Foreign exchange, or Forex for short, is the “place” where currencies are traded. Currency trading is the exchange of one type of currency for another. In the forex market, currencies are traded in pairs. When a trader buys a currency, he or she is selling another currency at the same time.

Currency values fluctuate based on various economic, political and environmental factors. Forex traders sell and buy currencies in an effort to take advantage of these changes in value. The forex market has no physical location or central exchange as it is a global, decentralized market and trades 24 hours a day, 5 days a week.

No other market in the world trades more than forex, which is why there are many opportunities for traders.

More on Beginner's Education

What is your balance?

What is your balance?

Balance in forex refers to the amount of money you have in your trading account. It is very important to remember that your balance does not include any profits or losses you might have from any open positions. If you have open positions, your balance might change...

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What Is your Equity?

What Is your Equity?

Now that we have already covered Balance, it is vital to understand what Equity is. In trading, equity refers to the amount of money a trader has in their trading account (the Balance) plus or minus any profit or loss from open positions. Many traders confuse these...

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What is Free Margin?

What is Free Margin?

Free Margin in forex trading in its simplest definition, is the money in your trading account that is available for trading. It is calculated by using the formula: Free Margin = Equity - Margin (of open positions). Let's look at a relevant example. A trader enters a...

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