Day trading is an extremely risky way of investing in the stock market. Day trading is carried out by day traders who rapidly purchase and sell stocks over a single day period in the hope that for the very short period over which they hold the stocks (ranging from just a few seconds to a couple of hours) the value will continue to climb or fall thus allowing day traders to secure quick profits.

The method of buying and selling stocks over a very short time period can create huge profits or losses for the day trader in just a couple of minutes or hours. Statistics show that 80-90% of all day traders make a loss at the end of each trading day. However day trading has become an increasing popular form of trading in recent years as a result of the internet and increased access to information. So while day trading used to be a marginal form of stock trading reserved for the most part to financial firms professional traders and an elite group of private investors it is now also very common method of trading among casual traders.

Day traders are defined as traders who place four or more round-trip orders over a five day time period and the total trading activity over a day is 6% or more of the total value of all shares held.

Brokerage fees for day traders can be substantially lower than fees for other types of traders. While margins for most traders are usually around 50% of the value in traders account, day traders can face levels as low as 25%. This means that a trader can by lets say, $1000 worth of stock from an account of only $250.

Tips for success

The five most common strategies adopted by day traders who seek to make are profit are

* Trend following – used by all trading firms this strategy assumes that stocks that having been rising steadily will continue to rise.

* Playing news – this strategy is to buy stock in a company which has just announced good news

* Range Trading – this is where stock that has been rising and falling is bought near the low price and sold as it hits the high price range.

* Scalping – it is commonly defined as a very quick trade.

* Covering spreads – To play the spread or the make the spread simply means to buy stock at the Bid price and sell the stock at the Ask price. The difference between the bid price and the ask price is known as the spread. Because there is an historical tendency for the stock market to rise profit can be expected for this form of trading.

So you want to become a Forex day trader? Well, there are some important variables that you will need to take into consideration before you set out on your own. First of all, you will need to decide if you have enough capital to start trading with. Day trading requires higher starting capital because you will generally be exposed to more broker fees due to the high volume of trades you will be entering and exiting. Other important variables will come into play as well, factors such as what method you use to day trade Forex with and whether or not you learn how to day trade Forex from a professional Forex mentor or strike out on your own, these are important considerations to take into account before trading with real money in the market. Still, other important considerations include things such as will you be available during the most profitable trading hours? Or, what is your plan for a solid technical education in trading Forex?

Learning how to day trade Forex can be a tough task if you do not have enough trading capital to fund your trading account with. Day trading requires more money to start with because you will be entering and exiting a higher volume of trades each day which will expose your account to more spread fees or other brokerage fees. This is not to deter you from learning how to day trade with Forex, indeed day trading the Forex market can be one of the most profitable ways to trade if you learn from the proper educator. Just keep in mind that you will need a little more money to get started day trading Forex as compared to position or swing trading.

What method will you use to day trade the Forex market? If you do not know than you have your work cut out for you. It is advised that you learn a logical and simple yet highly effective method that makes use of solid price action setups and a few good moving average indicators to day trade Forex with. Which ever method you decide to go with it is highly advised that you learn from a professional trader offering educational services. If you can find a live Forex trading room that teaches traders how to day trade Forex live than all the better. Live day trading instruction from an experience professional trader will drastically reduce your learning curve and thus speed your ultimate goal of becoming a financially independent Forex day trader.

Another important factor to consider when learning how to day trade Forex is what times will you be available to trade. The best times to day trade Forex are between 1:30am-4:00am EST for the European session and 7:30-10:00am EST for the U.S. session. Day trading Forex during any other time frame is possible but the amount of price movement and volatility you will get will be much less than trading during the times just listed. If you cannot trade during one of these time frames than you may want to consider position trading. Finally, when learning how to day trade Forex it is important you learn from an educator or educational service that offers more than just signals. The source you learn from should offer a relevant and effective education in the method they teach and ultimately be geared towards teaching you how to trade for yourself rather than stringing you along with entry and exit signals only.

Author: Sterling S
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Smart cooker