Forex Discipline the Key to Winning Is Hard To Achieve

Forex Education - Forex Discipline the Key to Winning Is Hard To Achieve
Kelly Price

The first point you need to understand as part of you forex education is your success will not just depend on your method but your discipline to execute it. Most traders can't and lose and this is because they don't understand that discipline can only be acquired, if you take on traits that are not acceptable in normal society.
Discipline in forex trading means - you have to accept that you are going to need to act in a way that would normally be seen as acceptable in everyday life. People find this hard to do and some explanation will make this clearer.

1. Be a Loner
Man is a pack animal and since stone age times we have sought safety in groups - they make us feel safe, wanted and accepted. In forex trading however if you run with the pack you are going to lose, as 95% of traders do and thats a fact.
When man gets in a group he runs with the herd and the herd is always wrong in forex trading, as you are infleunced by the emotions of the crowd.
You need to be a loner and not listen to others - don't share your opinions with others and don't let others influence you. You're on your own - but that's the best place to be in forex trading and could make you a fortune.

2. Break & Make the Rules
You will hear lots of common wisdoms spouted in forex trading and do you know what?
Most of them are wrong.
This again goes with the fact the majority of traders lose.
In life were used to order:
We stop at red lights, don't drop litter, don't drink and drive etc or we know what the consequneces will be - our lives are ordered for us.
Forex trading is different we get to make the rules and they will decide our financial destiny, as there are none to start with.
The forex market is chaos, an all powerful force, moving as when it wants and only it can be right and only the trader can be wrong.
You need to create a set of rules to work with it and earn your living.
You're a bit like the captain of a ship - the ocean is all powerful but you can make a living from it.
You can navigate it correctly and make a living or you can drown the choice is yours.
Most traders cannot take responsibility, cannot make their own rules and follow the herd, news wires gurus, or sure fire trading systems and lose.

3. The Work Ethic Doesn't Apply
In most jobs the more hours you put in the more you get out in terms of reward - not so in forex trading, you only get rewarded for being right and that's it.
You can spend 20 minutes a day or 5 hours - but that will not influence how much money you make.
Many traders work hard but they don't work smart they learn lots of information and lose - others work short periods work smart and win.

4. Most Traders Can't Accept Big Gains
This may sound odd but it's true.
Traders hit a trend and then rather than follow it want to snatch the profit.

Why?
Because they think it's too easy, they haven't put enough effort in and it really won't run on - but it does and they snatch it early, before it gets away.
In many instances they can't believe they can make a huge profit for so little effort or they simply don't have inner confidence in their ability and these traders let huge profits get away all the time.
Spotting big trends is easy, holding them requires huge mental discipline.
So if you learn one thing from your forex education, learn that it is not hard to learn a method but it is hard to learn the discipline to execute a method.
Discipline is hard because it sets us against the market on our own and makes us responsible.
Running with the pack, listening to the news or a guru won't help - you're on your own and most traders simpy cant accept this fact.
Of course if you accept the above, take responsibility for your actions and understand yourself, you can earn huge rewards.

Trading by the Light of the Moon

Trading by the Light of the Moon
Vincent Troncone

For millennia, the moon has been thought to have considerable
effect on life here on planet earth, especially as it relates to
humans. Now, to some, that may seem like some kind esoteric idea
or mysticism, but it may be more scientific than you think.

When you consider that our bodies are largely made up of water,
this idea isn’t so far-fetched. We can see the lunar effects
on the tides here on earth and how powerful they are, but, in my
opinion, that is not the only area affected.

“So,” you may ask, “Why is a guy who invests in the market
writing an article about the moon?” Good question!

In my research, I have found what appears to be a direct
correlation between the primary phases of the moon and the
points at which any given, freely-traded market will reverse
direction. To say the least, this phenomenon is quite amazing
and has nothing to do with astrology and everything to do with
astronomy and physics.

The cycle of the moon from new moon to new moon is called the
synodic cycle. It is 29.5 days in length.

This cycle, although invisible, appears to have quite an effect
on the markets. I would venture to say: Not only is the moon
involved but other planetary bodies in our solar system as well.

Think of our solar system as nothing more than a big clock.
Everything we do here on earth is based on cycles. Our method of
keeping time and our calendar are all based on the relationship
of the sun, earth and moon and how long it takes for these
bodies to move a certain distance over time.

Even our seasons change as a result of these relationships.

I am not a scientist or claiming to be one, so let’s move onto
the empirical evidence.

Personal Observation

It has been my personal observation that specific phases of the
moon appear to have a direct effect on when any given,
freely-traded market will reverse direction on a daily chart. A
reversal, as defined for the purposes of this article, is when
the current daily price bar close is below the previous day
price bar close when the market is trending up. Or, a reversal
is when the market is trending down and the current daily price
bar close is above the previous day price bar close.

The lunar phases I’m talking about here are the new moon,
first quarter, full moon and last quarter. Each time I tested
this concept, it worked equally well for each market tested
within the defined tolerances I have also outlined here.

Another thing to consider is that market price moves in a circle
rather than up and down.

