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What are some of the differences between trading stocks vs. futures vs. forex?
Posted by admin on April 6th, 2010
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The main difference between trading stocks and futures is the leverage involved.
In a stock margin account, you can trade at 2:1 or 4:1 leverage. In a futures account, you can trade the E-mini or Dow mini futures with 20:1 or 40:1 leverage. This causes your profits and losses and account value to be extermely volatile, and very dangerous if you trade at maximum leverage. In a futures account, you can lose more than you have invested.
Forex is just another form of futures account, except here, the maximum leverage is 200:1. Wo, how much trouble can we get into now? You have to be aware of the economic reports for the currencies traded and the US reports, like GDP, retail sales, and particularly interest rate adjustments and differentials. Unless you are willing to trade gap trades, the opportunity is very little here compared to the huge move from the report. These trades can be very plodding, in between reports. Or some big news announcement will break, or someone declares war, or sets off a bomb, and blows you completely out of the trade. Trading the forex is not for the beginner or faint of heart. Find a good simulator and practice, practice.