New to Forex ?

If you are new to Forex, you should read our brief introduction below to learn the market basics.

Foreign Exchange

Forex means nothing more than Foreign Exchange, the trade in foreign currencies. The Forex market is also known as the FX market. The Forex market is the place where currencies are bought and sold. The Forex market is open 24-hours a day, 5 days a week. The Forex market is based in four leading cities spread around the world:

  • New York
  • London
  • Sydney
  • Tokyo

The table below lists the most common currencies which are being traded in the Forex market. Behind every currency the correct abbreviation is given.

Currency Abbreviation
US dollar USD
Euro EUR
British Pound GBP
Japanese Yen JPY
Swiss Franc CHF
Canadian dollar CAD
Singapore dollar SGD
New Zealand Dollar NZD

Basics Forex trading

Foreign currencies are always traded in pairs. Example: (USD / EUR) (GBP / EUR) (JPY / USD) The first currency is called the 'base' currency, the second is called the 'counter' or 'quote' currency. When a pair is listed as: (EUR / USD) the Euro is the base currency and the US dollar is the counter currency.

The US dollar is a world leading currency, therefore it's listed as a base currency more than any other currency. Currencies are quoted in the following way:
  • EUR / USD 1.4958

This quotation means that 1 Euro can buy 1.4985 US dollar. If the base currency's value would rise in comparison with the counter value, one Euro could buy more US dollars. We call this an increasement of the quote. When the opposite would take place, it's what we call a decreasement of the quote.

Basic Forex terms

For people who are new to Forex we list some words of which you need to know the meaning before you start trading Forex.
  • Pip or point
    Pip means Percentage In Point (PIP) also known as point. A pip is a rate's minimum price increasement in Forex trading. A pip of 0.0001 is most common. Sometimes quotes are abbreviated to the last two digits. A quote of 1.3594/1.3345 then will be abbreviated to 94 / 45
  • Ask price
    The ask price is the price for which a particular currency can be bought. The ask price is the price for which the market is willing to sell the currency.
  • Bid price
    The bid price is the price for which a particular currency can be sold. The market is willing to pay this price for this currency.
  • Spread
    The spread is nothing more than the difference between bid and ask. To figure out the spread, just calculate the difference between the bid and ask price.
  • Currency rate
    The rate of a particular currency valued against another currency rate.

New to Forex: join us today

When you're new to Forex, the brief information above actually is all you need to know to start your Forex adventure. On this website we listed and reviewed some of the best Forex brokers. All Forex brokers listed on this website offer some kind of beginner's guide. By following these guides for people who are new to Forex trading you'll learn how to trade Forex step-by-step. As soon as you get the hang of it you'll understand that with some effort almost everybody can trade Forex.

Join the lucrative Forex community today!

Recommendation for people new to Forex

Some of the Forex platforms can be a little complex for people who are new to the Forex market. Fortunately, there is also a Forex broker that offers a surprisingly user friendly but yet advanced trading platform. eToro has simplified its interface to a level at which any newcomer will be able to understand it easily.

eToro's trading system visualizes every aspect of its trading platform in a very creative way and allows you to trade with a few simple mouse clicks. Furthermore, eToro offers a community platform through which you can discuss everything you want with other traders. This way you can benefit from knowledge provided by experienced traders. Anyone new to Forex should check out the eToro trading platform.

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Please be aware of the fact that our 'new to Forex' guide does not cover every single aspect of the Forex market. Newbies should definitely also read our Forex broker reviews and our Forex trading news.