An air of tension settled over financial markets on Wednesday as investors braced for the pivotal Federal Reserve rate decision.

This guide delves into the different types of market indices, why it can be beneficial to trade them as CFDs, and covers some popular index trading strategies.

Forex (or FX) stands for Foreign Exchange, which is the “place” where currencies are traded. In this market, exchanging one currency for another is called currency trading, which is always done in pairs. For example, if a trader wanted to exchange euro (EUR) for US dollar (USD), they would trade the EURUSD currency pair. Trading currencies implies that a trader simultaneously buys one currency while selling the other. Various economic, political, and environmental factors contribute to the changing values of currencies, and forex traders buy and sell currencies to take advantage of these swings in value. The forex market is a global, decentralised market. The forex market is by far the largest and most liquid financial market in the world, with an estimated average global daily turnover of more than US$6.5 trillion — which has risen from $5 trillion just a few years ago. In addition, it has no physical location or central exchange, and trades 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. How can I make money from forex trading? The idea is to predict how a currency pair's price will move, and open a position based on that prediction. You could profit from either a rise in price by going long, or a fall in price by going short. How much will it cost to trade forex? There’s usually no commission or fees to pay. Brokers are paid through the ‘spread’, which is the difference between the bid and ask prices. What about trading capital? You can start trading with us for as little as $100. You don’t need a huge deposit, as trading with leverage reduces the initial amount you need to open a position. Please note: leverage is dependent on your knowledge and experience, and can increase your losses as well as your profits. Which currency pairs are traded most in forex? The most popular currency pair is EUR/USD, followed by USD/JPY, GBP/USD, AUD/USD, USD/CHF, USD/CAD and NZD/USD. These pairs are known as the 'majors.' How is the exchange rate for a currency pair measured in forex? The standard unit of measurement for change in value between currencies is the pip. It stands for “point in price” or “percentage in point”. What are the main benefits of trading forex? In the forex market you can: Trade 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. Make your money go further with leverage Capitalise on high liquidity and volatility Trade at low cost Back to Videos Articles Ebooks Glossary Disclaimer: This written/visual material is comprised of personal opinions and ideas. The content should not be construed as containing any type of investment advice and/or a solicitation for any transactions. It does not imply an obligation to purchase investment services, nor does it guarantee or predict future performance. FXTM, its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness of any information or data made available and assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment based on the same. Risk Warning: There is a high level of risk involved with trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs. You should not risk more than you can afford to lose, it is possible that you may lose more than your initial investment. You should not trade unless you fully understand the true extent of your exposure to the risk of loss. When trading, you must always take into consideration your level of experience. If the risks involved seem unclear to you, please seek independent financial advice.

In forex, currencies are traded in pairs. The first currency is called the base currency and the second currency is called the quote currency. So for example, EURUSD, means that the base currency is the Euro and the quote currency is the USD. The quote currency is sometimes referred to as the counter currency. The best way to understand base and quote currencies is in terms of exchange rates. An exchange rate of 1.14020, for example, would mean that 1 unit of base currency would cost 1.14020 units of quote currency. So in this case, to own 1 EUR the equivalent of 1.14020 USD is needed. In other words, the first currency in a pair is quoted against the second currency. Back to Videos Articles Ebooks Glossary Disclaimer: This written/visual material is comprised of personal opinions and ideas. The content should not be construed as containing any type of investment advice and/or a solicitation for any transactions. It does not imply an obligation to purchase investment services, nor does it guarantee or predict future performance. FXTM, its affiliates, agents, directors, officers or employees do not guarantee the accuracy, validity, timeliness or completeness of any information or data made available and assume no liability for any loss arising from any investment based on the same. Risk Warning: There is a high level of risk involved with trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs. You should not risk more than you can afford to lose, it is possible that you may lose more than your initial investment. You should not trade unless you fully understand the true extent of your exposure to the risk of loss. When trading, you must always take into consideration your level of experience. If the risks involved seem unclear to you, please seek independent financial advice.