Currency trading – at its most basic definition – is the act of buying and selling (trading) different currencies of the world. The foreign exchange (or forex) is the market that facilitates trading currencies in volumes amounting to trillions of dollars every minute of every day of the year.

With such volume, one can assume that the forex market is extremely volatile, changing at a moment’s notice, depending on conditions within that country. A currency trader – whether bank, corporation or individual – must be well acquainted and skilled in the ways of the forex market, monitoring and acting on the subtle changes that indicate the potential for profit.

A typical scenario might go something like this: A trader is looking at the British pound (GBP) and U.S. dollar (USD). This is called a currency pair. The GBP is the base currency, and the USD is the secondary currency. News that the value of the GBP is up from previous reports creates a positive reaction and a spike in the value of the GBP. This, in turn, will cause a rally on the GBP/USD currency pair. If the opposite occurred, and a positive announcement for the USD was reported, then the GBP/USD currency pair will fall, or dip. Either scenario can offer up a profit, depending on which part of the currency pair is bought or sold.

The price of each currency within the pair is determined by a number of factors, such as changes in political leadership, economic booms or busts, even natural disasters. Any news that has the potential to influence the strength of a particular currency – however remotely – can swing the value of a currency trade in a matter of minutes.

For the novice forex trader, the best path to a successful career is gaining as much currency trading education as possible before jumping in with both feet. A number of websites and blogs are out there that serve up advice for the newbie forex trader, as well as companies that offer formal lessons. Read Articles about choosing the right currency trading system, learn the methods of understanding the forex market and how to accurately read the signals that indicate a profitable trade.

A successful forex trader is one who learns as much as he or she can about the forex market before ever starting to trade, and continues to study and learn about this ever-changing market.

Forextips.com is committed to educating the forex trader in all aspects of foreign currency trading. Click here to get information on a free forex webinar to help you maximize your success in the forex market.