First let me say John Bird's article is a MUST read to add to your knowledge.I would like to share with you my experience with this field in an article I wrote for Triond.
Forex, which is short for "foreign exchange," is actually one
of the kazillion "make money at home" opportunities that
really works. But you have to buckle down and learn it
because it is technical and not for everyone.
As with anything, you get out of it what you put in to it.
Lets face it: If you want to get rich quick, "it ain't gonna
happen." In fact you have better odds of driving a plastic
straw through a brick wall with a hammer!
I want to give some insight on myself before I go further.
I am 39 years old, and I have "been around the block." I
don't share the idea my Dad shares, that a person should
work at the same job for 30 years breaking your back. The
world's just too big for that. I would personally rather do
something I like and take a little pay cut; than to slave away
for the extra money that I would probably not be able to
enjoy because I "worked so hard" I can't move.
I am saying this because I've had jobs where I've made
great money; and then they run you into the ground. On the
flip side, I played the piano on the road in bands for 10
years, but I liked it. I also landed a job at several prominent
radio stations, again doing what I liked to do.
I will say that neither one of the two paid great, but at
least I got to try it and do it. Unfortunately quite a few
people don't get that chance, or have been shamed into not
taking that chance.
Now as far as forex goes, I'm sure if you've turned on a
computer, at some point you have seen an ad for at least
one, especially if you have been looking through the MANY
make money online/at home websites. Forex definitely has
potential.
I am not getting paid to say this (and I have not made a
killing [yet]) but I have thrown out money on so many scams, from real estate foreclosures (you know the ones), to "secrets of the rich." I haven't made anything on any of them. Fact is it takes time and money to make money, no
matter how you slice it.
Forex is an investment, and up until not long ago, was
reserved for people that could throw down BIG MONEY. I
mean $10 to $20k at a shot. Now us common peasants have
a chance. Now you can start (most of the time) with $250.
Forex is basically- buying and selling currency from
foreign countries. It's similar in fashion to the stock market,
but it moves a lot faster. There are millions of people all
over the world doing this, and almost all hours, both day and
night.
When you trade currency, you are using a financial tool
called leverage. For instance, if you purchase a house and
the selling price is $250k, and you put 10 percent down
($25k). Your $25k just put you in control. This is much the
same way when trading currency, but the leverage is
anywhere from 50:1 to 200:1 depending on your account
type. Imagine 1 dollar "buying" $200.
You must remember that it works both ways. That 1
dollar can lose $200 just as easily.
There are so many things that affect the currency
markets, such as oil prices, interest rates in the country
which currency is being traded, and the economic
conditions all over the world just to name a few. Trading
based on these factors (called economic indicators), is
called fundamental trading.
You would probably not get very far by solely basing your
trading decisions on fundamentals. So you would
incorporate another tool called technical analysis.
Technical analysis involves charts, graphs, mathematical
formulas, and historical data that would boggle the mind if
you tried to master them all. Good thing they have software
for that. You can even get a trading computer if you get
good and go pro.
Before starting, definitely research the many forex
trading platforms (I don't know if I am allowed to mention
websites), and be prepared to lose a little money, as all
traders do. But if you research and learn, you can turn that
$250 to $400 or more in a matter of minutes. The best I did
was $386 in about a five minute period. I also have lost the
same amount in less than a minute.
Thanks for reading, and good luck.