The trading platform operates 24 hrs. a day just as the global Forex market runs around the clock. However, many online Forex market makers require the download and installation of software specific to their own trading platform. Consequently, accessibility is limited to those terminals that have the software. Since Forex trading is borderless, and may be performed at any given time, it is obviously advantages to have access to trading from as may locations as possible. The Easy Forex Trading Platform is a fully web-based system, which means trading can be conducted from any computer connected to the internet. Traders are only required to log-in, ensure they have available funds to trade, or make new deposits, and commence trading.

Real-time software

The main feature of any Forex trading platform is real time access to exchange rates, to deal and order making, to deposits and withdrawals, and to monitoring the status of positions and one's account. The Easy-Forex trading platform system uses web services to continuously fetch the most current exchange rates. The most recent data displays without the need for a page refresh. This includes account status screens such as "My Position", which updates continually to reflect changes in rates and other real time elements.

Transaction processing and storage

As soon as transaction is executed, the relevant data is processed securely and send to the data server where it is stored. A backup is created on a different server farm, to ensure data integrity and continuity. All of this happens in real time, with no human intervention.

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In general the individual Forex trader is require to fulfill two steps prior to trading:

• Register at the trading platform

• deposits funds to facilitate trading

Registration at Trading platform:

Registration is done online by the individual trader. There are vrious forms used in the indutry. Some are quite simple, where others are longer and more time-consuming. It part, this can be attributed to governmental or other authorities' requirements, though some Forex platforms required more information than is actually needed. Some even require a face-to-face meetings, or obtain hard copies of required documents such as a passport, or driver's license

The key requirements for registration are the trader's full name, telephone, e-mail address, residence, and sometimes also the traders' yearly income or capital equity and an ID number. Typically the Forex platform is not required to run a thorough check, but rely on the registrant to be truthful. Nevertheless, each Forex platform conducts certain routines, in order to check and verity the authencity of the details provided.

Registrants are required to declare that funds used for trading are not in question, and are not the result of any criminal act or money laundering activity. This is mandatory as part of a global anti-money laundering effort.

Depositing funds:

New registrants must deposit funds to facilitate trading. However, the majority of the Forex platforms today required that, in addition to funds used for actual trading, an additional amount be deposited. Often called "maintenance margin" or "activity collateral", its purpose is for the platform to have an additional guarantee. Some of the platforms that required an additional deposit do pay interest on the collateral, which is "frozen" under the trader's name.

The easy forex trading platform does not require any additional guarantee, and allows trading with 100% of the amount deposited, easy forex is able to provide these advantages because it assures "guaranteed rates and stop loss". That means that there will never be any additional requirements for funds as a result of a "gap" that causes you to surpass the Stop-Loss.

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Forex - real time
Online foreign exchange trading occurs in real time. Exchange rates are constantly changing, in intervals of seconds. Quotes are accurate for the time they are displayed only. At any moment, a different rate may be quoted. When a trader locks in a rate an executes a transaction, that transaction is immediately processed; the trade has been executed.

Up-to-date exchange rates
As rates change so rapidly, any Forex software must display the most up-to-date rates. To accomplish this, the Forex software is continuously communicating with a remote server that provides the most current exchange rates. The rates quoted, unlike traditional bank exchange rates, are actual tradeble rates. A trader may choose to "lock in" to a rate only as long as it is displayed.

Trading online on Foex platforms
The interest revolution caused a major change in the way Forex trading is conducted through out the world.

Until the advent of the internet-Forex age at the end of the 1990's Forex trading was conducted via phone orders posted to brokers or banks. Most of the trading could be executed only during business hours. The same was true for most activities related to Forex, such as making the deposits necessary for trading, not to mention profit taking. The internet has radically altered the Forex market, enabling around the clock trading and conveniences such as the use of credit cards for fund deposits.

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Since most Forex deals are made by (individual and organizational) traders, in conjunction with market makers, it's important to understand the role of the market maker in the Forex industry.

