Advantages of the Forex over the Futures Market
Although some of their concepts are the same, the forex has several distinct advantages over the futures market, especially if you are just beginning trading. By simply going over these points you will see what they are and how you can use them to increase your profits.
The key to successful trading rests on the liquidity of the market, and here nothing beats the forex. At a turnover rate of over $2 trillion, it is almost certain that you will be able to secure a transaction at the price that you like. Contrast this with the futures, where the highest volume is only $30 billion.
Another point worth considering is that the forex is open for business 24 hours a day. What this means is that the moment an important news item is released, you will be able to act upon it on the spot.
There are some overnight futures market, but the volume is so light that even if you can trade, it is going to be very difficult to secure the transaction you desire.
The bottom line is that in order to maximize your profits, you need to act as quickly as possible, and you can do this in the forex. In the futures it is much harder to accomplish.
Another advantage of the forex over futures is that it is more cost efficient. The only thing you have to pay for in terms of transaction costs is the spread, which is very low.
You also pay for this in the futures, but in addition there are "middleman" fees. If you enter into numerous contracts, these dues can eat into your profits. You do not have to worry about this if you are in the currencies market.
In the spot forex you will buy and sell currencies at the current market price; also, the margin call ensures that even in the worst case scenario, your losses can be kept to a minimum. In a futures account, you could be held by your firm responsible for any loss that exceeds what is in your deposit.
In the end, the decision on which market to trade is up to you, but as you can see, there are several reasons as to why the forex is the biggest financial market in the world today. If you are looking for a good place to invest your money, the forex is the way to go.