In the forex  market, you buy or sell currencies. Placing a trade in the foreign exchange market is simple: the mechanics of a trade are very similar to those found in other markets (like the stock market), so if you have any experience in trading, you should be able to pick it up pretty quickly.

The object of Forex trading is to exchange one currency for another in the expectation that the price will change, so that the currency you bought will increase in value compared to the one you sold.

Example of making money by buying Euros

*EUR $10,000 x 1.18 = US $11,800
** EUR $10,000 x 1.25 = US $12,500

An exchange rate is simply the ratio of one currency valued against another currency. For example, the USD/CHF exchange rate indicates how many U.S. dollars can purchase one Swiss franc, or how many Swiss francs you need to buy one U.S. dollar.

How to Read an FX Quote

Currencies are always quoted in pairs, such as GBP/USD or USD/JPY. The reason they are quoted in pairs is because in every foreign exchange transaction you are simultaneously buying one currency and selling another. Here is an example of a foreign exchange rate for the British pound versus the U.S. dollar:

GBP/USD = 1.7500

The first listed currency to the left of the slash (”/”) is known as the base currency (in this example, the British pound), while the second one on the right is called the counter or quote currency (in this example, the U.S. dollar).

When buying, the exchange rate tells you how much you have to pay in units of the quote currency to buy one unit of the base currency. In the example above, you have to pay 1.7500 U.S. dollar to buy 1 British pound.

When selling, the exchange rate tells you how many units of the quote currency you get for selling one unit of the base currency. In the example above, you will receive 1.7500 U.S. dollars when you sell 1 British pound.

The base currency is the “basis” for the buy or the sell. If you buy EUR/USD this simply means that you are buying the base currency and simultaneously selling the quote currency.

You would buy the pair if you believe the base currency will appreciate (go up) relative to the quote currency. You would sell the pair if you think the base currency will depreciate (go down) relative to the quote currency.

Long/Short

First, you should determine whether you want to buy or sell.

If you want to buy (which actually means buy the base currency and sell the quote currency), you want the base currency to rise in value and then you would sell it back at a higher price. In trader’s talk, this is called “going long” or taking a “long position”. Just remember: long = buy.

If you want to sell (which actually means sell the base currency and buy the quote currency), you want the base currency to fall in value and then you would buy it back at a lower price. This is called “going short” or taking a “short position”. Short = sell.

There are 2 basic types of analysis you can take when approaching the forex:

1. Fundamental analysis
2. Technical analysis.

There has always been a constant debate as to which analysis is better, but to tell you the truth, you need to know a little bit of both. So let’s break each one down and then come back and put them together.

Fundamental Analysis

Fundamental analysis is a way of looking at the market through economic, social and political forces that affect supply and demand. (Yada yada yada.)  In other words, you look at whose economy is doing well, and whose economy sucks.  The idea behind this type of analysis is that if a country’s economy is doing well, their currency will also be doing well.  This is because the better a country’s economy, the more trust other countries have in that currency.

For example, the U.S. dollar has been gaining strength because the U.S. economy is gaining strength. As the economy gets better, interest rates get higher to control inflation and as a result, the value of the dollar continues to increase.  In a nutshell, that is basically what fundamental analysis is.

Later on in the course you will learn which specific news events drive currency prices the most.  For now, just know that the fundamental analysis of the Forex is a way of analyzing a currency through the strength of that country’s economy.

Technical analysis is the study of price movement.  In one word, technical analysis = charts.  The idea is that a person can look at historical price movements, and, based on the price action, can determine at some level where the price will go.  By looking at charts, you can identify trends and patterns which can help you find good trading opportunities.

The most IMPORTANT thing you will ever learn in technical analysis is the trend!  Many, many, many, many, many, many people have a saying that goes, “The trend is your friend”.  The reason for this is that you are much more likely to make money when you can find a trend and trade in the same direction.  Technical analysis can help you identify these trends in its earliest stages and therefore provide you with very profitable trading opportunities.

Now I know you’re thinking to yourself, “Geez, these guys are smart.  They use crazy words like “technical” and “fundamental” analysis. I can never learn this stuff!” Don’t worry yourself too much. After you’re done with the School of Pipsology, you too will be just as….uhmmm…”smart?” as us.

By the way, do you feel that green pill kicking in yet?  Bark like a dog!

The eight most frequently traded currencies (USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, CHF, CAD, NZD and AUD) are called the major currencies. All other currencies are referred to as minor currencies. Do not worry about the minor currencies, they are for professionals only. Actually, on this site we’ll mostly cover what we call the Fab Five (USD, EUR, JPY, GBP, and CHF). These pairs are the most liquid and the most sexy.

Base Currency

The base currency is the first currency in any currency pair. It shows how much the base currency is worth as measured against the second currency. For example, if the USD/CHF rate equals 1.6350, then one USD is worth CHF 1.6350. In the Forex markets, the U.S. dollar is normally considered the “base” currency for quotes, meaning that quotes are expressed as a unit of $1 USD per the other currency quoted in the pair. The primary exceptions to this rule are the British pound, the Euro, and the Australian and New Zealand dollar.

Quote Currency

The quote currency is the second currency in any currency pair. This is frequently called the pip currency and any unrealized profit or loss is expressed in this currency.

Pip

A pip is the smallest unit of price for any currency. Nearly all currency pairs consist of five significant digits and most pairs have the decimal point immediately after the first digit, that is, EUR/USD equals 1.2538. In this instance, a single pip equals the smallest change in the fourth decimal place – that is, 0.0001. Therefore, if the quote currency in any pair is USD, then one pip always equal 1/100 of a cent.

One notable exception is the USD/JPY pair where a pip equals $0.01.

School of Pipsology is designed to help you acquire the skills, knowledge, and abilities to become a successful trader in the foreign exchange market. Our definition of a successful trader is having the ability to do three things:

1. Make pips
2. Keep pips
3. Repeat

If you can repeatedly do these three things, then you’re on your way! But it’s no cakewalk.

Remember when you attended grade school? No? Well, according to our memories, here’s how it worked.

You start schooling at the age of five and enter Kindergarten. The next year you enter 1st Grade. If you pass, the next year you enter 2nd Grade, and so on, all the way up to the 12th Grade. Depending on what grade you’re in, you’d attend one of three schools:

1. Elementary school (Kindergarten – 5th grade)
2. Middle school (6th grade – 8th grade)
3. High school (9th grade – 12th grade)

This is how our lessons are broken apart, so you can relive the past and also be able to learn and study forex trading techniques at your own pace – but our high school goes beyond the 12th grade!

But there’s more!

Learning doesn’t end in high school!

If you’ve done well throughout grade school, you get a full scholarship to our college! All expenses paid and we won’t even require you to fill out any applications or write essays. What a deal!

Our curriculum here at the School of Pipsology will make a bold attempt to cover all aspects of forex trading. You will learn how to identify trading opportunities, how to time the market (aka smart guessing), and when to take profits or close a trade.

But that’s not all folks.

You will also learn how to predict the future and never have a losing trade.

Yeah right. In your dreams pal.

But there is plenty more to learn and you’ll just have to see for yourself!