The Path to Smart Trading
Want to harness the power of the markets but don’t want to hassle of owning assets outright? That’s how fascinating CFD trading is. But the complexity of its nature also intimate lots of beginners. But don’t worry – with the right approach, anyone will be able to navigate these financial waters like a seasoned captain. In this article, we’re going to explore 3 essential tips that can transform your trading game. Let’s dive in!

Tip 1: Always Start Small
Starting small is a crucial step in developing a successful trading career. This approach allows traders to gain experience and refine their strategies without exposing themselves to excessive risk.

Many trading platforms offer demo accounts that allow you to practice trading strategies without risking real capital. Traders can use these accounts to familiarize themselves with platform features, test different strategies, and gain confidence in their decision-making process.

Open a demo account in JRFX and start your trading journey!

When transitioning to live trading, it's advisable to start with a small account and use minimal leverage. While high leverage can amplify profits, it also increases the risk of significant losses. Remember, successful trading is more about consistent performance over time rather than seeking rapid, outsized returns. By starting small, traders can learn to manage risk effectively, develop emotional discipline, and gain practical experience in real market conditions.

Tip 2: Stay Informed, but Don’t Overthink
Nowadays, the accessibility of information won’t be a huge issue for many retail traders. Staying informal is crucial, but here’s the thing: you don’t need to know everything. The key is to focus on news, data, and indicators relevant to your specific trading strategy and the markets you trade. For instance:

If you trade forex, focus on major economic indicators and central bank decisions. If you’re trading CFD stocks in the tech sector, obsessing over every agricultural report might be unnecessary. It helps you avoid information overload and spend your time effectively.

Another thing is to resist the urge to constantly monitor markets. It’s like watching a pot of water boil which will drive you crazy and lead to irrational moves. Try to tackle this by setting specific times for market analysis and sticking to your predetermined trading plan.

Tip 3: Keep a Detailed Trade Journal
Maintaining a comprehensive trade journal is a powerful tool for improving trading performance. A well-kept journal serves as both a record of your trades and a personal learning resource.

A comprehensive trading journal is more than just a record of your trades. It includes essential details such as the date and time of each trade, the assets traded, position size, long or short position, entry and exit points, the result of the trade, your market analysis, and the rationale behind each decision.

By regularly reviewing your trading journal, you’re able to identify patterns in your trading behavior, recognize successful strategies, and pinpoint areas for improvement. Eventually, you can find the right trading style that suits your personality and risk tolerance and become a smarter trader.

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Wrapping Up: Your Trading Adventure Awaits!
There you have it – three must-know tips to improve your trading skills and become a smarter trader. Remember that successful trading is a journey of constant improvement. Stay committed to your strategy, manage your risks prudently, and always be prepared to adapt to changing market conditions.

Note that this article is informational and does not constitute financial advice. Trading CFDs involves risk, so before trading, ensure you are proceeding with caution and careful consideration regarding your financial state.

Day trading involves buying and selling financial instruments within a single trading day. This fast-paced profession requires quick decision-making, analytical skills, and market knowledge. If you’re curious about the typical daily routine of a day trader, then read on. This article presents a general overview of day trading practices, with the time references based on UTC+7 time.

Morning Preparation: Around 7:00 UTC+7

Rise and Shine: Market Analysis
A day trader's morning begins well before the market opens, typically around 7:00 UTC+7. Traders review overnight economic news, global market updates, and company-specific announcements to identify potential trading opportunities and assess market sentiment.

Technical Analysis
Using sophisticated tools, day traders analyze price movements and patterns. They look for key support and resistance levels, trend lines, and other technical indicators to inform their trading decisions.

Creating a Trading Plan
Traders outline their strategy for the day, including entry and exit points, stop-loss orders, and position sizes. A well-crafted trading plan is essential for maintaining discipline and managing risk in the volatile world of day trading.

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Trading Hours: 9:00 UTC+7 - 16:00 UTC+7

The main trading session for the day trader in the UTC+7 time zone is from 9:00 UTC+7 when the markets open, until 16:00 UTC+7 when the trading day ends. This is the core period when they actively monitor the markets and execute their trades.

Executing Trades: From Plan to Action
As the market opens, day traders monitor their chosen assets closely, executing planned trades. Trading styles vary, from scalping for quick profits to position trading for longer holds.

Adapting to Market Movements
The market is dynamic, and successful day traders must be flexible. They continuously analyze conditions, adjusting strategies as needed. This might involve modifying stop-loss orders, taking profits earlier than planned, or abandoning a trade if market sentiment shifts.

Managing Risk and Emotions
One of the most challenging aspects of day trading is managing risk and emotions. Traders must stick to predetermined risk levels, avoiding the temptation to chase losses or let winning trades run too long. Emotional control is crucial for sound decision-making.

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Post-Market Review: 16:00 UTC+7 - 18:00 UTC+7

Reviewing the Day's Performance
After the markets close (typically from 16:00 UTC+7 to 18:00 UTC+7), day traders usually close out remaining positions, review their performance, analyzing each trade to identify successes and areas for improvement.

Journaling: A Key to Improvement
Many successful day traders keep detailed journals of their trades, recording not just numbers but also thought processes and emotional states. This practice helps identify patterns in trading behavior and refine strategies over time.

Planning for Tomorrow
After the trading day ends, traders often research potential trades for the next day, update watchlists, and stay informed about after-market news that could impact future trading.

The life of a day trader is a delicate balance of intense focus, disciplined decision-making, and continuous learning. While the potential for profit is alluring, success requires an unwavering commitment to risk management, emotional control, and strategic thinking.

Remember, education is key. Start with a demo account, learn from experienced traders, and always prioritize risk management. The journey of a day trader is one of perpetual growth and adaptation – are you ready for the challenge?


Note that this article is informational and does not constitute financial advice. Trading CFDs involves risk, so before trading, ensure you are proceeding with caution and careful consideration regarding your financial state.

Understanding the 24-Hour Forex Market
The forex market is the world's largest and most liquid financial market, trading trillions of dollars daily. One of the features that separates the forex market from other financial markets is its 24-hour market access. The party never ends except for weekends and particular holidays (Christmas and New Year’s Day).

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The forex market is open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week. There are four major forex trading sessions: London, New York, Sydney, and Tokyo. Each session opens 8 hours per day from Monday to Friday. Here you can view the open and close times of the 4 major forex trading sessions in GMT.



Notice that the trading session times can be impacted by summer time, also called daylight saving time (DST) and winter time. The trading hours will shift when some countries move into DST. And some countries, like Japan, do not observe DST. The summer trading hours start in April and run into October. Conversely, the winter trading hours begin in October and end in April.

Choosing the Right Time to Trade
But what are the optimal times to trade? Honestly, nobody trades 24 hours per day. Instead, many traders trade during overlaps in trading times between open markets. You can see the overlaps between sessions shown in the image below. These overlap sessions are considered active trading hours and the busiest times during the day.

 

The forex market is highly liquid, but overlapped trading sessions tend to have the highest liquidity levels, which means the bid/ask spread will be tighter and result in more reliable execution. With tight spreads, traders can get into a more desired position and speculate price movement at a lower cost. There is more volume when two markets are open which results in higher degrees of volatility and prices movement. And the most traded currency pairs, like EURUSD, will experience a wider average pip movement in the London-New York overlap session, creating more opportunities for traders.

The most active hours:
London-New York Sessions: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM GMT (DST)
Tokyo-London Sessions: 7:00 AM to 8:00 AM GMT (DST)
Sydney-Tokyo Sessions: 12:00 AM to 7:00 AM GMT (DST)

It’s suggested to verify these times during the summer time period. Slight variations can occur depending on different sessions.

Where to trade forex?
While navigating the 24-hour forex market can be intimidating, the right trading platform can make a huge difference. With tight spreads, zero commissions, and leverage up to 1000:1, JRFX provides traders with industry-leading trading conditions that can help them maximize their profits. Regulated by FCA, FSP, and BVIFSC, JRFX ensures the safety and security of its clients' funds. With a clean interface and 24/7 customer support, JRFX can help you easily start in the forex market.

Ready to trade? JRFX is ready for you!

Note that this article is informational and does not constitute financial advice. Trading CFDs involves risk, so before trading, ensure you are proceeding with caution and careful consideration regarding your financial state.

Reliability is one of the most important attributes when it comes to trading. Trading is not always about the winning. The transparency and security of your capital are crucial parts as well. That’s when regulation comes in. Generally, a well-regulated broker is equivalent to reliability and trustability. So today, we will introduce you to two of the most reputable bodies in the financial industry: FCA and ASIC.

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is the regulatory body responsible for overseeing the conduct of financial firms in the United Kingdom. Established in 2013, the FCA has three primary objectives: protecting consumers by ensuring financial products and services are sold fairly, protecting the integrity of the UK's financial markets, and promoting healthy competition between financial services providers.

To achieve these goals, the FCA has extensive powers, including creating rules that firms must follow, authorizing and supervising around 59,000 financial firms, investigating wrongdoing and taking enforcement action, and charging fees to fund its operations. FCA-licensed forex brokers are considered trustworthy since the brokers need to fulfill a minimum capital of €730,000 to maintain a license. Monthly reports and audits are required from the brokers to ensure the segregation of clients’ funds. FCA-licensed brokers aren’t allowed to manipulate trade practices and sabotage clients by giving unrealistic promises or risk-taking monetary benefits.

List of recommended brokers regulated under FCA
•   JRFX – Tight spread, $1 minimum deposit, Award-winning broker
•   IG Group – Abundant trading instruments
•   Tickmill – Low fees, MT4 and MT5, TradingView
•   FxPro – 70+ currency pairs, in-depth educational materials
•   Plus500 – No CFD commissions, multi-lingual customer support


Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is the regulator of Australia's financial markets and services, established as an independent Commonwealth Government body by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act of 2001.

ASIC's role includes registering and licensing financial services providers, maintaining public registries and databases, investigating suspected breaches and issuing enforcement actions, and regulating a broad scope encompassing Australian companies, financial markets, financial service organizations, and professionals. ASIC-licensed brokers are required a minimum share capital of AUD 1,000,000 to apply for a license. The maximum leverage for retail clients is 1:30. An AFSL license from ASIC is required for brokers who want to provide retail forex and CFD trading services to Australian residents. Similar to FCA, conducting audits and following specific operating guidelines are obliged by ASIC-licensed brokers.

List of recommended brokers regulated under ASIC
•   Pepperstone – Versatile trading app
•   IC Markets – Fast order execution, VPS hosting
•   FP Markets – Multiple tradeable assets
•   Eightcap – User-friendly trading interface
•   AvaTrade – Risk-reduction tool, multi-lingual customer support

The intention of regulations is to protect traders from scams and fraud. Regulatory bodies such as FCA, ASIC, and others play a significant role in ensuring participants hold a certain standard, strengthen reliability, and provide a safe trading environment for their clients.

Note that this article is informational and does not constitute financial advice. Trading involves risk, ensure you are proceeding with caution and careful consideration regarding your financial state.

Gold Price Trends Recently
On June 19, 2024, gold prices regained losses in the prior session to trade near $2,328/oz. As market participants waited anxiously for a slew of economic reports and comments from the Fed in the days ahead. Despite the little pullback, gold rose 12.52% since the beginning of 2024.

Geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, and cautious market expectations about the way ahead for monetary policy continue to factor into this round of gold price increases, reflecting ever-strengthening gold appeal.

What makes gold so popular?

Gold is undeniably one of the most popular investments—the ability of gold to hold value has long been recognized. Gold's rarity, combined with its difficulty in extraction, makes it a determinant of its historic role as a reliable store of wealth. Over the past few years, gold prices have continued rising as investors seek safe havens to diversify their portfolios and mitigate risk.

Learn How to Trade Gold.

Major forms for gold investment
When it comes to investing in gold, investors have a variety of options to choose from:

• Physical gold: This would fall under traditional holdings, which include gold coins, bars, jewelry, and collectibles. Investors feel secure about their investment by having physical gold, although proper storage and safe-keeping measures are required.

• Gold Securities: Through financial instruments, one can take part in the gold market by having gold mining stocks, mutual funds, and gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Such options bring ease of accessibility and liquidity to investors without the need for holding the physical metal.

