Understanding the Forex Market

With a host of different market makers, rather than a few specific specialist, and no centralized market, there still exists both and identifiable structure and specific hierarchy within the Forex market.

At the top of the pyramid the InterBank market, made up primarily of the currencies of G8 countries representing around 65 percent of the global economy, has the highest volume of trading. Within this InterBank market the major banks trade among each other using lines of credit between individual member banks.

The banks use InterBank brokers and electronic trading systems to facilitate trading transactions among one another with all applicable rate information available in real-time to all parties.

While the major banks trade within the InterBank market many smaller players like corporations or smaller banks use commercial banks to facilitate their trading activities. Without established lines of credit between members as in the InterBank structure these smaller players typically use a single bank for all their transactions and usually trade at higher less competitive rates.

Until recently the domination of the major banks and the closed nature of the market members acted s a barrier to entry for those individuals wishing to trade foreign currency. However, the advent of internet-based information and trading systems coupled with less restrictive regulations have opened up this multi-billion dollar market to the average investor.

Changes in the nature of the Forex market itself have also opened up opportunities. Whereas foreign currency trading was once primarily considered an aspect of international trade activity to facilitate a country's import export activity, today's market sees a broader range of capital flowing between players such as mutual funds, insurance companies, institutions, and even private individual investors.

It is the massive market size and diversity of participants which give the Forex it's superior liquidity and transparency that make it an ideal opportunity for the active investor. Higher leverage, and online trading capabilities means just about anyone with a few thousand dollars to invest can get started.

New traders or people that are considering a move into the Forex market are often discouraged from hearing over and over that the Forex market is difficult to make money in. Quite simply it isn't. You just have to go into it with right attitude or mindset.

Experienced traders often refer to this as your trading psychology. Part of a healthy and successful trading psychology will definitely include the following three attitudes or concepts.

First, know when to get in and out of a trade. That means setting your goals in advance and not just winging it once you opened a position. Plan you trade and trade your plan.

Failing to plan will ensure that you are surprised by the market more often than not and will hesitate and watch helplessly as a positive trade becomes a loss.

Successful traders watch the basic and proven indicators to determines the viability of there trades. Of all the indicators used in Forex trading price is the most accurate and useful in the long run. Complexity can kill your trading success so always keep it simple.