Wednesday, April 29, 2015

FOREX THEORY


Why Interest Rates Matter for Forex Traders

Simply put, interest rates make the forex world go ’round! In other words, the forex market is ruled by interest rates.

A currency’s interest rate is probably the biggest factor in determining the perceived value of a currency. So knowing how a country’s central bank sets its monetary policy, such as interest rate decisions, is a crucial thing to wrap your head around.

One of the biggest influences on a central bank’s interest rate decision is price stability, or “inflation”.

Inflation is a steady increase in the prices of goods and services.

Inflation is the reason why your parents or your parents’ parents paid a nickel for a soda pop in the 1920’s, but now people pay twenty times more for the same product.

It’s generally accepted that moderate inflation comes with economic growth.

However, too much inflation can harm an economy and that’s why central banks are always keeping a watchful eye on inflation-related economic indicators, such as the CPI and PCE.




QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Fear only becomes powerful when you give it your power."

By Robin Sharma.


Friday, April 24, 2015

FOREX THEORY


Here’s an Economic Report, Now What? (Part 2)

If you’re too busy to go through a bajillion news reports and economic data, don’t fret. Our resident economic guru, Forex Gump, got yo back covered! Make sure you read up on his regular economic analysis on his Piponomics blog.

As we mentioned from the get-go, it’s all about pairing a strong currency with a weak one.

At this point, you’re probably still waiting for the answer to “Will I ever need to use fundamental analysis to become a successful forex trader?”

We totally understand that there are purists on both sides.

Technical analysis seems to be the preferred methodology of short-term forex traders, with price action as their main focus.

Intermediate or medium traders and some long-term traders like to focus on fundamental analysis too because it helps with currency valuation.

Forex Technical Analysis vs. Fundamental Analysis

We like to be a little crazy by saying you should use BOTH!

Technically-focused strategies are blown to bits when a key fundamental event occurs. In the same respect, pure fundamental traders miss out on the short term opportunities that pattern formations and technical levels bring.

A mix of technical and fundamental analysis covers all angles. You’re aware of the scheduled economic releases and events, but you can also identify and use the various technical tools and patterns that market players focus on.

I have a couple of trade examples for you showing how the perfect blend of fundamental and technical analysis results in huge profits. Check out Cyclopip’s huge win on EUR/JPY and Happy Pip’s 115-pip profit on NZD/USD.

There’s your answer!

Happy?!

In this lesson, we’ll discuss the major fundamental factors that affect currencies. These are interest rates, monetary policies, and market-moving economic reports.

As I mentioned earlier, Pip Diddy’s daily economic roundup is a great source of economic updates. Combine that with Forex Gump’s in depth Piponomics articles and fundamental analysis will be a breeze!


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion."

By Paulo Coelho.


Thursday, April 23, 2015

"YOUR WEALTH IS OUR HEALTH"


HOW DO I PAY AND REGISTER FOR THE SERVICE?

For subscription rates, payment methods, or to sign up, you can e-mail: drhari@sslfxguru.com or sslfxguru@yahoo.com. You can also subscribe online through our website. If you need additional assistance, you can e-mail us at  support@sslfxguru.com.


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Our daily actions speak louder than our biggest words."
By Robin Sharma.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

FOREX THEORY


Here’s an Economic Report, Now What?

The market has a tendency to react based on how people feel. These feelings can be based on their reaction to economic reports, based on their assessment of current market conditions.

And you guessed it – there are tons of people, all with different feelings and ideas.

You’re probably thinking “Geez, there’s a lot of uncertainty in fundamental analysis!”

You’re actually very right.

There’s no way of knowing 100% where a currency pair will go because of some new fundamental data.

That’s not saying that fundamental analysis should be dismissed.

Not at all.

Because of the sheer volume of fundamental data available, most people simply have a hard time putting it all together.

They understand a specific report, but can’t factor it into the broader economic picture. This simply takes time and a deeper understanding of the data.

Also, since most fundamental data are reported only for a single currency, fundamental data for the other currency in the pair would also be needed and would then have to be compared to get an accurate picture.




QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit."

By Conrad Hilton.


Monday, April 20, 2015

FOREX THEORY


Fundamental Data and Its Many Forms (Part 2)

That’s why many forex traders are often on their toes prior to certain economic releases and you should be too!

Generally, economic indicators make up a large portion of data used in fundamental analysis. Like a fire alarm sounding when it detects smoke or feels heat, economic indicators provide some insight into how well a country’s economy is doing.

While it’s important to know the numerical value of an indicator, equally as important is the market’s anticipation and prediction of that value.

