Different Types of Market Orders (Part II)

By Ahmad Hassam

Stop Loss Orders: Stop loss orders are critical to your trading survival. The traditional stop loss order does just that. It stops losses by closing out an open position that is losing money. Stop loss orders are used to limit losses if the market moves against your position. If you dont use stop loss orders, you are leaving yourself at the mercy of the markets. A dangerous proposition!

Stop loss orders are on the other side of the take profit orders but in the same direction. If you are long, your stop loss order would be to sell but at a lower price than the current market price. If you are short, your stop loss order would be to buy but at a higher price than the current market price.

Trailing Stop Loss Orders: A trailing stop loss order is a stop loss order that you set at a fixed number of pips from your entry rate. As the market price moves, the trailing stop order adjusts the order rate but only in the direction of your trade.

Suppose you are long on EUR/USD at 1.2654. You set the trailing stop loss order at 30 pips. The stop will initially become active at 1.2654-30=1.2624. If the EUR/USD rate goes up to 1.2674, the stop adjusts itself and will become active at 1.244. The trailing stop loss order continues to adjust itself higher as the market moves higher.

When the market puts in the top, your trailing stop will be 30 pips below the top. If the market ever goes down by 30 pips, the trailing stop loss order will be triggered and your open position closed. So in our example, you are long at 1.2654. You set the trailing stop loss at 30 pips and it became active at 1.2624.

Suppose the market never ticks up. Instead goes straight down. You will be stopped out at 1.2624. Suppose the market first rises to 1.2664. Then it declines 40 pips. Your trailing stop loss order will first rise to (1.2664-30=) 1.2634. Thats where you would be stopped out.

You must have heard the saying: Cut your losses and let your winners run. A trailing stop loss order allows you to do just that. The idea is that when you have a winning trade on, you wait for the market to stage for a reversal and take you out of your trade by using the trailing stop loss order instead of picking the right level to exit on your own.

So the key to successful trading is to cut losing positions quickly and let winning positions run. This function is nicely performed by the trailing stop loss order. Use of stop loss orders is critical in money and risk management. Never ever, trade without the stop loss orders! - 23159

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam is a Harvard University Graduate. He is interested in day trading and currencies. Discover a revolutionary new Forex Robot. Learn Forex Trading!

Global Macro and Commodity Trading

By Paul Anderson

While most people think of commodity traders as just a bunch of guys in Chicago the truth is that many different types of investors participate in the commodity markets. Obviously we have floor traders but we also have several types of upstairs traders.

The largest group of traders are definitely the upstairs trader, or traders that are not on the floor of the exchange. Some have floor experience while others do not. The largest group of these are systematic long term trend followers while there are smaller subsets that do purely fundamental and others a hybrid model.

Some global macro traders are always involved in the commodity markets while others don't actually do a ton of trading. But one thing that all global macro funds do is track and forecast commodity prices. This is so that they have a better grip on raw materials cost as well as where on earth are things growing fast and slow. It basically gives a great picture of the macroeconomic landscape.

In 2008 for example we saw oil climb to record highs. During this time the macro trader was busy looking for what companies will benefit and what companies will get hurt by this. Yes, oil companies made out well but so did companies like MLP's and railroads. On the other hand airlines and fleet services got absolutely hammered as their fuel costs started to cut heavily into their sales.

Precious metals are another area of great concern. Long looked as a fantastic inflation gauge gold and silver are also looked upon more and more as alternative currencies since most fiat currencies are looking like junk these days. As you can see precious metals are very useful to key in on currencies and inflation.

Another huge piece of the economic pie is that of industrial commodities. Industrial commodities comprising aluminum, zinc, lead, tin, nickel, iron, copper, etc are used in everything for everything. If you drive it, plug it into the wall, or live in it then you have industrial metals all around you. And you only need to have accounts with access to three exchanged to trade 95% of all this.

