Kathleen Brooks

Foreign exchange (or forex) markets are one of the fastest and most volatile financial markets to trade. Money can be made or lost in a matter of seconds; at the same time, currencies can display significant trends lasting several days, weeks, even years. Most importantly, forex markets are always moving, providing an accessible and target-rich trading environment.

Online currency trading is offered by dozens of different retail trading brokerage firms operating from all over the world, so you have many options to choose from. Here are some key questions to ask when you’re choosing a broker: How good are trading executions? The key to evaluating any brokers is the speed and reliability of your trade executions.

Identifying trading opportunities and planning each trade from start to finish is essential to success in currency trading. When you trade currency as an investment tool, remember to: Maintain trading discipline by formulating — and sticking to — a complete trading plan: position size, entry and exit (stop loss and take profit) before you enter a trade.

Most online forex brokers function as the market-maker for your trading, meaning that the broker is on the other side of every trade — when you buy, you’re buying from the broker; when you sell, you’re selling to the broker. Brokerage firms that are market-makers typically provide both consistent liquidity and execution, which allows you to trade your desired amount at all times.

The kind of trader you are will affect — or should affect — your trading strategy. It helps to know your trader type so you can trade effectively and in a way that feels right for you. To determine your trader type, take the following quiz. The quiz Which statement best describes you when you're competing? A. I'm aggressive, outgoing, and confident in my abilities whether I win or lose.

Knowing the fundamental drivers of currency rates is the foundation of understanding price movements. This is very important to understand if you want to trade currency as an investment. Here are some suggestions: Get to know the major economic data reports from all the major economies. Understand the importance of expectations versus actual outcomes.

These "beginner" trading mistakes are made by everyone — from total newcomers to grizzled forex market veterans. No matter how long you've been trading, you're bound to experience lapses in trading discipline, whether they're brought on by unusual market developments or emotional extremes. The key is to develop an intuitive understanding of the major pitfalls of trading, so that you can recognize early on if you're letting your discipline slip.

Three things make you a good currency trader: platform, methodology, and psychology. Often traders have the first two covered, but they come up short in the psychology department. Do you ever think that trading is too hard? That you can't seem to make money or make a good decision? If so, that's good! It means you're a perfectly normal trader who shares the doubts and fears of traders all over the world.