FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRADING IS ALL ABOUT THE “PIPS”
For those beginners in the world of foreign exchange, or Forex if you want to speak the lingo, one of the most curious words in the trader’s lexicon is “pips”. Almost anyone attempting to give a coherent definition pauses first, then scratches their head, and wonders who invented the term anyway. Your trading success will be measured in pips, or “percentage in point”, so it is best to learn about it first. All currency pairs have a standard quote format with a specific number of decimal points. The number of decimal points may range from two to four, but generally speaking, a “pip” is slang for the last decimal point digit. If a quote is 1.2279, and it drops to 1.2269, then it dropped 10 pips.
Your first forex lesson is over. If you decide to move on to more lessons, then just remember that it is really all about the “PIPS”, but in this case we mean Preparation, Information, Practice, and Strategy. Keep the “anagram” in your mind and live by it, and you, too, may graduate from being a “beginner” to becoming a real live “trader”, a title that can only be earned, because there are no shortcuts!
Preparation: Read as much as you can on the topic first. There is plenty on the Internet and in books at the library or bookstore. At some point, move to the next step and enroll in a forex training class. As with any other performance-driven activity in life, the best advice for a newcomer is to watch the experts and learn why they are. They will teach you the ropes, advise you on how to select a bank and broker, avoid fraud and scam artists, and how to wisely use leverage and make money at this craft.
Information: You will learn very quickly that you must be able to access and assimilate a lot of information from a variety of sources in order to develop your daily action plans. Anything that affects currency prices can be regarded as “fundamentals”. If a EURUSD chart’s RSI is high, then you must also understand the “technicals”. Software trading platforms will do most of the work for you on the technical side, but interpreting the various patterns and trends to ascertain trading signals will be your responsibility. Good judgment is not about luck. You gain wisdom through your bad judgment more often than not, so keep records to tell you where you went wrong, and learn from them.
Practice: This word should be repeated three times. There is no substitute for experience. You have to put the time in, and brokers have you in mind when they offer their “free” virtual demo trading accounts. They make no money if you lose all of yours, so it is in their best interest to help you become an experienced trader. There is one reason why many beginners fail at foreign exchange, and that one reason is inexperience. Impatience with practice leads many victims to jump headlong into the market and shoot it out at high noon. Boot Hill is the guaranteed outcome. As Ben Hogan said about golf, “It’s all in the dirt.” He was referring to hitting practice balls and the resulting dirt divots. It’s the same for successful traders. It’s all in the demo!
Strategy: You have to develop a disciplined approach to the forex market, execute by the numbers for buys and sells, and prevent your emotions from interfering with the process. There is a psychology to trading, and you can be your worst enemy if you do not follow a fixed routine. Study up on the topic, and if you feel your psyche is not up to the task, then there are other options available in the “mirror” signal-trading field, but that is for later.
Is this all there is to it? Of course not, but it is a start. For beginners, it is also recommended to start by focusing only on one currency pair and do not risk more money than you are prepared to lose. And remember, it’s all about the “PIPS”! Expand upon all four areas, and your confidence and familiarity will increase over time.