The Challenges and Risks of a Career in Forex

Let’s face facts; a career in forex trading is becoming increasingly viable and lucrative in the digital age.

This is borne out by the numbers, as the global daily trading volumes in the forex market continue to increase and recently peaked at a staggering $6.6 trillion.

The forex market is a truly unique financial entity, however, and one that’s underpinned by immense volatility, growing volumes of automated (or high-frequency) trading and unusually inflated leverage.

In this post, we’ll address the challenges and risks of professional forex trading, while asking how you can improve your chances of succeeding in the marketplace.

Forex Trading as a Career – The Pros and Cons

The benefits of forex trading are well known, and extend far beyond daily trading volumes and the way in which technological advancement has removed numerous barriers to entry.

The margin-based nature of currency trading and the use of leverage also makes it possible to open positions that are far larger than your initial deposit, for example, while currency is a derivative asset that doesn’t require you to assume ownership of the underlying financial instrument.

However, each of these benefits also raises potential challenges, particularly as the margins involved in currency trading can also cause you to lose considerably more than your deposit. Without the consistent use of stop losses and automated risk management tools, losses can accumulate quickly and within a short space of time.

This can be devastating when attempting to build a career, which is why aspiring professionals must take practical steps towards safeguarding their capital holdings.

Similarly, the derivative nature of currency means that the asset is unable to provide a secure store of wealth for investors, which can increase risk during times of economic uncertainty and market volatility. 

This is why risk-averse investors often turn away from currency during such times, and instead commit their capital to assets such as gold.

How Can you Mitigate These Risks?

The volatile nature of the market also poses a risk to investors, and particularly their ability to manage profit expectations and secure a viable return on their investment.

This also makes it hard to estimate your earnings as a forex trader, although expert Cory Mitchell has suggested that typical traders who execute around 100 orders per month can make a profit of $3,750 on a starting capital value of $30,000. 

Of course, achieving this requires you to have a solid foundation of knowledge, which can be garnered through numerous sources both on and offline.

There are also multiple courses that you can do to learn the fundamentals of forex trading, and while many of these may require an upfront investment, the best and most reputable programs can deliver a return over time and reward you with a forex diploma.

The next step is to make the most of demo accounts, which are available through all online trading platforms in the digital age. This essentially allows users to access a simulated and real-time marketplace, which creates a window of opportunity for them to hone their trading strategies and apply their knowledge in a practical setting.