|
| Forex Trading Made Easy - 4x Information |
| Home Page | Site Map | Today's News | Contact Us |
 |
Online Futures Trading - Advantages and Disadvantages
What Is Online Futures Trading? A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a commodity at a date in the future. Everything about a futures contract is standardized except its price. All of the terms under which the commodity or financial instrument is to be transferred are established before active trading begins, so neither side is hampered by ambiguity. The price for a futures contract is determined in the trading pit or on the electronic trading system of a futures exchange. The internet now allows access to those electronic trading systems from anywhere in the world. This increases liquidity in those markets and makes them even more attractive to traders. Trading on all futures exchanges takes place against a backdrop of statutory regulation and rules as laid down by each exchange and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Regardless of whether your trading is executed within the trading pit or electronically, it is subject to the same rules, regulations and safeguards. Advantages of online futures trading Leverage. Futures operate on margin, meaning that to take a position only a fraction of the total value needs to be available in cash in the trading account. Commission Costs. Electronically traded futures contracts require no human intervention to match buys and sells unlike a traditional futures pit. This means that commission costs can be cut dramatically, leading to significant savings for the frequent trader. Liquidity. The involvement of speculators means that futures contracts are reasonably liquid. However, how liquid depends on the actual contract being traded. Electronically traded contracts, such as the e-mini's tend to be the most liquid whereas the pit traded commodities like corn, orange juice etc are not so readily available to the retail trader and are more expensive to trade in terms of commission and spread. Ability to go short. Futures contracts can be sold as easily as they are bought enabling a trader to profit from falling markets as well as rising ones. There is no 'uptick rule' for example like there is with stocks. No 'Time Decay'. Options suffer from time decay because the closer they come to expiry the less time there is for the option to come into the money. Futures contracts do not suffer from this as they are not anticipating a particular strike price at expiry. Automated trading. Electronic futures brokers offer the facility to programmers to interface directly with their trading software. This means that custom written trading software can automatically trade a strategy without any human intervention at all. A system can make buy/sell signals which are automatically routed to the exchange along with any stops and targets. Almost instant fills. With electronically traded futures there is no need to call up a broker and wait for a fill from the trading floor. Orders are instantly placed on the electronic order book and filled as soon as a match is found - for liquid contracts such as the emini S&P500 this will be within a second. Level playing field. With traditional pit traded futures the professional in the pit has a major advantage over the retail trader in terms of speed of execution and costs. Electronic futures trading offers all participants exactly the same advantages. Disadvantages of online futures trading Leverage. Can be a disadvantage if it encourages trading with too high a risk for a particular strategy. A carefully devised money management plan is essential. Overtrading. The instant nature of electronic futures trading coupled with low commission costs and tight spreads can encourage a trader to take additional trades to those determined by their trading plan. Online futures trading offers significant benefits to the retail trader. However, a carefully developed trading plan must be formulated before attempting to enter this extremely competitive business. Tim Wreford operates Online Futures Trading, a website that provides information and resources for traders. Tim also provides an article detailing the development of a day trading system, the results of which are updated daily on the site.
MORE RESOURCES: |
|
|
|
Earn 30% Each Month RELATED ARTICLES What is Forex Trading? Forex, or Foreign Exchange, is the simultaneous exchange of one country's currency for that of another.The way it works is an investor who wishes to purchase or sell one currency for another with the hope of making a profit when the value of the currencies change in favor of the investor. Online Forex Trading Foreign exchange currency trading is also known as Forex trading, or FX, and has no single physical marketplace like the New York Stock Exchange does on Wall Street in New York or the Tokyo Stock Exchange does in Japan. The New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange online traders are limited to making purchases during the actual trading hours governed by New York Stock Exchange hours or the Japanese Stock Exchange's Tokyo hours. 5 Questions You Need To Have Answered Before You Back-Test Your Forex System As 90-95% of new forex traders lose money within the first 3-6 months this article helps to guide new forex traders by asking 5 questions that the forex trader needs to know prior to back-testing their forex system.Let us jump right in. Intrenet Marketing VS Forex Currency Trading Have you noticed that when someone's trying to sell you something - such as a system for making money - they always make it look far easier than it is? Let's look at two Internet businesses, almost as diametrically opposed as it's possible to be - Internet Marketing and Forex Currency Trading.You've probably heard the old Internet adage - build a better website and they will come. Stock Market Report: Day Trading or Swing Trading Online? Stock Investing Information Profitable day traders recognize that momentum trading is among the fastest & most effective ways to harvest BIG piles of cash in the stock market.The problem is that if you don't know what stocks to look for and how to approach them while limiting your risk, you won't even get close to making some profits. The Basics of Forex Foreign exchange market is also known as Forex or FX market. To date, it is the world's biggest "economic bazaar". Psychology Of Trading The psychological aspect of trading is usually underestimated by those new to trading. The psychological problem for most traders is the fear of losing - ironically it is this fear that causes most traders to lose money in the long run. Reality of Online Forex Trading Foreign exchange trading is the trading of currencies. Most currencies can be traded. Factors Influencing a Currency Pair Exchange Rate IntroductionThe exchange rate refers to the value of the US dollar against the values of currencies of other countries. Such a rate helps determine how much we pay for imported goods and services and how much we receive for what we export, among other things. New Opportunities with Forex Trading The simplest definition of currency trading is the practice of exchanging one country's currency for another country's currency. Basically, currency trading involves four main variables: currencies, exchange rate, time, and interest rate. Assessing the Opportunities Presented by the New Iraqi Currency Could it be possible that you are staring right into the most spectacular financial opportunity of the century? Operation: Iraqi Freedom will undoubtedly be a war marked in history for loss and tragedy, American victory, and the rise of a nation with a new democratic government. But could it also be a war historically remembered for the financial opportunity it created for the sharp investors who keenly recognized an ephemeral chance at the right time?The War on Iraq ended with a nation placed on the footstool of many new operations. Sending Signals for Trading in Forex Forex signals are sent by a forex firm to their subscribers in order to buy and sell currencies. These signals are called entry and exit signals for the forex dealers. Momentum Trading: A Practical Day Trading Strategy to Get Profits from Hot Stocks Momentum day trading can be extremely profitable when done correctly.. Forex Options Market Overview The forex options market started as an over-the-counter (OTC) financial vehicle for large banks, financial institutions and large international corporations to hedge against foreign currency exposure. Like the forex spot market, the forex options market is considered an "interbank" market. FOREX - Where Fortunes Are Made Everyday The Foreign Exchange Market - better known as FOREX - is a world wide market for buying and selling currencies. It handles a huge volume of transactions 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Forex Currency Trading It is possible to buy and sell money from different countries on the foreign exchange market called Forex. Forex currency traders can profit by taking advantage of the dips and swells in the foreign currency market. Dont Deny Reality If you want to be a successful trader, you must make sure you do not deny reality in any phase of your trading. You cannot deny losses, price direction, mistakes you make, being undercapitalized, or a whole host of things you would rather not think about. The Nature of the Trading Business Consider the following: As a trader you are in a business. Your strongest opponent has plenty of capital. Risk and Stock Trading Fees: The Two Barriers To Overcome If You Want A Successful Trading Career. You know the old joke:"How do you make a million in the stock market? Start with two million?"There is no way around it, risk and stock market fees are a part of trading that you can`t avoid. But, you can manage your risk. 10 Steps To Professional Day Trading Everyone trades a little differently. The trading method outlined below is MY personal approach to trading.
|
|
||||
| © 2006 Forex Traders Network * PO Box 110422 * Denver CO 80231 | ||||