FAQ about Market making

What is a market maker?
A market maker is the counterpart to the client. The market maker does not operate as in intermediary or trustee. A Market Maker performs the hedging of its clients' positions according to its policy, which includes offsetting various clients' positions, and hedging via liquidity providers (banks) and its equity capital, at its discretion.

Who are the market makers in the Forex industry?
Banks, for example, or trading platforms, who buy and sell financial instruments "make the market". That is contrary to intermediaries, which represent clients, basing their income on commission.

Do market makers go against a client's position?
By definition, a market maker is the counterpart to all its clients' positions, and always offer a two-sided quote. Therefore, there is nothing personal between the market maker and the customer. Generally, market makers regard all of the positions of their clients as a whole. They offset between clients' opposite positions, and hedge their net exposure according to their risk management policies and guidelines of regulatory authorities.

Can a market maker influence market prices against a client's position?
Definitely not, because the Forex market is the nearest thing to a "perfect market" in which no single participant is powerful enough to push prices in a specific direction. This is the biggest market in the world today, with daily volumes reaching 3 trillion dollars. No market maker is in a position to effectively manipulate the market.

How do market makers manage their exposure?
The way most market makers hedge their exposure is to hedge in bulk. They aggregate all client positions and pass some, or all, of their net risk to their liquidity providers.

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Hedgers

Hedgers account for less than 5% of the market, but are the key reason futures and other such financial instruments exist. The group using these hedging tool is primarily business and other organizations participating in international trade. Their goal is to diminish or neutralize the impact of currency fluctuations.

Speculators

This group includes private individuals and corporations, public entities, banks, etc. They participate in the Forex market in order to create profit, taking advantage of the fluctuations of interest rates and exchange rates.The activity of this group is responsible for the high liquidity of the Forex market. They conduct their trading by using leveraged investing, making it a financially efficient source for earning.

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Fully fixed:
In a fixed exchange rate system, the government (or the central bank acting on its behalf) intervenes in the currency market in order to keep the exchange rate close to a fixed target. It is committed to a single fixed exchange rate and does not allow major fluctuations from this central rate.

Semi-fixed:
Currency can move within a permitted range, but the exchange rate is the dominant target of economic policy-making. Interest rates are set to meet the target exchange rate.

Free Floating:
The value of the currency is determined solely by supply and demand in the foreign exchange market. Consequently, trade flows and capital flows are the main factors affecting the exchange rate. The definition of floating exchange rate system is a monetary system in which exchange rates are allowed to move due to market forces without intervention by national governments.

Managed floating exchange rates:
Most governments engage in managed floating systems, if not part of a fixed exchange rate system.

Advantages

Fixed exchange rates:
Fixed rates provide greater certainly for exporters and importers and, under normal circumstances, there is less speculative activity though this depends on whether dealers in foreign exchange markets regard a given fixed exchanged rate as appropriate and credible.

Floating exchange rates:
Fluctuations in the exchange rate can provide an automatic adjustments for countries with a large balance of payments deficit. A second key advantage of floating exchange rates is that it allows the government/monetary authority flexibility in determining interest rates as they do not need to be used to influence the exchange rate.

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While using high leverage combined with high frequency trading, scalpers should be very cautious about the cost of actual trading, as each pip here makes a dramatic difference after a large number of trades. This means being very careful with entries and exits, stops and limit orders, and also be very realistic about profit targets.

Once in the trade, scalpers should manage trading risks by:

• moving stops to break-even as soon as situation permits

• taking profits at a logical levels: at round market price numbers: 00, 10, 20, 50 etc., at previous support/resistance levels, at Fibonacci levels etc.

• getting out of the trade if the price freezes for longer time than expected..

Scalp-trading is very demanding and requires a lot of concentration, constant monitoring of the price and very quick decision making. Also, short time frames used in scalping strategies, require a good grasp of trading complemented with sound technical analysis skills. It is not a place where beginners feel very comfortable as it demands from traders a good chunk of experience.

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