let’s take a closer look at the basic strategy behind swing trading.

The forex market’s level of profitability makes it a popular choice for trading—the ideal choice for those with the right expertise, knowledge, and skill. A forex broker plays a crucial role in the forex market, acting as the intermediary between traders and the global market. This allows participants to sell and purchase currency. But what qualities should you look for in a forex broker, and how do you identify one that best fits your situation? Read on to learn more!

Every forex trader should understand margin and margin requirements. Often considered a “good faith deposit” when opening a position, margin is collateral that’s deposited with a broker to cover the risk associated with an exchange.

As forex traders seek out stable investments that can hedge against inflation, market instability, and other geopolitical factors, gold has become more popular than ever. Traders can use gold as a way to hedge against other investments or as a safe haven that provides consistency over time and is more resistant to dramatic swings in valuation than a majority of other currencies. 

Stop-loss orders are the fail-safes of the trading world. They’re the most common way for traders to balance risk and reward without having to stay glued to their computer screens 24/7. Stop-loss orders can help investors minimize losses on new positions.

Since the financial crisis of 2008, Japan’s yen has been generally viewed as a reliable reserve currency. Once considered the world’s third-largest safe haven currency due to its high liquidity and low bid-ask spreads, USD/JPY has been favored by both experienced traders and beginners. 

The pairing has also played an important role in trading activity throughout Asian markets since the yen was often bought or sold as a substitute for more unpredictable currencies in the region.

Trading indices with Valutrades is a great alternative to stock trading, and now you can trade with a minimum of just 0.01 lots, which offers more flexibility in your positions. Instead of trading individual stocks, you now have the ability to trade a group of equities at one time within an index, which is based on the stock prices or market capitalization of each company.