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Forex Broker Terms You Might Need to Know

When dealing with a Forex broker, you are introduced to a whole new trading jargon. Therefore, it seemed fitting to present to you a variety of Forex broker terms that you will need to know.

No Dealing Desk (NDD) Broker-This is a broker who does not have his own dealing desk. He instead outsources persons who would interact with the clients, providing them with price and liquidity information. These liquidity providers are the ones responsible for sending in all bids to the trading platform. The best bid is then presented to the client.

Forex ECN Broker-ECN stands for Electronics Communication Network. Therefore, an ECN broker is an Electronics Communication Network broker. All the trades are done in the name of this professional without the use of a dealing desk but rather via the use of a marketplace. This marketplace is flooded with market makers, banks, and traders who are making offers. This is a form of anonymous trading.

Market Maker-This is an individual that provides pricing and liquidity for currency pairs. This professional would then stand by waiting for the chance to buy or sell a currency at a specific price. A variety of strategies are used in order to provide traders with opportunities to make the most profit.

Agency-A professional establishment that provides intermediary services to both buyers and sellers is known as this. This outfit employs agents who make commissions off any gains made. Sometimes a small commission is charged regardless of how the financial transaction turns out.

STP-This is the acronym for Straight Through Processing. It is simply a term to indicate that an entire trading transaction is fully automated. There may be a person overseeing the automated transaction system. However, there is no intermediary taking care of your trade you just made. It is all done using web-based or downloadable software.

Margin-This is the amount of equity contributed by a trader. It is a percentage of the current market value of securities which are held in a special account.

PIP-This is the smallest unit of money that is used to accurately calculate Forex rates. This is a more precise determination of how much profit has been made or how much profit could be made.

Spread-Difference between the bid and ask price is referred to as this. This is another calculation of gain or loss as a transaction is made. It also is part of what is used to create statistical graphs and charts for a Forex broker to use as a guide.

Leverage-Market participants use this method of increasing potential gain of a Forex transaction made. It involves the use of various financial instruments (foreign currency in this case) or borrowed capital (usually money).

Lot-A pack of trading units that are sent to the market are often referred to as this. There are three different types-the micro (1,000 units), mini (10,000 units), and regular (100,000 units). This is done to help accommodate Forex broker accounts created by traders within varying budgets.

Forex Trading Terms For Beginners

As you enter the Forex trading world you might be introduced to a number of different terms. You may not know what they mean, and you might need further explanation.

Understanding Forex trading jargon is vital to your success as a trader. Therefore, some of the most commonly used terms are defined below:

Bid-This is what the buyer of a currency would be willing to pay for a foreign currency. This amount is usually based on current market trends. This is the price that the seller is usually expecting to pay in order to purchase currency they later can sell for a profit.

Ask-This amount is what the seller is expecting to make when selling a particular foreign currency. Just like the bid it is based on current market price. It may not be exactly what a seller will get but it is the goal of the seller to make a profit and sell for at least the current market price.

Spread-The simplest way to define this term is this: It is the difference between ask and the bid price. This is the key to profit (or unfortunately sometimes to loss).

PIP-The smallest price of a currency is referred to as this. Calculations based on this unit is what helps figure out exchange rates more accurately.

Base currency-The currency that you start with is called by this term. It would be compared to another (base currency to determine exchange rate, as well as profit or loss.

Secondary currency-This term is used to describe the current that is exchanged with the base currency. For instance, if you originally traded in the British pound and want to switch to the American dollar the American dollar would become the secondary currency.

Margin-When referring to working with a broker this term is usually used. It is the amount that you would be expected to deposit in a new financial account opened. It is also the commission that would be paid to a broker every time a trade is made.

Leverage-This term describes the weight of a margin. Forex trading deposit accounts are usually set up in this way so that large amounts of security deposits are managed with as little capital as possible.

Margin call-This is a phrase that is used to describe a time when a trader’s deposit does not even cover the transaction made. It is in some ways like having taken out a business loan and not making a profit. Worse yet, it could be a significant loss.

Currency pair-This is simply the two different mediums of financial media being exchanged. It is made up of the base currency and the secondary or “quote” currency. A trading duo such as this can also be thought of as a single unit being bought/sold.

Volatility-This is the measure of the amount of risk involved in making a specific Forex trading transaction. This is an evaluation tool that helps determine whether making a certain type of investment is potentially profitable or not.

Clearing price-The value of a currency pair is described by using this phrase. It is the specific monetary value assigned to a security or asset and it is determined by current bid and ask price.

What Is Forex Dealing Desk – Forex Broker Terms You Might Need to Know

What Is Forex Dealing Desk

When dealing with a Forex broker, you are introduced to a whole new trading jargon. Therefore, it seemed fitting to present to you a variety of Forex broker terms that you will need to know.

No Dealing Desk (NDD) Broker-This is a broker who does not have his own dealing desk. He instead outsources persons who would interact with the clients, providing them with price and liquidity information. These liquidity providers are the ones responsible for sending in all bids to the trading platform. The best bid is then presented to the client.