Consider this: From new moon to new moon is 360 degrees
(Figuratively Speaking you started on a New Moon and ended on a
New Moon so you have come Full Circle).

This would mean that each quarter phase figurative equivalent is
90 degrees. 90 degrees multiplied by 4 gives us 360 degrees.
That is a cycle too and is not a cycle in essence a circle?

The Basic Premise

Take the ephemeres (lunar dates). Look at each date listed in
the market of your choice, and you will notice pivots occur on
or around that day. The pivot day, for purposes of this article,
is not the reversal day but the day just before it (also known
as the set-up day), which signals the change about to come.

I have noticed that pivots generally occur within a tolerance
range of -2, -1, 0, +1 or +2 trading days of the specific moon
phase date, zero being the actual phase date. A hypothetical
example of this would be if the next ephemeral date were August
9, 2006. The pivot day could be anywhere from the 7th to the
11th, the 9th being the zero day or actual lunar date.

A smaller percentage of the time, pivots occur within a
tolerance of + or -3 trading days, so please keep this in mind.
I have also noticed that a pivot day can occur on either side of
a phase date in the same week. In other words, a pivot day can
occur before and / or after a phase date in any given week,
creating 2 pivot days in the same week.

Please take a look at the Daily Corn Chart for evidence of this
phenomenon at the link below.

http://www.pennies-from-heaven.us/cmoon.htm

Note that holidays and weekends are not considered trading days
in most markets. So, when a phase date occurs on Saturday, we
use Friday’s date. When a phase date occurs on Sunday, we use
Monday’s date (except when trading Forex because Sunday is an
actual trading day in the Forex market).

Also, because Forex is a 24-hour market, make sure you know what
time the day session officially starts in your time zone to
interpret the phase dates properly.

When a phase date occurs on a holiday, we use the next trading
day as a point of reference. Important Note: Always use GMT for
phase dates.

Is it possible for a pivot to occur outside these tolerance
ranges? Yes. Nothing is 100 percent accurate that I know of.

Think of any market as a river. A river has life, therefore, a
rhythm. Once you lock onto the rhythm, it is possible to be on
the right side of a trade more often than not.

In today’s markets, traders always seem to be focused on the
exact moment in time that a market will turn around, and they
also want to know the exact price at which that turn-around will
occur. For this reason, the river analogy will be useful.

If I want to go up river, all I have to do is jump into the
river when the tide is going up. That doesn’t require jumping
in at the exact moment of change. Of course, if you are able to
do that, all the better for you.

It is possible to discover the moment a trend will change and at
what price within small tolerance. If you are willing to go
beyond what you think you know and apply yourself, all things
are possible.

Reprinted with permission from Vincent Troncone.
http://www.pennies-from-heaven.us.

Futures and options trading involve high risk, and you can lose
a lot of money. When investing in futures, you may lose more
than your original investment. When purchasing options, you may
lose all of the money you invested. According to many experts,
most individual investors who trade commodity futures or options
lose money. There is a substantial risk of loss in trading
futures and options. Do not risk money you cannot afford to
lose. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future
results. There is no guarantee that the information in this
article will generate profits for the reader. All charts are
provided by FutureSource.com, a division of eSignal.

Forex Trading Training: 12 Interesting Facts about the Forex

Forex Trading Training: 12 Interesting Facts about the Forex
Trading Market
Gregory DeVictor

Forex is an abbreviated name for "foreign exchange." The Forex
trading market is an around-the-clock cash market where the
currencies of nations are bought and sold, typically via
brokers. For many years, the Forex market was dominated by large
institutions such as banks and brokerage firms. However, the
Forex market has experienced a major change over the past
several years, as a growing number of private investors and
traders just like you have started to actively participate and
trade. The purpose of this article is to reveal 12 interesting
facts about the Forex trading market.

1. What is a Forex trading system? According to Howard Abell,
"The [Forex] trading system gives the trader the ability to
control his or her emotional states rather than allowing them to
control him. A [Forex trading] system is a disciplined method
for organizing dynamic, ever-changing market phenomena."

2. Forex is the most liquid market in the world, thus making it
easy to trade most currencies.

3. Unlike equities or futures trading, you pay no commissions on
the Forex deals that you make.

4. According to the Wall Street Journal Europe, the most
commonly traded currencies on the Forex market are the U.S.
Dollar (USD), the Japanese Yen (JPY), the Euro (EUR), the
British Pound (GPB), the Canadian Dollar (CAD), the Australian
Dollar (AUD), and the Swiss Franc (CHF).

5. The most commonly traded currency pairs are the U.S. Dollar
and the Japanese Yen, the U.S. Dollar and the Euro, and the U.S.
Dollar and the Swiss Franc.

6. The U.S. Dollar is involved in nearly 90% of all Forex
transactions.

7. Ten financial institutions account for nearly 73% of the
total Forex trading market volume. The Top 10 most active
traders include Deutsche Bank (17.0%), UBS (12.5%), Citigroup
(7.5%), HSBC (6.4%), Barclays (5.9%), Merrill Lynch (5.7%), J.
P. Morgan Chase (5.3%), Goldman Sachs (4.4%), ABN AMRO (4.2%),
and Morgan Stanley (3.9%).

