Foreign currency exchange trading is a tempting pastime, not unlike skydiving. It can be extremely exciting, and few people dare to take it up. And just like skydiving, forex trading requires thorough preparation and education to avoid disaster. This article presents a few tips that can help a forex trader steer away from a cataclysmic crash.

Target a set percentage of your capital to risk on any given trade. If you set a standard of four percent of your capital as your risk level, you can invest less than this in the initial trade and add the rest to the trade if you are in a winning position. Stay within this amount when adding though, as there can always be a turn for the worse.

Make a checklist that must be followed before entering a new forex trade. A checklist forces you to slow down and double check that the trade is truly a good deal. Come up with a list of requirements that are necessary for all deals, and then analyze this list whenever you are thinking about making a trade. This keeps you from getting caught up in the excitement of a new trend.

Try to analyze every single trade that you make to the best of your ability. This will provide you with all of the information that you need and will reduce the luck percentage in your transaction. One of the main things that you want to avoid is gambling with your money.

When placing a stop loss point, never risk more than two percent of the total cost of the initial investment. Limiting your risk in this way, means that you will not lose large amounts of equity in any one market shift. Remember, you can always buy back into a winning currency, but you can’t get back the money you lost if you don’t sell out in time.

Before you trade in the Forex market learn all you can about the basics of trading. This includes calculating pip values before you risk trading your money.

Forex eBooks or robots that claim they can rain riches on you are a waste of money. All these products rely on Forex trading methods that have never been tested. It is only those peddling these products who make money off them. Instead of wasting money on possibly dubious products, spend that initial amount of money on a Forex trader who can teach you what you need to know.

If your research strengths lie with analyzing news, you will want to concentrate on “fundamental” strategies on the Forex market. Fundamental strategies are those that take their queues from political and economic news. In fundamental trading you review such news and make your trades based on how you believe currencies will be affected.

Forex trading is a realm that offers great potential rewards and equally great risks. Careful preparation and thorough education are the keys to maximizing the former and avoiding the latter. The tips presented above may help prepare traders for jumping into the forex markets with confidence and a good understanding of the dangers they will have to avoid.