Understanding the resulting impact of the actual figure in relation to the forecasted figure is the most important part. These factors all need consideration when deciding to trade.

Phew!

Don’t worry. It’s simpler than it sounds and you won’t need to know rocket science to figure it all out.

I suggest you visit Pip Diddy’s daily economic roundup every day so that you can stay in the loop with the upcoming economic releases.

Fundamental analysis is a valuable tool in estimating the future conditions of an economy, but not so much for predicting currency price direction.

This type of analysis has a lot of gray areas because fundamental information in the form of reports releases or monetary policy change announcements is vaguer than actual technical indicators.

Analysis of economic releases and reports of fundamental data usually go something like this:

“An interest rate increase of that percentage MAY cause the euro to go up.”

“The U.S. dollar SHOULD go down with an indicator value in that range.”

“Consumer confidence dipped 2% since the last report.”




QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Just because something isn’t happening for you right now doesn't mean that it will never happen."

By Unknown Author.


Friday, April 17, 2015

FOREX THEORY


Fundamental Data and Its Many Forms

In particular, fundamental analysis provides insight into how price action “should” or may react to a certain economic event.

Fundamental data takes shape in many different forms.

It can appear as a report released by the Fed on U.S. existing home sales. It can also exist in the possibility that the European Central Bank will change its monetary policy.

The release of this data to the public often changes the economic landscape (or better yet, the economic mindset), creating a reaction from investors and speculators.

There are even instances when no specific report has been released, but the anticipation of such a report happening is another example of fundamentals.

Speculations of interest rate hikes can be “priced in” hours or even days before the actual interest rate statement.

In fact, currency pairs have been known to sometimes move 100 pips just moments before major economic news, making for a profitable time to trade for the brave.


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Fearlessness isn’t a place you reach. It’s a commitment you make."

By Robin Sharma.


Wednesday, April 15, 2015

FOREX THEORY


Fundamental analysis is the use and study of these factors to forecast future price movements of currencies.

It is the study of what’s going on in the world and around us, economically and financially speaking, and it tends to focus on how macroeconomic elements (such as the growth of the economy, inflation, unemployment) affect whatever we’re trading.


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"The only failure is giving up."

By Robin Sharma.


Monday, April 13, 2015

FOREX THEORY


What is Fundamental Analysis?

Along your travels, you’ve undoubtedly come across Gulliver, Frodo, and the topic of fundamental analysis.

Wait a minute…

We’ve already given you a teaser about fundamental analysis during Kindergarten! Now let’s get to the nitty-gritty!

What is it exactly and will I need to use it? Well, fundamental analysis is the study of fundamentals! 

That was easy, wasn’t it? Ha! Gotcha!

There’s really more to it than that. Soooo much more.

Whenever you hear people mention fundamentals, they’re really talking about the economic fundamentals of a currency’s host country or economy.

Economic fundamentals cover a vast collection of information – whether in the form of economic, political or environmental reports, data, announcements or events.

Even a credit rating downgrade qualifies as fundamental data and you should see how Pipcrawler turned this news into a winning short EUR/USD trade.


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough."

By Og Mandino.


Friday, April 10, 2015

FOREX THEORY


 Summary: Trading Fakeouts

Institutional traders like to fade breakouts. So we must like to fade breakouts also.

Are you going to follow the crowd, or are you going to follow the money?

Think, act, eat, sleep, and watch the same movies as these guys do. If we can trade in the same way the institutional players do, success is just a glimpse away.

Fading breakouts simply means trading in the opposite direction as the breakout. You would fade a breakout if you believe that a breakout from a support or resistance level is false and unable to keep moving in the same direction.

In cases in which the support or resistance level broken is significant, fading breakouts may prove to be smarter than trading the breakout.

Potential fake outs are usually found at support and resistance levels created through trend lines, chart patterns, or previous daily highs or lows.

The best results tend to occur in a range-bound market. However, you cannot ignore market sentiment, common sense, and other types of market analysis.

Financial markets spend a lot time bouncing back and forth between a range of prices and do not deviate much from these highs and lows.


Finally, the odds of a fake out are higher when there is no major economic event or news catalyst to shift forex traders’ sentiment in the direction of the break.


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Either I will find a way, or I will make one."

By Philip Sidney.


Thursday, April 9, 2015

"YOUR WEALTH IS OUR HEALTH"


WHY DO I NEED FOREX SIGNAL?

Forex traders agree that timing is everything. Getting into the market just as it is about to move often makes for the largest possible profits but can also make large losses. Most traders find it difficult to get into the market at the right time and impossible to be at their computers 24 hours a day 5 days a week to monitor the market for activity. The SSL FXGURU signals, can help you become a better trader and alert you to trading possibilities. Let us be your eyes to the World Currency market.


