It's possible to trade profitably on the Forex, the nearly $2 trillion worldwide currency exchange market. But the odds are against you, even more so if you don't prepare and plan your trades. According to a 2014 Bloomberg report, several analyses of retail Forex trading, including one by the National Futures Association (NFA), the industry's regulatory body, concluded that more than two out of three Forex traders lose money.
This suggests that self-education and caution are recommended. Here are some approaches that may improve your odds of taking a profit.
Prepare Before You Begin Trading
Because the Forex market is highly leveraged -- as much as 50 to 1 -- it can have the same appeal as buying a lottery ticket: some small chance of making a killing. This, however, isn't trading; it's gambling, with the odds long against you.
A better way of entering the Forex market is to carefully prepare. Beginning with a practice account is helpful and risk-free. While you're trading in your practice account, read the most frequently recommended Forex trading books, among them
Currency Forecasting: A Guide to Fundamental and Technical Models of Exchange Rate Determination, by Michael R. Rosenberg is short, not too sweet and highly admired introduction to the Forex market.
Forex Strategies: Best Forex Strategies for High Profits and Reduced Risk, by Matthew Maybury is an excellent introduction to Forex trading.
The Little Book of Currency Trading: How to Make Big Profits in the World of Forex, by Kathy Lien is another concise introduction that has stood the test of time.
All three are available on Amazon. Rosenberg's book, unfortunately, is pricey, but it's widely available in public libraries. "Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude," by Mark Douglas is another good book that's available on Amazon, and, again, somewhat pricey, although the Kindle edition is not.
Use the information gained from your reading to plan your trades before plunging in. The more you change your plan, the more you end up in trouble and the less likely that elusive forex profit will end up in your pocket.
Diversify and Limit Your Risks
Two strategies that belong in every trader's arsenal are:
Diversification: Traders who execute many small traders, particularly in different markets where the correlation between markets is low, have a better chance of making a profit. Putting all your money in one big trade is always a bad idea.
Familiarize yourself with ways guaranteeing a profit on an already profitable order, such as a trailing stop, and of limiting losses using stop and limit orders. These strategies and more are covered in the recommended books. Novice traders often make the mistake of concentrating on how to win; it's even more important to understand how to limit your losses.
Be Patient
Forex traders, particularly beginners, are prone to getting nervous if a trade does not go their way immediately, or if the trade goes into a little profit they get itchy to pull the plug and walk away with a small profit that could have been a significant profit with little downside risk using appropriate risk reduction strategies.
In "On Any Given Sunday," Al Pacino reminds us that "football is a game of inches." That's a winning attitude in the Forex market as well. Remember that you are going to win some trades and lose others. Take satisfaction in the accumulation of a few more wins than losses. Over time, that could make you rich!
Honey Glazed Smoked Ham
Honey Glazed Smoked Ham
This is a great way to take a regular cooked ham and turn it into something spectacular by applying a sweet and spicy rub and placing the ham in a smoker. Let it smoke for a long while and it will taste great.
By Derrick Riches
Total:6 hrs 30 mins
Prep:30 mins
Cook:6 hrs
Yield:1 Ham (12 Servings)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 (6-pound) "ready to eat" ham
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Steps to Make It
- The night before you smoke, mix together the pepper, paprika, sugar, salt, and 1 teaspoon the dry mustard, and cayenne. Rub over the surface of the ham, wrap in foil, and let sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next morning, remove the ham from the refrigerator and let it sit for 1 hour. Remove foil.
- Prepare the smoker. You will be smoking at about 210 F/100 C for 6 hours.
- Mix together the chicken stock, 3/4 cup of the pineapple juice, vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, and cloves. Warm over medium heat until completely mixed.
- Place ham in the smoker and baste with sauce once every hour.
- While the ham is smoking, prepare the glaze by mixing together the honey, the remaining 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, and a pinch of ground cloves. Brush generously with glaze a couple of times during the last hour of smoking.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tip
You might want to score the ham before you smoke it. This makes for an attractive presentation, and it will allow the glaze and smoke to penetrate the meat better. With a sharp knife, score the surface of the ham in a diamond pattern. For extra flavor, if desired, insert a whole clove into each cut intersection or in the centers of the diamonds.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/6395558793_901c97690b_o-589e5c325f9b58819c42752d.jpg)