Forex ECN Broker-ECN stands for Electronics Communication Network. Therefore, an ECN broker is an Electronics Communication Network broker. All the trades are done in the name of this professional without the use of a dealing desk but rather via the use of a marketplace. This marketplace is flooded with market makers, banks, and traders who are making offers. This is a form of anonymous trading.

Market Maker-This is an individual that provides pricing and liquidity for currency pairs. This professional would then stand by waiting for the chance to buy or sell a currency at a specific price. A variety of strategies are used in order to provide traders with opportunities to make the most profit. What Is Forex Dealing Desk

Agency-A professional establishment that provides intermediary services to both buyers and sellers is known as this. This outfit employs agents who make commissions off any gains made. Sometimes a small commission is charged regardless of how the financial transaction turns out.

STP-This is the acronym for Straight Through Processing. It is simply a term to indicate that an entire trading transaction is fully automated. There may be a person overseeing the automated transaction system. However, there is no intermediary taking care of your trade you just made. It is all done using web-based or downloadable software.

Margin-This is the amount of equity contributed by a trader. It is a percentage of the current market value of securities which are held in a special account. What Is Forex Dealing Desk

PIP-This is the smallest unit of money that is used to accurately calculate Forex rates. This is a more precise determination of how much profit has been made or how much profit could be made.

Spread-Difference between the bid and ask price is referred to as this. This is another calculation of gain or loss as a transaction is made. It also is part of what is used to create statistical graphs and charts for a Forex broker to use as a guide.

Leverage-Market participants use this method of increasing potential gain of a Forex transaction made. It involves the use of various financial instruments (foreign currency in this case) or borrowed capital (usually money).

Lot-A pack of trading units that are sent to the market are often referred to as this. There are three different types-the micro (1,000 units), mini (10,000 units), and regular (100,000 units). This is done to help accommodate Forex broker accounts created by traders within varying budgets. What Is Forex Dealing Desk

Forex Trading Tools: Common Forex Trading Terms

The foreign exchange market, or Forex market, is an around-the-clock cash market where the currencies of nations are bought and sold. Forex trading is always done in currency pairs. For example, you buy Euros, paying with U.S. Dollars, or you sell Canadian Dollars for Japanese Yen. The value of your Forex investment increases or decreases because of changes in the currency exchange rate or Forex rate. These changes can occur at any time, and often result from economic and political events. The purpose of this article is to discuss commonly used Forex trading terms.


Bid and Ask Price: Like the stock market, the Forex market has a bid and ask price. The bid is the price you can sell at. The ask is the price you can buy at.


Bid/Ask Spread: The bid/ask spread or simply spread is the distance between the bid and ask prices. This spread is usually expressed in pips. For example, if the the bid price is 1.2362 and the ask price is 1.2365, the spread between the bid and ask prices is 3 pips wide (1.2365 – 1.2362 = 3 pips).


Lots: 1 Lot is equal to 100,000 units of the base. Likewise, 2 Lots are equal to 200,000 units of the base, 3 Lots are equal to 300,000 units of the base, and so on.


Margin: Margin is referred to as the collateral needed to facilitate a Forex deal. Usually, this is a very small portion of the entire deal, say 1% or 1:100. Please note that margin is a double-edged sword. Without the proper use of risk management tools (for example, the stop-loss option), you can experience substantial losses as well as gains.


Long Position/Short Position: A long position is a market position that appreciates in value if the market price increases. Conversely, a short position is a market position that appreciates in value if the market price decreases. (In every open Forex position, you are long in one currency and short in the other.)


Stop-Loss Order: A stop-loss order is a market order to close a Forex position if or when losses reach a pre-set threshold. According to Bruce Kovner: Whenever I enter a position, I have a predetermined stop. That is the only way I can sleep. I know where I am getting out before I get in. The position size on a trade is determined by the stop, and the stop is determined on a technical basis. Ed Seykota adds: The elements of good trading are: (1) cutting losses, (2) cutting losses, and (3) cutting losses. If you can follow these three rules, you may have a chance.


Take-Profit Order: A take-profit order is a market order to close a Forex position if or when profits reach a pre-set threshold.


Fundamental Analysis: A fundamental analysis uses economic and political factors, such as unemployment rates, interest rates, or inflation, as a means of predicting currency movements. Fundamental analysis is concerned with the reasons or causes for currency movements. Many Forex traders who rely on fundamental analysis plan their trading strategies around a number of key U.S. Government economic indicators. Some of these indicators are the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Foreign Exchange Rates, the Composite Index of Leading Indicators, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Retail Sales, Housing Starts, the Employment Cost Index, and Consumer Confidence.


Technical Analysis: A technical analysis uses historical data as a means of predicting currency movements. The technical analyst believes that history repeats itself over and over again. Technical analysis is not concerned with the reasons for currency movements (for example, interest rates or inflation). Instead, it believes that historical currency movements are a clear indication of future ones.


Trading System: According to Howard Abell, The trading system gives the trader the ability to control his or her emotional states rather than allowing them to control him. A system is a disciplined method for organizing dynamic, ever-changing market phenomena.


Trading Forex on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to invest in foreign exchange you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite.