While you’re still setting out, you don’t want to risk blowing your entire account on a single bad trade. You can avoid this eventuality easily enough by limiting the capital you allocate to your positions.
The standard FX trade size is one lot, which will give you a large exposure and can see losses mount up quickly. Look for a provider that enables you to trade in smaller sizes – with City Index, you can set your own sizes outside of traditional lots and mini lots.
There are two main ways that traders analyse the financial markets: Technical analysis involves looking at an FX pair’s price chart, using indicators and patterns to determine where it is headed next Your choice between the two will dictate how you navigate the markets, and which opportunities you’ll trade. You don’t have to stick to one…
Another key factor in controlling risk is to manage the money you’re allocating to any given position. Many successful traders stick to the 1% rule, which involves only ever risking 1% of your total funds on any given trade. If, for example, you have £5,000 in your account, your total risk on any position would…
With a plan in place, a style in mind and some practice under your belt, you can begin thinking about placing your first live trades. With dozens of FX pairs to choose from, though, deciding where to start can be tricky. Often, it’s a good idea to choose one or two pairs to begin with,…
Speaking of trying things out, we’d always recommend that beginner traders start with a forex trading demo account before they commit real capital. That way, you can ensure that any early mistakes are made in a simulated environment that won’t end up costing you money. Most trading demos use real market pricing, so they’re as close as…
Risk management might be the most important factor in dictating your long-term forex trading success – and the basic building block of any risk management strategy is the stop-loss order. Stop losses are instructions to your trading provider to close your open position if it moves a certain number of points against you. They are useful…
Finally, know when it’s time to exit your trading platform and call it a day. Trading can be emotional, and emotions will cloud your judgement: even positive ones. So, after a string of successful or losing trades, make sure to take a step back and evaluate whether it’s time to log off. It may also be time…
