Forex vs. Options - Everything You Need To Know

Forex Trading

 
Known as FX trading or foreign exchange by many, Forex trading is a financial market where you can buy or sell currencies and make a profit out of the exchange. If you buy the EUR/USD pair and the EUR goes up in value, you can sell it for a profit. While Forex trading sounds simple in theory, it isn't so when done in real-time. Being one of the most volatile markets in the world, Forex is known to have riskier trades than any other domain. You can make profits one minute and see losses the very next - that's how erratic foreign exchange can get!

 
Options Trading 

 
Another incredibly risky domain, options trading essentially allows you to buy or sell options on assets like stocks, futures, etc. If you think that a particular commodity will rise or fall in value, you can make an appropriate move. Though it comes with a lot of risks, all you need is a good few months of experience to start making adept investments. 

 

Forex Trading

 Here are some of the major differences between options and Forex: 

 
1) Round The Clock Markets: 

 
The markets in Forex are 24 hour-long. This means that you have a lot more time to trade than options and other markets allow. Though it is advised that trading too long is detrimental to health, if you can balance your trades, you'll be able to double your profits! One of the major benefits of having round the clock markets is when a big financial event happens; while typical investment markets close, Forex trading remains open and allows you to capitalize on such events. 

 
2) Liquid Markets: 

 
A liquid market is one where you can always find counterparty to your trading deal. And Forex is one of the most liquid markets in the game today. As a Forex trader, there is no particular period of time when you won't have a buyer/seller for your exchange. 

 
3) Swift Trade Execution: 

 
There are no trading delays while trading currencies. The slippage that you will notice in options trading market won't be found while trading Forex! Since the liquidity itself is so high, slippages rarely happen. Forex brokers today employ high-frequency strategies to ensure your trades are executed almost instantaneously. 

 
4) Leverage: 

 
Finally, leverage in Forex trading allows you to massively amp up your trading capital by adding the borrowed sum to your existing Forex capital. With leverage, you'll be able to hold positions of higher value than you otherwise would with your capital alone. 

 
Intrigued by Forex Trading? Reach out to WesternFX today and start learning on our Forex demo account! We provide our trades with the best of currency exchange solutions - from top-notch Forex trading strategies to platforms. Call us today to get started!   

4 Amazing Ways To Minimize Your Forex Trading Losses

Making profits as a Forex trader isn't the key to success, success in Forex boils down to how well you manage your losses. The ground truth about currency trading is that the markets bring in more losses than profits. With the massive volatility that surrounds Forex, it is difficult to keep the profit-flow consistent. The only way you can see big profits is if you take risks just as big, but risking too much might also lead to irreparable losses! 

 

Forex trading is often paradoxical, but there are always ways to optimize your trading approach and curb most, if not all of the losses.
 

Here are 4 tips for risk management and loss minimization in Forex: 

 

Tips to Prevent Losses in Forex Trading

 

1) Perform Strong Market Analysis: Why does a trader lose money on a trade? Because he/she doesn't have ample knowledge about it! You will only lose your trade if it catches you by surprise. When you dedicate ample time to analyzing the markets and researching the current trading conditions, you will be amply prepared for when you have to trade. Since the Forex trading markets are so ridiculously volatile and traders fail to analyze them thoroughly, they see early losses.
 

2) Don't Risk More Than Needed: You will always hear many Forex traders see that big profits only come with big risks, but only the battle-hardened ones will tell you that with big risks you also stand a chance of making harrowing losses! Risking more than necessary is the reason behind the downfall of several traders. Driven by greed, they risk big on trades, wanting to win back just as big - but the erratic markets won't allow for this! Always keep your risks minimal and only risk big if you are thoroughly protected.
 

3) Place Stops Thoroughly: Stop-loss orders are the protection Forex trader’s use. As the name suggests, a stop-loss order stops losses by withdrawing your position out of a trade. When you place a stop order at a particular point in your trade, it will monitor the charts and automatically pull you out when you lose money beyond the point of its placement. This ensures that your losses are minimal at the most and you live to trade another day!
 

4) Keep Greed At Bay: Getting greedy often happens as a result of getting confident, or scared. When a trader starts seeing profits, he/she is bound to strive for more. Similarly, the fear of not making enough money also leads many traders towards getting greedy! This vile emotion begets nothing but evil. Find contentment in wins, be it grand or nominal, and stay away from greed.
 

Try a free Forex demo today and see where your approach is flawed! Money management can get tricky while trading currencies, but our experts at WesternFX will provide you with all the assistance you need to dodge losses and pocket big profits! Call us today to talk with us.