Lets take a look to see how you can lay down the foundations for long term success.



This market stays open during the week as it moves around the globe following the various financial markets as they open. The Forex is vast – trading over three trillion dollars every day which means plenty of opportunity to open and close trading positions over the course of a 24 hour period.

So how do you make a profit with Forex trading?

Well, first of all you need a reliable, high speed broadband connection and a dedicated computer to trade with. You will be trading on live markets which can move very quickly. Therefore it is not advisable to get caught out with a connection problem or computer virus problem mid trade!

Secondly, it is a really good idea to write all your trades down in a journal or record yourself on to your computer. After you have formulated your Forex trading plan, a good way to learn what works and what does not is to be consistent in your trading and then write all your trades down in a note book.

That way at the end of the week, you can recap, look to see what part of the trading plan is giving you results and which part you can improve on and remove the parts which are not working for you. If you perfer to listen to yourself speak, then recording yourself as you make the trading decisions is a good alternative.

Keeping a note book and writing everything down might sound a little over-the-top but it will become YOUR guide to YOUR Forex trading success. Everyone trades slightly differently and some will see things you do not, understand different areas and you might understand things others may find difficult.

It is a good idea to discuss Forex trading with others but when it comes to formulating a trading plan you, are the only one who knows how you trade and how Forex trading fits into your lifestyle.

Maybe I have laboured on the point but that's only because it is important to your Forex trading success.

OK so moving on then. What do you write in your note book? Well, the answer is your trading plan.

This should consist loosely of your entry strategy, the size of your trade (how many lots or pounds per pip you will trade), a stop loss level (at which point, if this level is hit YOU MUST exit the trade), an exit strategy – at which point your trade is maximised and the point at which you close your position.

There are other important factors which will make or break your success in Forex trading, such as how you manage your open positions and also how you manage your expectations and your emotions. This is actually the part most people find difficult - how to manage themselves during the time the position is open. Especially when there is profit/loss and risk to consider!

A good way of formulating a trading strategy is to have a look at some trading strategies others are using and then set a challenge to understand how and why they work. Candlestick charts, Bollinger Bands and the RSI oscillator are good to look at first of all.

Watch the charts and see what happens. Paper trade first to see how well the strategy works and if it does not look good, discover the faults! As I have already mentioned, everyone will see things differently so develop an understanding of what works for you.

Forex trading is considered high-risk, so please know what you are doing before risking your hard earned money. Paper trade first and then open a demo account with a good Forex broker (a recommended broker can be found below).

Forex trading is fast-paced in which you can make a good profit, as well as lose your capital. It is a good idea to build the foundations so you can continue to trade successfully well into the future.

To Your Success!