• Gold Derivatives Trading Instruments: Sophisticated investors might be engaged in futures contracts, options, and gold CFDs. With these instruments, investors can speculate on price movements in gold or hedge against them without actual physical holding and generally with a lower capital requirement upfront.

The Underappreciated Advantages of Gold CFDs
While physical bullion and ETFs are still popular for the gold investor, gold CFDs have long been an underrated but vital alternative. Compared to other options, gold CFDs provide greater flexibility and accessibility.

Where to trade gold CFD?

Gold, much like most trading instruments, is very volatile. Not all investors are looking to benefit from the upward movement in gold prices. In this way, gold CFDs provide a clear advantage over other products. The ability of profiting from both rising and falling gold prices enables a trader to take advantage of market fluctuations.

Also, the entry barrier for gold CFDs is substantially more accessible than any other form of gold investment. Commission fees taken for trading gold are extremely small. Brokers, like JRFX, offer a minimal deposit of $1. Flexibility in 24/5 trading can contribute to the investor being responsive to world events and the ability to monitor one's trading at any time. The leverage, however, gives investors more extensive exposure to and participation in the gold market without laying out entire capital upfront, amplifying potential returns more efficiently.

Note that this article is informational and does not constitute financial advice. Trading CFDs involves risk, so before trading, ensure you are proceeding with caution and careful consideration regarding your financial state.

Forex trading is never easy, which is why many traders lose their money in this market. Many new traders are rushing into this and trying to make quick profits without preparations. This behavior can easily wipe out their capital. It is always suggested to start with a demo account to get some experience with this most volatile market.

Let’s put all these tricks, signals, and gimmicks aside to discuss something more important in risk management which in most cases, is the reason you’re not blowing your accounts. Focusing on the elements that you can actually control will bring your trading journey even further. Newbie traders often neglect the following three aspects of risk that can sabotage their trading.

1.   Weak trading plan
The main reason for losing money as a beginner can generally due to a weak trading plan which is associated with the inappropriate use of leverage. Leverage is great. It’s why traders like this game. But without proper control, it can cause significant losses. For instance, using 100:1 leverage on a $1,000 account means a mere 1% move against your position can wipe out your entire capital.

Another critical element is setting appropriate stop-loss and take-profit orders. We, as human beings, are emotional. And you can’t be more emotional when holding a position and watching your trades succeed. It is a slippery slope. Traders often refuse to cut losses or take profit when they’re winning. Eventually, the market will show how ruthless it is. Also, don’t be that trader who bets the farm on a single trade. Choosing the proper position sizing that aligns with your risk tolerance is also key to ensuring you don’t expose yourself.

2.    Market Execution and Liquidity Risks
Sometimes your risk might have nothing to do with your trading plan. It can come from the market and liquidity which beginners may not notice.

Imagine you get a stop-loss order set at, for instance, 1.2000 on a EURUSD trade. But due to higher volatility, your order gets executed at 1.1970 – that's slippage. There are also extreme cases like gapping, where the price just jumps and immunes your stop-loss. Carefully select the time you trade and properly place a limit order to minimize such risk.

Besides, the quality of your broker's execution can significantly impact your trading outcomes. Delays in order execution or poor price feeds can lead to missed opportunities and increased losses. Choose a broker with fast execution to minimize such risks.

3.   External Factors
As a beginner, it’s always suggested to keep one eye on the market and what’s happening around the world. Simply focusing on charts and your strategies can’t minimize your risk in a long run. Be aware of external factors like GDP, inflation, central bank policy as well as geopolitical events. All of the information can support your trading and help you prepare for the potential huge moves in the market.

Besides, counterparty risk is easily neglected by many newbies. Watching your broker run into financial trouble with your hard-earned money might be the last thing you want to see. It’s one thing to find a broker, it’s another thing to find a reliable and consistent one to secure your funds along the journey. Counterparty failures can result in the loss of funds or the inability to access trading platforms.

Disclaimer: Forex trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. It is essential to thoroughly understand the risks involved and seek professional advice before engaging in forex trading.

