Forex Margin Call Explained

By Ahmad Hassam

Have you ever received the dreaded forex margin call? But contrary to the popular opinion that a margin call represents that worst case scenario for the currency trader, this is far from the truth. The risk that is assumed when trading aggressively the currency markets often results in receiving a margin call. The worst case could be far worse.

If there would have been no margin call, the possibility of owing additional funds to your broker in case of a loss could not be ruled out. To owe additional funds to the broker is actually the worse case scenario. A margin call protects a trader from losing 100% or even more of the money in the trading account. A margin call is in fact a safeguard. The uncomfortable position of owing additional funds to the forex broker is largely avoided because of the existence of the margin call.

If you have been trading stocks you might have actually received a call or a text message from your stock broker that you need to add more funds to your trading account. So in stock trading, you will receive an actual call from your stock broker to add more funds to your margin account when equity is running low in your stock trading account. A margin call is not actually a physical call from your broker in forex trading unlike the world of stock trading.

This is what happens in forex trading when you get a margin call. There is no physical call telling you to add funds to your account. The trading platform software automatically closes out all the open positions and immediately realizes all losses at the prevailing market rates when a forex trader no longer has enough equity in the trading account to keep the open positions viable in forex trading. You might be thinking a cold hearted behavior of your forex broker.

Although this may seem a bit cold hearted, there are good reasons for automated margin calls in forex trading. Prices can move extremely fast in forex markets and because of the high leverage used, every price move is magnified.

The forex margin call closes all open positions to help ensure that the trader does not lose the entire account or worse as a safeguard measure. The trading account can become depleted very quickly with not enough time to call for more funds when the traders equity runs low in forex trading.

Lets make it clear with an example. Suppose you have $1500 in your trading account. So exactly when is a margin call triggered? This depends exactly on the number and the size of the lots being traded, the leverage chosen and the equity in the account. Suppose you use a leverage of 100:1 to trade in standard lots of $100,000.

You want to trade one lot of EUR/USD. Since your account is in US Dollars, you need to convert it into Euros. Suppose the EUR/USD exchange rate is 1.3465. So you need $1346 to trade standard lot Euros 100,000 of EUR/USD. This is because Euros 1000 are needed to control Euros 100,000.

Suppose you are a new forex trader. You dont know much about forex trading. However you have read that it is a great opportunity to make money. Naturally you are very enthusiastic about trading forex as quickly as possible. So you dont know that stop losses are used to minimize downside risk in trading. You start trading without putting stop losses in place. Your trading account has $1500. The margin required to keep the trade open is $1346. Each pip is exactly equal to $10 in this case.

When your equity drops below $1346, you will receive a margin call. You have $1500 equity in your trading account. Your open position will be automatically closed when you receive a margin call. That means once you lose the excess equity in your account above the margin required to trade a standard lot that is $1500-$1346= $154. This is equal to 15.4 pips loss (assuming no spread). - 23200

About the Author:

Mr. Ahmad Hassam has done Masters from Harvard University. He is interested in day trading stocks and currencies. Try 1500 Pips a day Forex Signals. Discover a revolutionary Forex Robot Trading System!

How To Negotiate The Price As A First Time Homebuyer

By Alexandria P. Anderson

After you've spent enough time doing all of the research about your prospective home and are comfortable with working with the seller, it's time to make the offer. However, the home buying offer isn't the end of the sales process; you may be involved with negotiating a price after making the offer if the seller refuses to accept it, so you'll need a plan to get the price you want - or close to it - well before you extend your initial offer.

Understanding all of the terms of the contract and working on a contingency plan are just a few ways to make sure you really do get the best price for your dream home. Barron's 'Consumer's Guide to Home Buying' encourages all prospective homeowners to create a checklist of items they can practice well before the negotiation process takes place. Here are a few items to consider as you begin negotiating the price of your new home:

1. Who are the key decision-makers involved in the transaction? 'Knowing the players' benefits the skilled negotiator because this allows you to understand who will really influence the buying and selling process. For example, is the seller working independently or are they working with agents, lawyers and other third parties to coordinate the transaction? Knowing who you will be negotiating with can help you identify the best approach for negotiations and give you a chance to gauge the trustworthiness of the selling party.

2. Have a back-up plan. It is possible for you and the seller to reach a stalemate when negotiating. Consider developing a back-up plan just in case no agreements are reached during negotiations. Define your maximum offer and do not go over it; just look for other homes to buy.

3. Read the whole contract in detail. Know what you're getting into before you sign your name on the contract. Review the contract in detail and take note of any provisions that are not clear to you. It is best to clarify all terms in the contract with the seller than to assume the meaning of the terms yourself.

4. Develop a relationship with your realtor. Realtors have the experience to give you professional advice about your prospective home. Spend the time to develop a positive working relationship with them. Voice out your concerns to your realtor well ahead of the negotiation process to give your realtor time to help you in making an informed decision.

