The Risk And Reward Of Online Forex Trading With Margins

The benefits of online forex trading with a margin are that it allows the broker to leverage lots of currency which are as much as 100:1 the size of his deposit. This makes for very good profit potential. However with every high profit venture, comes the high risk aspect which is the other side of the coin. If a trader is not careful and does not know what he is doing he could lose his margin deposit.

Your margin deposit on a currency lot of $100 000 at 100:1 is $1 000. No one wants to lose $1 000! This is the amount you need to open a margin account with a foreign currency broker. Traders (the depositor) have to know that if a currency moves in the wrong direction, even to the extent of 1cent, they could lose their deposit, and in the process the margin account.

One risk which is often overlooked is the fact that your broker may well simply close your transactions if it appears as though your losses are approaching the balance you have in your margin account. Even though you are aware of a down trend and are riding it out, while you expect a market reversal. You may well find that you have to replenish your margin account or your position will be closed. If this should happen, you will actually lose all the money in your margin.

One of the problems which is often overlooks by foreign currency traders is the broker, on seeing a currency drop may intervene and counteract your transaction. They see your deposit margin account is falling low because of a shift in currency, and they may close it. If you are riding out a downturn, expecting the trend to change and your broker closes your position you will lose your deposit funds. In order to continue riding this downturn until the shift to an upwards trend occurs; you will be required to make an additional deposit into your margin account.

Protecting this investment does not only entail “stop loss orders” however, these professionals the same as all of us, have to be educated in the psychology of forex trading in order to be successful. While some skill can be self taught, what better way to protect your investment than undergoing formal currency trading education?