It's possible to trade profitably on the Forex, the nearly $2 trillion worldwide currency exchange market. But the odds are against you, even more so if you don't prepare and plan your trades. According to a 2014 Bloomberg report, several analyses of retail Forex trading, including one by the National Futures Association (NFA), the industry's regulatory body, concluded that more than two out of three Forex traders lose money.
This suggests that self-education and caution are recommended. Here are some approaches that may improve your odds of taking a profit.
Prepare Before You Begin Trading
Because the Forex market is highly leveraged -- as much as 50 to 1 -- it can have the same appeal as buying a lottery ticket: some small chance of making a killing. This, however, isn't trading; it's gambling, with the odds long against you.
A better way of entering the Forex market is to carefully prepare. Beginning with a practice account is helpful and risk-free. While you're trading in your practice account, read the most frequently recommended Forex trading books, among them
Currency Forecasting: A Guide to Fundamental and Technical Models of Exchange Rate Determination, by Michael R. Rosenberg is short, not too sweet and highly admired introduction to the Forex market.
Forex Strategies: Best Forex Strategies for High Profits and Reduced Risk, by Matthew Maybury is an excellent introduction to Forex trading.
The Little Book of Currency Trading: How to Make Big Profits in the World of Forex, by Kathy Lien is another concise introduction that has stood the test of time.
All three are available on Amazon. Rosenberg's book, unfortunately, is pricey, but it's widely available in public libraries. "Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude," by Mark Douglas is another good book that's available on Amazon, and, again, somewhat pricey, although the Kindle edition is not.
Use the information gained from your reading to plan your trades before plunging in. The more you change your plan, the more you end up in trouble and the less likely that elusive forex profit will end up in your pocket.
Diversify and Limit Your Risks
Two strategies that belong in every trader's arsenal are:
Diversification: Traders who execute many small traders, particularly in different markets where the correlation between markets is low, have a better chance of making a profit. Putting all your money in one big trade is always a bad idea.
Familiarize yourself with ways guaranteeing a profit on an already profitable order, such as a trailing stop, and of limiting losses using stop and limit orders. These strategies and more are covered in the recommended books. Novice traders often make the mistake of concentrating on how to win; it's even more important to understand how to limit your losses.
Be Patient
Forex traders, particularly beginners, are prone to getting nervous if a trade does not go their way immediately, or if the trade goes into a little profit they get itchy to pull the plug and walk away with a small profit that could have been a significant profit with little downside risk using appropriate risk reduction strategies.
In "On Any Given Sunday," Al Pacino reminds us that "football is a game of inches." That's a winning attitude in the Forex market as well. Remember that you are going to win some trades and lose others. Take satisfaction in the accumulation of a few more wins than losses. Over time, that could make you rich!
HOW TO MAKE A STRIPED CAKE
HOW TO MAKE A STRIPED CAKE
CABANA STRIPED CAKES
SUPPLIES
- Cake turntable (this kit includes the items below!)
- Buttercream
- Piping bags
- Large round piping tips (we used Wilton 2A)
- Large bench scraper/icing smoother
- Offset spatula
DIRECTIONS
- Start with a filled, stacked and crumb-coated cake that has been chilled for at least 30 minutes.
- Place desired colors of buttercream into piping bags fitted with large round tips (amount will vary depending on size of cake and how many colors you want, but 1-2 cups per color is a good start).
- For a 2-color striped cake, start at the base of the cake. While rotating the cake turntable, begin to pipe a thick even stream of buttercream around the entire cake. If you want thicker stripes, repeat again right above the first layer with the same color. Do the exact same with the second color right above the first color, careful not to leave gaps in between the layers. Repeat these steps, alternating colors until you reach the top. Fill in the top of the cake with whichever color you ended with at the very top of the cake.
- Using an offset spatula, smooth out the top of the cake.
- Place the icing smoother/bench scraper against the side of the cake, holding it as straight up and down as you can. Keeping the smoother steadily in place with one hand, turn the turntable with the other. Clean off the excess buttercream from the smoother often. Continue smoothing around the cake and cleaning off your scraper till smooth as desired.
- Using the offset spatula again, gently pull in any extra buttercream along the top edge of the cake towards the center to create a smooth finish.
- full recipe: https://studiodiy.com/2018/07/19/how-to-make-striped-cake
Photos by Jeff Mindell | Tutorial by Theresa Rountree
