If you are new to Forex trading then you probably haven’t formulated a Forex trading plan. You may not have been told that you absolutely must have one if you are to be a successful trader, but the reality is that you absolutely must have one.
Why you need a trading plan is really simple….for the same reason that you need a map when travelling into uncharted territory. It never ceases to amaze me how many would-be traders randomly start trading without the proper preparation. Don’t worry though, it is not completely the fault of new traders. Many new traders have had their expectation levels skewed by the many unqualified purveyors of Forex trading products, including book, seminars, software, etc. We are seeing more and more vendors of Forex products touting 90% winning trades and above. In all of my years of trading I’ve never heard of any truly successful trader with a winning percentage that high.
OK, now back to the topic at hand…the Forex trading plan. I wanted to cover a bit about expectation level because you will need to include some realistic goals in your trading plan. Setting good goals is essential for success in any field, not just Forex trading. One of the reasons that goals are so important is that good goals can really motivate you to achieve them, whereas unrealistic goals will leaving you constatnly feeling discouraged because they are difficult or simply impossible to achieve.
One of the most key components of your trading plan will be the Forex strategies that you use. A thoroughly researched and tested strategy will help you to profit in the Forex market. Needless to say, your strategy must have a positive rate of return in order for your equity to grow. Many people skip the important step of developing their own robust trading strategy and opt for some push-button, shortcut, get-rich-quick solution. Yes, it is true that developing your own strategy takes time and effort, but doesn’t everything that’s worth having take time and effort?
Our basic coverage here of a Forex trading plan is designed to get you thinking about being as prepared as you can be BEFORE you start trading Forex.