Next up are the agricultural commodities. While some gloss over this section they are actually a huge part of the economy. Do you eat food? Do you drink water? If you answer was yes to either of these questions then you need to pay attention to the ags. If you answered no then call the hospital please. Anyways the ags are important and can be traded based off of the demographics of different nations. Emerging markets are rapidly emerging which is changing the entire supply demand situation of food and water. Monitor and profit from this, or stay ignorant and get unpleasantly surprised.

Obviously commodities are huge part of the global economy. If you are not using and monitoring them you are missing out on some of the biggest puzzle pieces out there. If you are a global macro trader you need to be monitoring all the commodity complexes. - 23159

About the Author:

If you need actionable trading ideas then check out The Macro Trader It is a weekly global macro trading advisory publication with frequent intra-week updates for time-critical analysis and actionable trading ideas.

9 Things You Need From Any Forex Auto-Trading Software

By Richard U. Olson

If you want to make money in the currency trading market while you work, sleep, even take a vacation, you are going to need automated Forex trading software. New technology has made this software which once cost thousands available for as little as $100! This software can be put to use instantly on trading platforms freely available from hundreds of online brokerages. You finally can trade on the Forex market even while you are nowhere near your computer. Automated Forex trading makes this possible and it is being adopted by novices and experienced traders alike.

What you can gain by using automated Forex trading software?

- You can conduct trades around the clock using automated Forex trading robots; trades in all currency pairs in all of the world's important currency markets - something you could never do on your own.

- These trading robots can be had for under $100. There are a lot of automated Forex trading programs which integrate with the industry standard Meta Trader 4 platform used by Forex brokerages all over the world.

- Forex trading robots make trades based on mathematical models (the Fibonacci formula), not emotional responses.

- You can test and configure Forex trading for optimal performance by using demo accounts before taking them into live trading using real money.

There is a lot of confusion around Forex trading software - there are some features which any software absolutely must have. You should never buy automated Forex trading software which does not meet these 9 criteria:

1. The ability to analyze market conditions to give you the information you need to make profitable trades.

2. Mathematical modeling of market movements should be used (the Fibonacci formula) to make trades which have the best chances of being profitable.

3. The software has to have an integrated system of money management which makes the decision which ensures you profitable trades even in unfavorable market conditions

4. The trading software should know precisely when to make trades in order to make you the maximum profit. It needs to be able to identify trends when looking at the big picture.

5. Automated Forex trading software should let you keep your position open for as long as you are still making money on a trade.

6. Monitors currency pairs in several markets simultaneously and watches massive amounts of trades over time easily.

7. The software absolutely must work with the Meta Trader 4 platform.

8. Keeps things simple for effective and profitable trading.

9. It should have a demo mode. If you're not ready for live trading, then use a demo account to make any adjustments needed on the software and to familiarize yourself with the settings offered by the trading software.

The automated Forex trading software is for all levels of Forex traders, whether you're at the beginner level or a financial expert. Trading experience or knowledge in the Forex market is not a prerequisite to use the Forex robot software. But if you're looking at Forex trading as a business venture you should gain some Forex knowledge from the course at the link below. - 23159

About the Author:

Richard U. Olson uses the state of the art Forex Expert Advisor and he recommends it to make consistent profits in the Forex markets. Grab his FREE e-course on How To Succeed In Forex Trading to achieve your financial freedom.

Your Forex Education on Trading Account Basics

By Bart Icles

By now you must already have an idea of how quickly things happen in the forex market. If you have been serious about your forex education, you must also have already known by now that there are still a lot of things that you need to learn. If you have heard about day trading, margin trading, and all the other different types of currency trading, you might have also heard about the different kinds of forex accounts that you can choose to open.

Trading in the foreign exchange market will require you to setup an account. Once you have opened a forex account, you can almost already start competing with banks and large hedge funds in reaping gains from this lucrative yet volatile market. There are three basic types of accounts that you will need to learn about: standard, mini, and managed. Selecting the type of account that you will be setting up totally relies on the size of your initial investment, your tolerance for risks, and the amount of time you can give to currency trading on a daily basis.

