Forex (Foreign Exchange, Forex currency exchange) simply means the buying of one currency and selling another at the same time. In other words, the currency of one country is exchanged for those of another. The currencies of the world are on a floating exchange rate, and are always traded in pairs Euro/Dollar, Dollar/Yen, etc. In excess of 85 percent of all daily transactions involve trading of the major currencies.
Needless to say using both fundamental and technical analysis is quite complex and can be a very time consuming challenge. Except for “news” traders many Forex traders default to primarily using Forex technical analysis. A prime example of “news” is the Non Farm Payroll announcement. This announcement normally takes place on the first Friday of each month at 8:30am Eastern Time. Forex traders who trade the news position themselves in the market to capture as many PIP’s as possible during the market corrections that take place just after a “news” release. Forex traders who trade the news rely quite a bit on fundamental indicators in making their trade decisions. New Forex software programs that gather and interpret Forex fundamental indicators have been around for a while and they will continue to improve their accuracy with time.
Speaking of Forex software programs, one of the most rapidly developing forms of Forex software are “Expert Advisors”. Forex Expert Advisors (EA’s for short) are software programs that operate within your Forex trading platform. So far, the industry leading Forex trading platform for EA’s is the Metatrader 4 Trading Platform designed by ODL Securities. There are several advantages to using an EA. Perhaps chief among these advantages is the fact that the “on-board” programming of the EA eliminates the need for the Forex trader to spend a lot of time doing technical analysis. Once an EA is properly initiated, it will automatically trade a specified Forex pair, or pairs, using a predetermined strategy or Forex trading approach.
Again, exceptionally good and experienced Forex investors will find it relatively easy to interpret market behavior and come up with effective Forex signals. However, a beginner might not be able to come up with any effective Forex signal for a long time. To buffer losses caused by inexperience, a newbie investor will prefer to avail of a Forex signal generator while s/he is still trying to get the hang of Forex trading. This can allow him to fare better in the tight competition of the Forex scene.
Back testing is absolutely necessary in order to optimize the settings for an EA and as such it is very valuable process but the process is not perfect. Data mismatches can occur during the back test process which can degrade the results somewhat. The source of these data mismatches is not known at this time but it is an industry wide problem and the solution to the mismatch problem is being vigorously pursued. Even with its flaws the back test process remains of utmost importance when it comes to optimizing the performance of any EA. The time saving nature of using an EA coupled with the stress reducing effect that it has on the Forex trader has boosted the popularity of this kind of Forex trade automation. It is just this kind of Forex trade automation that is helping to fuel the explosive growth of the retail Forex market. It is no longer necessary to stay glued to your computer monitor and “baby sit” your Forex trades. Not only that but a properly designed EA can perform functions that even the most skilled and experienced Forex traders find difficult. For example, there are EA’s on the market today that can trade multiple currency pairs simultaneously. Other EA’s can trade multiple Forex hedge trades at the same time!
Now coming to the forex trading software tools, there are some tools which will be available to you provided by your forex broker and also some independent tools (automated forex trading systems) which are independent on any of the brokers. These automated forex trading systems generate the signals for the day that when to buy the forex and when to sell the forex and automatically place orders for your broker without your presence. Coming to the automated forex trading systems that generate the trading signals, they are more handy. Generally the tools that are provided by forex brokers, they will be restricted to only particular currencies, but that would not be the case with the independent automated forex trading systems. These tools will be available in the internet market and that too for a low and affordable price. There is no need for you to pay every month for these tools; it’s just a one time purchase. There tools generally doesn’t cost more than $100.
If possible, examine the back testing and forward testing results of an EA before you purchase it. Always demo trade with a new EA to confirm its operation before using it in a live account. EA trading is gaining in popularity by leaps and bounds. EA trading is part of a major trend toward increased automation in the world of Forex. This trend is expected to expand and strengthen in the years ahead. Being skilled in Forex technical analysis is always an asset but EA trading relies more on the Forex trading logic of the EA than it does the technical skill of the trader. Self control and discipline are equally important whether you are Forex manual trading or EA. trading. Combine the personal qualities self control and discipline with using a well designed EA and you are on your way to profiting in Forex - the world’s largest market.