Be sure to take a little time on the weekend to prepare yourself for the upcoming week in trading. I am an advocate for clearing your head on the weekends, so do not spend too much time in preparation. When you plan ahead, execution is much easier.

If you’re a swing trader, this really pertains to you. Scalpers, don’t concern yourself so much with this. There will be plenty of action for you during the week that does not require much analysis on a larger time frame.

Every Sunday, I will open up the charts. In all, there are 24 pairs that I will take a look at. I open it on the weekly chart and look at a naked chart without any indicators. I take not of trend direction and any other price action analyses that would assist me in determining overall price direction. I write down the bias I have on each pair.

After that I have a look at the daily charts for each currency pair. Likewise I will determine the bias simply by looking at overall price direction.

In most cases, the daily and the weekly will match up, unless there is some immediate price reversals that have not been shown apparent on the weekly chart.

The only time I ever pay much attention to the news is on the weekend. I will look to see when any major news announcements will occur and will look at the forecast. If the bias matches up with what is anticipated with the forecast, I take note of the correlation.

From there I am pretty much ready for the week. In determining the bias before the week begins, I am placing myself in a better position to enter into trades that tend to agree with that bias. In doing so, I am effectively increasing my chances for success.

Strategizing in general is a key to one’s success. It is so crucial that the FX Trading Network has even included such a topic in their Boot Camp.

In closing, enjoy your weekends. But be sure to just allow yourself ample opportunity to prepare yourself for the trading week ahead.

Forex is a market that trades 24 hours a day. So when is it a good time to trade Forex? That is mainly dependent on your methodology for trading. For me, any time during the week is a good opportunity to enter the market as I trade on a daily chart. So whether I enter during the Asian, Australian, London, or US market has no bearing to my trading style. However, what about the intraday trader? When is a good time to enter into the market.

Ideally, it is best to enter into the market when the market is most volatile. When the market is moving well, this allows one the most opportunity to profit. The market can tend to be more predictable in a fast moving market. When the market is slow, it can be a difficult read. There can be unpredictable moves that defy what one might have traditionally been taught of the market. Now this isn’t always the case, but it is a general rule of thumb.

So when is the market the most volatile? When a market first opens for the day, there tends to be volatility. There are a lot of traders that will initially place their entries at the opening of the market. Then when those positions are made, there is continued movement as a result of the market reacting to the initial positions placed. So the first half hour of every market open can be a good time to get into the market.

If you have a desire to trade over a longer period of time, then focus on trading during times markets overlap. The most volatile time of the day is when the London market overlaps the New York market. Both markets are fairly active on their own, and when the two combine there is good action that results from it.And if you care to trade an entire market’s session, then I suggest trading either the London or New York markets.

Between all these various times, I’m certain you can find a time in your schedule where you can analyze the market and open a position during a time of volatility. No worries if you can’t. Just step away from any chart under an hour and focus on a larger time frame that will allow you the time you need to trade Forex.

If time is still not on your side, do not feel as if you cannot take advantage of the potential that lies within Forex. Kissfutures.com offers a trading system that can net you a solid 100+ pips per week and you do not even need to be by your computer. They have crated an trading robot that works on Metatrader 4 to automatically place the trades for you. If you do not currently have a broker that offers Metatrader 4, then I would suggest 4xp.com as they are a recommended broker from the FX Trading Network that offers this particular trading platform.

Picking a broker is an incredibly important decision when one begins to trade. The broker itself is the tool that will take your trading system and bring it to the actual trading grounds of the Forex market. Knowing this it is a decision that one should not make with haste.

It is no secret that brokers make money when you trade through them on the currency market. It is only fair. They are providing a service to you that allows you to not worry about having to first half a sizeable amount of wealth to participate in currency trading.

However, in any market, you will find your den of thieves. There are illicit people that are willing to con you into giving them your hard earned money. However, how is one to know a reputable broker from a scam artist? After all, with the internet as the primary means for one to base judgment of a company it is quite easy for a con artist to have a professional looking site.

This is where the National Future Association steps in. The NFA is a self regulatory body that creates the standard for the U.S. futures industry. They continue to create and develop rules and regulations to ensure investor confidence remains high. Membership with the NFA is mandatory for organizations that deal with the public in relation to future exchanges. What this means for the investor is that they should be able to take confidence with any broker that adheres to the rules and regulations of the NFA.

Recently the NFA decided to enact a new policy that becomes effective November 30, 2009. It has been decided that all members of the NFA can offer a max leverage of 100:1 on all major currency pairs and 25:1 on all exotic pairs.

