An efficient Forex trading platform is either going to make your life extremely easy or extremely difficult. A trading platform is a type of software that connects you, the trader, to your chosen broker; the platform provides you with all the necessary information, such as quotes and charts, needed to make informed trading decisions. You also get an interface through which you can place orders with your broker.
The software is either local or web-based. The former refers to the software being installed on your laptop or computer while the latter is run on any computer that has an internet connection.
One of the best trading platforms in terms of its interface and other features is by the broker, Oanda.
Of course, there are multiple things you should keep in mind when you want to explore different options. Here’s what you should look for in a trading platform:
Reliability
You need to choose between web-based and desktop applications based on your preferences; determining which platform suits your preferences is vital to succeeding in trading. It’s crucial to choose one that doesn’t freeze or crash, especially during critical times such as economic and political events. Your trading platform’s reliability should be more of a priority than how it looks and feels — especially if you trade aggressively or make large trades frequently. However, if you’re aiming to trade passively and aren’t someone who’s always watching the market, you can be more flexible about your choices.
Responsiveness
Many times, people who engage in forex trading overlook a vital aspect: slippage. Slippage refers to circumstances — usually, during high volatility events — when there’s a difference between the expected price of a trade and the rate at which it is executed. Slippage can result in a worse value at which your order is executed. While price differences are inevitable, an efficient broker with a top-notch trading platform can minimize your losses.If you want to avoid slippage altogether, then you can do that by not trading when trading volumes are low, or high-impact news is being released.
User-friendly Interface
A user-friendly interface will make your trading journey easy. You should be able to place an order or close a trade easily and quickly. Focus on aspects such as one-click trading and managing limit, stop-loss, and different types of orders to ensure you are making the right decision.
Moreover, a user-friendly platform helps you with navigation. If a trading platform offers features such as tools and charts, they should not only be easy to access, but also allow for opening multiple graphs at the same time.
User-friendliness is a deciding factor for aggressive traders, who need to use the platform more than those who trade infrequently.
Analysis Tools
An essential part of learning the effectiveness of your trading plan and knowing how you can improve is by analyzing your trades once they’re closed. While you may succeed at trades once in a while, if you want to succeed regularly, you need analysis tools that help you pinpoint what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.
Up-to-date Financial Information
Forex prices change rapidly; therefore, to make the right decisions, it’s vital for you to have access to real-time information about prices and markets. An excellent trading platform ensures you have the latest information available to you all the time. The data needs to be accurate and up-to-date since compromising on any of these factors can result in huge losses.
Automated Trading
Some trading platforms are equipped with algorithms that suggest what investments and trading decisions you should make. Some platforms even let you input your algorithms which allow the platform to place orders automatically if they meet preset conditions. In these cases, it’s always better to check the suggestions at first. Once automated trading start yielding positive results, you can let the software make trading decisions automatically at set amounts.
Negative Balance Protection
An effective way to keep your risk management in check is through negative balance protection. If you’re losing a trade, negative balance protection ensures you don’t lose more than what you already have. This is essential since you don’t want to go into debt over a wrong trading decision.
Data Security
You need to ensure the trading platform you choose does not compromise your personal information in any way. One way to find out how secure is the platform is by checking the kind of data encryption the platform employs.The best trading platforms have firewalls installed both at the application and server levels. They also have separate servers on which your data is stored, so, in case of data loss on one server, the same data can be recovered from the backup.
A trading platform plays a huge role in your success as a forex trader. Keeping the above aspects in mind will help you make an informed decision regarding choosing the right forex platform for you that will perform in accordance with your expectations.
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[…] most Forex rookies, it’s not enough to have a top-notch forex trading platform. A trading plan must also be in place to successfully execute trades in the market. As such, […]