FT Guide to Foreign Exchange Trading (The FT Guides)

Cover
Contents
About the author
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Foreign exchange trading: getting started
	What do we mean by foreign exchange trading?
	Of pips and ticks
	Do I need to be a financial professional to trade forex successfully?
	Finding a forex broker
	Can forex brokers be trusted?
	Other differentiating factors
Chapter 2: Accessing the markets: different types of FX trading account
	Spread betting
	Contracts for difference (CFDs)
	Margined foreign exchange
	Spot foreign exchange
	Futures contracts
	Options
	Forwards
	Currency ETFs
	Different types of trades
	Finding the right company to trade with
	What’s in a price?
	Demo accounts
Chapter 3: Risk management for the forex trader
	Margin trading
	Stop losses
	Managing your exposure
	Position sizing
	Not all currency trades are created equal
	Make sure you have a back-up plan
	When trading companies fail
	Summary: core principles of forex risk management
Chapter 4: Currencies in brief
	The currency majors
	The minor league
	What is XAU/XAG?
	What to trade
Chapter 5: Trading emerging markets currencies
	The appeal of trading emerging markets
	Leading emerging markets currencies
	Emerging markets currency trading tips
Chapter 6: What moves the markets?
	Central banks
	Interest rates
	Economic growth
	Unemployment
	Inflation
	Business and consumer confidence
	Foreign trade
	National sovereign debt
	Natural disasters and conflict
	Commodities prices
	Other important economic indicators
	A typical economic calendar (December 2011)
	Utilitarian considerations
Chapter 7: Developing a trading plan for currency markets
	How much can I afford to lose?
	How much time can I devote to trading?
	How do I behave under pressure?
	How disciplined am I as an individual?
	Writing a trading plan
	Is FX trading going to be my career, my hobby, or a way of making money on the side
	Am I a trader or an investor?
	Approaching the markets
Chapter 8: Technical analysis for the FX trader
	The background to technical analysis
	Japanese candlestick charts
	Moving averages
	MACD (moving average convergence/divergence)
	Bollinger bands
	Head-and-shoulders indicators
	RSI (Relative Strength Index)
	ADX (Average Directional Index)
	Pivot points
	Triangles
	The theories behind technical analysis
	Summary
Chapter 9: Further resources for the forex trader
	From the brokerages
	Trading platforms
	Charting and technical analysis
	Magazines and newspapers
	Websites
	Television
	Trading coaches
	Systematic trading programs/expert advisers
	Reading list
Chapter 10: Careers in FX trading
	The changing world of trading
	Outside the financial industry
	Doing it yourself
Glossary of forex trading and other financial market terms
Appendix: Brokers comparison
Index