With each new rules there is always those that oppose new regulation. In this instance it will most likely derive from those that utilize high leverage to compensate for their overtrading. In short, the mass majority of such traders are not profitable, yet still have enough of a voice to raise a stink about it.

Personally, I think it is a good call from the NFA. Brokers know that by offering high leverage, it opens the door wide open for traders to place too many positions in the marketplace. The more the trader places positions in the market, the more the broker will make. So in short, the only person who should be upset about such regulation is the broker as this might cut a bit into their profit margins

The NFA is a positive attribute to the Forex market. And it is important to select a broker that adheres to the rules and regulations of the NFA. Now, the NFA is not the only regulatory body in the entire industry. They are only for US based brokers. There are a variety of other countries that offer their own regulation that work to ensure investor confidence. AvaFX is such a company as they are regulated by the Irish Financial Regulator. Have confidence when choosing AvaFX as your broker, as they have been recommended by the FX Trading Network.

October 12 is Columbus Day. As such, a lot of banks and businesses take the day off. However, the Forex market will remain open. This is tempting for those that have a desire to get into the market to trade. However, it would be wise for one to refrain.

Liquidity is incredibly low on US holidays. When the major players are not in the game, price is not susceptible to move in logical patterns as it typically would. The benefit one gains from liquidity is that the market offers a better opportunity to take advantage of price action. With low liquidity, price is more likely to move in an unpredictable range as opposed to a trend.

Pricing as well is completely irregular. With low liquidity it doesn’t take much for price to be pushed around if someone stepped up to the plate and placed a large order. As such technical analysis is more likely to fail to do the unstable nature.

As well, price can take a steep turn in direction only to be quickly corrected. This should be of concern to day traders who keep narrow stops. You might find that it takes hours for your trade to slowly move in the right direction, only for it to spike up, knock out your stop, and start the decline back towards your original profit target.

Trading can be stressful enough at times. There is no sense on trading on a day where you are minimizing your edge in the market. Enjoy this extra day of vacation. Spend time with your family and friends. Watch a movie. Catch up on chores. The market will be back in full swing on the day after the holiday.

Now I know I typically tell one to avoid something, only to give a a recommended way for those that choose to trade anyways. In this case, I really do not have a recommended way to trade on a holiday. It truly defies the logic of why you are doing in the Forex market. Are you looking to profit or are you looking merely to trade for the sake of trading?

It is entirely understandable for one to want to keep their head in the game on a holiday, simply for the sake of doing so. If that were the case, then I would recommend strategizing. Review the FX Trading Network’s Boot Camp. Backdate a trading system. Or even take the time to look at one of the FX Trading Networks recommended forex brokers. Do whatever you need to do to get our fill of Forex. Just keep your money out of the market.

In today’s age, mobility has become a necessity. The source of information can no longer be contained in schools, libraries, or at your desk. You need to stay connected everywhere. The advancements of technology have allowed us the ability to access just about any type of information you need anywhere in the world.

Trading Forex is no exception. No longer do you need to be hunkered down at a desk for hours watching charts. You now have the ability to take your trading platforms with you anywhere.

Cell phones were once used only as a mobile means of voice communication. Today, they are used for much more. From text messaging, to accessing email, connecting on Facebook, GPS navigation, and even trading currency.

Forex Brokers have made accommodations for the mobile active trader. There are charting platforms that have been designed to work specifically on most smart phones. Not only can you monitor price movement, but also you can display candlestick charts, and even place your orders right on your phone.

Laptops over the years have become smaller and smaller. Now they offer what is referred to as a netbook. It’s roughly half of the size of your standard laptop. While it does not contain the same amount of ROM and RAM as a standard laptop or desktop would, it does have enough to accommodate the majority of mobile users. Wireless carriers have now even offered these netbooks with built in aircards. This allows users to access Broadband Internet virtually anywhere in the world. This allows you, the mobile trader, the availability to download your favorite charting platform and keep up with the financial markets while on the go.

Such availability does come at a price. Mobile Internet that allows such usage can cost anywhere from $30 a month to $129 a month. The fluctuation in pricing is a result of the variance between having a charting platform on your phone, or on a netbook.

Do take the time to ensure you are making good decisions when on the go. Just because you can make a trade during a company meeting, does not necessarily mean you should. Your focus should be completely on Forex when you are trading Forex. Even if that means you are only able to look at the charts for a couple minutes. Do not allow outside distractions to rush your judgment to enter or exit the market.