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground."

By Theodore Roosevelt.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

FOREX THEORY


Summary: Trading Breakouts

Trading Breakouts

With breakout trades, the goal is to enter the market right when the price makes a breakout and then continue to ride the trade until volatility dies down.

Breakouts are significant because they indicate a change in the supply and demand of the currency pair you are trading.

You’ll notice that unlike trading stocks or futures, there is no way for you to see the volume of trades made in the forex. Because of this, we need to rely on volatility.

Volatility measures the overall price fluctuations over a certain time and this information can be used to detect potential breakouts.

There are a few indicators that can help you gauge a pair’s current volatility. Using these indicators can help you tremendously when looking for breakout opportunities.
-Moving Averages
-Bollinger Bands
-Average True Range (ATR)

There are two types of breakouts:
-Continuation
-Reversal

To spot breakouts, you can look at:
-Chart Patterns
-Trend lines
-Channels
-Triangles

You can measure the strength of a breakout using the following:
-Moving Average Convergence/Divergence (MACD)
-RSI

Finally, breakouts usually work best and FOR REAL with some kind of economic event or news catalyst. Always be sure to check the forex calendar and news before figuring out whether or not a breakout trade is the right play for the situation.




QUOTE OF THE DAY


"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."

By C. S. Lewis.


Monday, April 6, 2015

FOREX THEORY


How to Trade Fakeouts

Chart Patterns (Last Part)

Similar to the head and shoulders pattern, you can place your order once price goes back in to catch the bounce. You can set your stops just beyond the fake out candle.

What kind of market should I fade breakouts?

The best results tend to occur in a range-bound market. However, you cannot ignore market sentiment, major news events, common sense, and other types of market analysis.

Financial markets spend a lot time bouncing back and forth between a range of prices and do not deviate much from these highs and lows.

Ranges are bound by a support level and a resistance level, and buyers and sellers continually push prices up and down within those levels. Fading the breakouts in these range-bound environments can prove to be very profitable. However, at some point, one side is eventually going to take over and a new trending stage will form.


QUOTE OF THE DAY



"Things don’t have to change the world to be important."

By Steve Jobs.


Friday, April 3, 2015

FOREX THEORY


How to Trade Fakeouts

Chart Patterns (Part 5)

The problem with these chart patterns is that countless traders know them and place orders at similar positions. This leaves the institutional traders open to scrape money from the commoner’s hands.




QUOTE OF THE DAY


"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

By Winston Churchill.


Thursday, April 2, 2015

"YOUR WEALTH IS OUR HEALTH"


HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD FOREX SIGNALS PROVIDER?

Selecting a good Forex signals provider requires some common sense and a bit of investigative work. 
Do not take everything at face value and rest assured that amongst the legit professionals out there, there are many swindlers who are preying on the naive and inexperienced Forex traders. Since almost everyone can set up a professionally looking website in a matter of minutes and listing fictitious performance results is nothing new, you should always take the time to verify the numbers. Read reviews, visit some of the large Forex forums, and speak to past subscribers in order to verify the legitimacy of the Forex signals provider that you are considering. Find out if their website has been around for at least as long as their trading history and see if the provider offers back testing, which will allow you to confirm the quality of their Forex signals.

Some Forex signals providers send the alerts to third party websites, which then rank all of them based on their daily, weekly, or monthly performance and allow the traders to filter the various providers based on the system type, total gain, drawdown, and other factors. As a final resort, you can visit some of the large currency trading message boards, where all Forex related services are openly discussed and try speaking to past subscribers and find out more about their experience.

Keep in mind to be disciplined and patient while trading to avoid losses. Always trade with what you can afford to lose, exercise good money management, and try to learn as much as possible in order to become a successful trader!


QUOTE OF THE DAY


"The empires of the future are the empires of the mind."

By Winston Churchill .


Wednesday, April 1, 2015

FOREX THEORY


How to Trade Fakeouts

Chart Patterns (Part 4)

In a head and shoulders pattern, you can assume that the first break tends to be false.

You can fade the breakout with a limit order back in the neckline and just put your stop above the 
high of the fake out candle.

You could place your target a little below the high of the second shoulder or a little above the low of the second shoulder of the inverse pattern.

The next pattern is the double top or the double bottom.

Traders just love these paterns! Why you ask? Well it is because they’re the easiest to spot!

When price breaks below the neckline, it signals a possible trend reversal. Because of this, plenty of traders place their entry orders very near the neckline in case of a reversal.





QUOTE OF THE DAY


"The most important persuasion tool you have in your entire arsenal is your integrity."

By Zig Ziglar.