8. The five major Forex trading centers are London, New York,
Tokyo, Sydney, and Frankfurt.

9. The three major Forex trading countries are the United
Kingdom (32.4%), the United States (18.2%), and Japan (7.6%).

10. Currency market players typically use "Forex analysis" as a
means of predicting currency price movements. Forex analysis is
divided into two types: fundamental and technical. A fundamental
analysis uses economic and political factors, such as
unemployment rates, interest rates, or inflation, as a means of
predicting currency movements. A technical analysis uses
reliable historical data as a means of forecasting these
movements. The technical analyst believes that history repeats
itself over and over again.

11. Some Forex traders depend on fundamental analysis while
others depend on technical analysis. However, many successful
Forex traders use a combination of both strategies. The
important point to remember here is that no one strategy or
combination of strategies is 100% certain.

12. Margin is referred to as the collateral needed to facilitate
the Forex deal. Usually, this is a very small portion of the
entire deal, say 1% or 1:100. Please note that margin is a
"double-edged sword." Without the proper use of risk management
tools (for example, the stop-loss option), you can experience
substantial losses as well as gains. We suggest that you take
complete advantage of stop-loss and take-profit options in your
Forex trading.

Trading Forex on margin carries a high level of risk, and may
not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage
can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to
invest in foreign exchange you should carefully consider your
investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite.

Why Traders Intentionally Make Bad Decisions in Forex Trading

Why Traders Intentionally Make Bad Decisions in Forex Trading
Brian McAboy


We all make mistakes, but in Forex trading it is a common
occurrence that people will knowingly do things that cause
trades to go bad. Now we're not talking about losing trades that
are the result of testing out a Forex trading system or a
specific indicator. Nor are we talking about simple errors made
purely by accident. If our goal is to profit, then why would we
do these things that are totally out of alignment with what we
know to be right? This phenomenon has many very unpleasant
results that are encountered quite regularly in the Forex
trading world.

The Trader's confidence can take a severe blow when these events
take place on top of losing money. Additionally, the trader will
then engage in quite a bit of putting oneself down for having
made the mistakes. Depending on the magnitude of the error, this
can be the start of a rather vicious cycle that compounds the
problem and sets the stage for recurrence. Until the source of
the issue is discovered and the person does something to address
it, the self-sabotaging behavior is likely to continue.
Experienced traders can encounter this as well.

Let's look at a real life example. One such trader (a real
person that we'll call Mark) of over 50 years had been going
through this repeatedly for over a decade since he started
trading from home. Mark has done just about everything there is
to do in the futures industry. He worked on soybean farms and at
the shipping docks loading ships and coordinating orders and
shipments. For about another decade, Mark was on the floor of
the exchange running orders. After that, he worked both for and
as an introducing broker in the commodities industry until he
decided to retire at the age of 59. Needless to say, Mark had
plenty of experience in trading, but for nearly 15 years, Mark
has been losing money because he enters trades without an exit
plan. So why does he keep doing it?

Trading is definitely nothing new to Mark. As a broker, he was
very successful. He's tried just about every strategy and system
there is. He's pretty intelligent and knows his way around the
computer and what he's looking at on the charts. Mark loves
trading and is excited about getting out of bed every day to get
busy with his trading. On a typical day, he might make $600 or
lose $800. Most often times he loses. When his wife gets home
from work (yes, she still works at the age of 70), he's usually
brooding in his recliner after kicking himself and calling
himself "stupid" or "idiot". In all these years, he still has
yet to end a year in the black. He's also not sure how much
longer his wife is going to let him keep on this way.

When asked why he continues to trade this way, and why he
doesn't pursue a strategy that he knows can make him money, he
simply says that he doesn't because they are boring. This is a
simple fact: a well-planned trade, where you have already
determined what you'll do before you get in regardless of which
way the market moves can be very boring. The suspense can be
very intense when you enter trades without a plan, or if you've
deviated from your system.

As humans, there is a part in all of us that craves excitement.
Why do people take the time to sit through movies instead of
going straight to the end to see if the hero triumphs or fails?
Why do millions of people watch football games, rather than
simply check the scores in the morning? It is the suspense, the
excitement of not-knowing the outcome, that brings the
excitement. The moments that are most enjoyed and fully hold our
attention are when the ball is in the air and hasn't been caught
yet, when the hero's fate hangs in the balance. The desire for
the emotional rush is what is satisfied.

Consciously, making money is what everyone desires (afterall,
who doesn't?). Many people decide to become traders because
Forex Trading offers the opportunity to realize very significant
monetary gain. The danger is that it also offers the thrill that
another part of us craves at the subconscious level. If that
part of you isn't being satisfied through other channels of your
life, it is highly probable to seek fulfillment in your Forex
Trading.

The results can be disastrous if you are experiencing excitement
from not-knowing the outcome in your Forex Trading. What you
need to do is to include activities in your life that provide
sufficient excitement, and be okay with it if your trading is
not so exciting - but making money.