Most forex traders have standard trading accounts. This type of account gives you access to standard currency lots that are generally valued at $100,000. Do not let the money figure fool you. A standard currency lot of $100,000 does not mean that you will need to invest $100,000 in capital so you can participate in trading. Recalling what you have learned from your forex education, you will realize that the rules of margin and leverage dictate that you will only need a thousand dollars in a margin account so you can trade for one standard lot.

A mini trading account allows forex traders to make transactions using mini lots. A mini lot is typically equivalent to one-tenth of a standard lot. For example, if a standard lot is valued at $100,000, then mini lots would be at $10,000 each. A lot of standard accounts brokers also offer mini accounts. This allows them to bring in more clients who have significant hesitations in trading in full lots due to the amount of investment that standard accounts require.

Then there are managed accounts. In this type of forex account, you will have control of how much you will put in on your capital but will not be able to make decisions on whether you will be buying or selling. You will leave these decisions to your account managers who will work to meet the profit goals, risk management, and other objectives that you have set. There are two types of managed accounts: pooled funds and individual accounts. In pooled funds, your investment will be put into a mutual fund, along with those of the other investors, and all of you will have your own share of the profit. In individual accounts, an account manager handles each and every account distinctively. Therefore, he will make decisions for each investor instead of making a decision for a group of people. - 23159

About the Author:

A forex tutorial starts with a desire to learn and a drive to become a great trader. Learning with a forex trading tutorial takes dedication and a good teacher. But once you learn how to trade and do so successfully your life will change and you have options and financial resources you never had before.

Trend Following Strategies Makes Investing Easy

By Bob LeBrun

I'm not what anyone would call an active trader in the stock market. I generally rely on my broker's advice and invest in low risk stocks and mutual funds. This strategy worked for me until the latest recession. I lost money on some investments and my return on most of my investments was poor. I decided I would have to take a more active role in managing my money.

I had heard about trend following and how investors could make money by taking advantage of trends in the market. I started researching the strategy and I came across TrendFollowingStrategies.com. This website had a new approach to trend following and only dealt with ETFs (exchange traded funds) which are a fairly low risk investment. I was definitely interested.

Instead of having to buy software, you just join the site. Members are sent emails advising them of the best ETFs to buy and the best time to buy them. They track only the trends in the ETF market and show you haw to trade and make money regardless of market fluctuations. I made the decision to sign up.

That was eighteen months ago and my investments are doing better than I would have thought possible. I don't have to constantly follow the market and worry about when to make trades, TrendFollowingStrategies.com sends me alerts in my email to let me know the best investments, when to buy and when to sell. They give me the information I need to decide how much I should invest in each trade.

I'm no longer worried about my investments. With TrendFollowingStrategies.com it isn't necessary to oversee the daily ups and downs of the market. In the eight months since I joined i've gotten a 23% return on my investments. It's easy and takes almost no time which is good, because i'd much rather play golf than monitor Wall St.

I'm more comfortable using this method of trading, because of the low risk factor. I don't want to have to worry about my investments all the time. Since the site only deals with EFTs, you have a minimal risk involved. EFTs are a little like mutual funds, and are fairly stable. I had investments in EFTs before the recession and I didn't lose much on those. This way I can maximize my return on these investments.

If you're like me, a conservative investor, you'll really appreciate the advantages of trading with TrendFollowingStrategies.com. The system works whether the market is up or down. The EFTs that they recommend are always in an upward trend. If the trend changes, you'll be notified so you can sell. It's just easy.

I would recommend membership in this site to anyone who wants to make money in the market without investing a lot of time and effort. They do most of the work for you and you just have to make the decision on when and how much to invest in the trade. You can maximize your return on your investment with a minimum of work. If you aren't a member of TrendFollowingStrategies.com, you should be. - 23159

About the Author:

Find more on trend trading system and trend following.