Forex Benefits Over Futures

FOREX Benefits

The foreign exchange market (FOREX) has several advantages over the futures market.

More Liquid. FOREX is an extremely liquid market. As the largest financial market in the world it dwarfs the futures market in daily exchanges. This means that FOREX stop orders can be executed more easily and with less slippage. The FOREX is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Most futures exchanges are open 7 hours a day. This makes FOREX more liquid and allows FOREX traders to take advantage of trading opportunities as they arise rather than waiting for the market to open.

. FOREX transactions have no commissions. Brokers earn money by setting a spread -- the difference between what a currency can be bought at and what it can be sold at. In contrast, traders must pay a commission or brokerage fee for each futures transaction they enter into.

Instant Transactions. Because of the high volume of trading, FOREX transactions are executed almost instantly. This minimizes slippage and increases price certainty. Brokers in the futures market often quote prices reflecting the last trade -- not necessarily the price of your transaction.

Safeguards. Final prices in futures are always a little uncertain because of market gap and slippage. The FOREX is less risky because of built-in safeguards in the trading system.

[ForexGen Live Accounts Contest]

Trade, Compete, and Win - Begins the 1st of Every Month!
ForexGen has the pleasure to announce the launching of its first monthly Live Accounts contest,
This is NOT a demo contest

this is a live trading [competition] open for all live mini account holders. At the beginning of each month, the slate is wiped clean and traders have a new opportunity to win the monthly prizes.

What makes this contest unique?

All prizes are CASH prizes with no restrictions on withdrawing the prize money! How Do I Enter?
You don't have to pay any fee to enter this contest, all [ForexGen] mini Accounts with a balance of "$1000" and a default leverage of 1:200 are entitled to participate in this contest upon their account holder request by sending an e-mail request on live.contest@forexgen.com

For more information about our current and future promotions, kindly contact one of our customers support agents at promotions@forexgen.com

ForexGen Tips For Choosing the Right Forex Broker

Have you been wanting to trade Forex but are unsure which of all the Brokers is right for you? Many novice and expert traders alike find choosing the RIGHT Forex broker to be a daunting task that can ultimately determine success or failure. Here are 7 tips that will help you avoid making the costly mistake of choosing the wrong broker.

1. Consider your account size when choosing your broker.

If you expect to be trading more than $50,000 you will need a broker with sufficient liquidity to quickly and efficiently get you in and out of the market. These larger accounts are significantly affected by the size of a Broker's liquidity pool. Also, the larger your account the more important "broker financial stability" will be. Choose a broker that has a combination of liquidity and financial stability.

2. Choose your broker based on the Forex Trading system you trade.

If you scalp the market you will need a broker who does not restrict scalping or place minimum time limits on positions. If you plan on trading a carry trade system you will need to research the brokers swap(rollover) rate and find the most competitive broker. If your system usually trades in peak hour times you may want a Broker that offers variable rate spreads while if your system tends to trade off market times a fixed spread Broker may be the best option. Understanding your trading strategy and how the Broker will affect it's performance is key.

3. Take into consideration the currency pair(s) you expect to trade.

Depending on a Broker's liquidity source(s) the broker may have better or worse spreads on different pairs. For instance, MB Trading usually beats Dukascopy's British Pound pair spreads while Dukascopy tends to have better Swiss Franc pair spreads. Also, Brokers have access to different currency pairs. If you expect to be trading exotic currencies you will need to find a Broker that offers those pairs.

4. Make the decision between ECN/STP broker and a market maker.

I won't spend time explaining the differences between the two as an entire article could be written on the subject.... but both broker types have their advantages and disadvantages. You will want to research the differences, understand how those differences may affect your system, and decide accordingly.

5. Fixed spread or Variable spread?

Some Brokers offer a set spread cost that normally only changes during news announcements. Other Brokers offer changing spreads depending on the demand for that currency at any given price. This choice can be extremely important depending on the strategy you trade and the position sizes you take. If you mainly stick to high-volume market times for your trading than you will probably want a variable spread which often translates into lower overall spread costs. If you get signals around the clock, many times during off peak hours a fixed spread Broker may be better because fixed spreads tend to be cheaper than variable spreads during off market times. It is important to open multiple demo accounts at a variety of fixed and variable spread brokers to compare the difference.

6. Study the differences between Forex platforms before making the decision.

Metatrader 4 is currently the most common trading platform available on retail Forex. It is wise to open demo accounts using several different platforms to get a feel for each platform and choose the one that suites your strategy best. Some platforms such as Metatrader offer an auto trading feature (Expert Advisor) where the computer executes the trades for you. If you plan on using such a feature either now or in the future, it is important to know the options and limitations of the platform you choose.

7. The location of your Broker has important tax and legal consequences.

Also, Brokers are regulated differently depending on the jurisdiction in which they are found. Make sure to consult your tax, legal, and financial advisors prior to making the decision.

Why ForexGen?

1. Lowest spreads in the market with 0-1 pips in 10 pairs, no commissions, no swaps and instant account Activation.
2. Scandinavian quality with Swiss precision, funds secured and local agents in 18+ countries.
3. ForexGen offers Forex trading in the major currency pairs and crosses.
4. Low capital start, with $250 as a minimum account size.
5. Liquidity and 24/5 availability are the characteristic factors of the Forex market compared with other financial markets.
6. ForexGen offers a free trial Forex demo account that allows you to test your skills and practice without risking real money.