5. Be prepared for setbacks. Negotiations can break down between both parties at any time. It is important for you to keep your cool, as most negotiation problems are only misunderstandings caused by poor communication skills. Lastly, be prepared to get out of the deal if you feel the negotiation will lead to nowhere. - 23200

About the Author:

Author and Realtor Alexandria P. Anderson helps clients to find and purchase Maple Grove MN real estate and homes for sale in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

USA Investor Visas

By Sam McDougall Turner

Citizenship in the USA is a dream of many millions of people all over the world and despite the huge number of people who are granted citizenship every year, there is still a waiting list that will take around a decade to clear, and the applications keep coming in thick and fast.

The main reason that America is such a desirable place to live is because of the reputation it has built up over the last century or so; the land of opportunity and dreams. There are people all over the world who would give their right arms to be able to move to America and start up a business there.

However, something not too many people are aware of is that there is a visa created solely for people who are looking to invest within the USA, and if you are eligible for one, getting hold of one is a whole lot easier than it is to get hold of any other kind.

There are two main ways of obtaining an investor visa for the US.

E1 and E2 US visas are granted to people from countries that have a treaty with the USA to trade and provide services. Most of the countries in Europe are a part of the treaty, as are most South American countries " excepting Brazil, Cuba, Guatemala and Ecuador. Several countries from Asia, Central America, the Middle East, and Africa are also a part of this treaty.

The E5 visa is referred to as the investor visa for America and as you can most likely guess from the name, it is for those who wish to invest money in the USA. The threshold amount to qualify for this visa is different in some states to others; however it is usually around $500,000. Some states require that you stay around and look after the day to day operations of the business you invested in, but not all of them. - 23200

About the Author:

For more information on investor visas, visit visas4america.com by clicking on green card or investor visa.

Key To The Popularity Of Foreign Exchange Trading Is "Margin"

By John Eather

Margin is one of the key features that makes foreign exchange trading so exciting a prospect. Without a factor like margin, trading in this area would be completely out of reach for the ordinary man in the street who wants to invest in this area. However, what exactly does "Margin" mean?

Foreign exchange traders are able to control large lots of currency by means of margin. They are able to do this while investing relatively small amounts of money. The trader will open an account with a forex broker in order to gain access to leverage. In this way they can control lots of up to $100 000 in foreign currency, this is the generally accepted size of these lots.

The leverage the trader gains from the margin account is expressed as a ratio. For instance a leverage ratio of 100:1 means the trader is able to have access to control over 100 x their deposit amount of forex assets. So essentially in a $100 000 standard forex lot with a 1% margin will require a deposit of $1000.

It has to be borne in mind however that trading on margin can increase losses as well as profits. The potential is there, and is very real for any trader, to lose as much as if not more than their original deposit. It is possible to put safeguards in place to prevent this from happening. In order to limit any losses a broker generally terminates a transaction which goes beyond the deposit in the margin. However losses do occur when even a small change in a currency occurs, as do profits.

Cash is traded in far larger units than foreign exchange. A good example of this is the USD, this currency trades down to 4 decimal places. In other words, what might be $1.35 in normal currency; in forex would be $1.3576. The smallest currency exchange unit is the pip. In a $100 000 lot the pip equals $10. and while $10 might have some meaning to a tourist from the US going on holiday, it has little meaning to an investor. So if the currency of exchange increases say to $1.457, it would either mean a loss or profit of $10. - 23200

About the Author:

Looking to find the best deal on foreign exchange trading, then visit www.MoneyMakingFxTrader.com to find the best advice on automated forex trading for you.

Grant Money Is Here Today For You

By Jake Green

If you are interested in receiving money for a project that you may be thinking about starting then grants may be the answer for you.

It is important to remember that all American citizens are eligible to receive Federal, State and Private Foundation funded grants and loans. These grants are available to anyone who has US citizenship.

As long as you have US citizenship, you can get access to these grants and there is nothing that can prevent you from receiving the money as long as you have this citizenship status.

Grants are very different from loans. There are no credit checks, no co-signers and nothing else that most loans come attached with. You can just receive your grant money and begin your new project right away.

If you want your grant money, you just need to be a US citizen and an active tax payer. If you fit these basic requirements then congratulations! You are ready to start receiving your grant money.

One of the best parts about grant money is that you never have to repay it. While loans from banks are nice, you have to often pay them back with added interest on top of that.

Grants will give you the money you need without ever needing to repay it back so that you never have to worry about this part of the process ever again. You just receive your money and continue on to get your education or get your business started.

So, what are you waiting for? Start looking into grants today! If you do so, you will be able to receive your grant money even faster. Then, you can begin your new project of new education or a new business or anything else that you want to do.

There is nothing to lose since you never have to pay interest or pay the money back. This really is a great opportunity to begin something today. So start giving back now. - 23200

About the Author:

To read more about grants, check out Online Grant Pro grants. Also, check out federal grant information Online Grant Pro review that is now available for online grants.