The booming of AI within tech giants
You’ve probably noticed the tech world buzzing lately with some huge moves from industry giants like Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia. The application of AI is getting more attention from these powerhouses and investors.
Just on May 20, 2024, Microsoft announced their new "Copilot+PCs" line integrating advanced AI capabilities. A few days before that we all saw Reddit stock rose nearly 11% after its partnership with OpenAI. Even Alphabet, with its massive $2 trillion market cap, is supercharging its AI features. The markets have reacted in a big way to all this AI momentum. But what’s that supposed to mean for investors?

What will you do as an investor?
Such a trend has already indicated some upside potential for investors. Over the past several months, equities of the likes of NVDA, GOOG, and AAPL have been on quite a tear. Of course, buying shares of the big AI gamers would be one obvious approach. Holding stocks like MSFT or GOOG could be a smart long-term play, with these companies well placed to ride future growth and innovation driven by AI. Or you could gain broad tech exposure through index funds and related ETFs. But there could be another way that offers more flexibility.

Seize the opportunity with CFD
Trading contracts for difference (CFDs) could be the way to capitalize on this trend in the tech industry. In CFD trading, you can take positions on individual tech stocks or the broad market indices. Rather than funding large sums to purchase shares outright, CFDs enable you to control full exposure to an asset for just a fraction of the capital. This way, you can optimize your chances of making profits on this AI-related growth trend. You can also go long or short on thousands of global markets, giving you the opportunity to profit from either an up-trend or a down-trend in tech stocks, indices, and more.

To start trading CFD and seize the potential opportunity in tech sectors, JRFX could be the platform for you. With JRFX, you can trade CFDs on stocks like MSFT, IBM, and more. JRFX is a regulated broker with over 13 years of industry experience, providing exceptional trading experience with a user-friendly interface, 24/7 customer support, insightful educational content, and so on. With JRFX, you can maximize your potential returns with its competitive pricing, tight spreads, and 0 commission fee.

As AI reshapes industries, JRFX provides the necessary tools for investors to seize this upcoming transformation. Open an account today and let this broker be your gateway to trading the future of innovation.

CFD trading carries a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all investors. It is crucial to have a full understanding of the risks involved and to manage your exposure responsibly. This article does not constitute financial advice, and readers are encouraged to seek professional guidance before engaging in CFD trading.

How to grasp the opportunity as Japan ended its negative rate policy?

Japan ended its negative interest rate policy
On March 19, 2024, the Bank of Japan announced it would raise interest rates for the first time since 2007, moving off its first-ever policy of negative rates that it began using nearly two decades ago to boost the economy. The Bank of Japan increased its overnight borrowing rate for banks to a range of between 0 and 0.1%, from minus 0.1%. Backed by the April policy meeting and economists' poll, it indicates another interest rate hike in 2024. This policy change is not only of interest to Japan's economic condition but has spillover impacts on a number of sectors.

How has it influenced the markets?
The BOJ's seismic policy shift will resonate across financial markets. The economy will have to adjust after having interest rates held down at low levels by negative rates for so many years. Here are the main affected markets.

•   Currency markets: Japan’s new policy has been affecting the weakness of its currency. the Japanese Yen plunged dramatically and hit a 34-year low against the US dollar on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. In the forex trading industry, huge market volatility has been witnessed by the investors in the past few weeks.
•   Stock market: Higher interest rates would raise the cost to business of borrowing money, which would in turn reduce corporate profits and result in lower stock prices. Investors who have an excessive allocation to Japanese equities might witness a decline in the value of their holdings.
•   Bond Market: Fixed income is very interest rate-related. Yields on Japanese government bonds are expected to rise from their extremely low levels under “yield curve control”.

Moreover, this change in policy will also have a significant impact on real estate, consumer expenditure, insurance, pension funds, etc. With a view to planning a fresh rate hike, this is likely to carry a huge impact in the long-term.

What can we do as investors?
With substantial changes taking shape across global financial systems, all investors would be wise to evaluate their portfolios carefully. The individual holding in the portfolio should be scrutinized for those that have exposures to Japanese markets or currency fluctuation. Reinvestment in Japanese bonds or other fixed-income securities can bring attractive yields under today's rate policy. Further, the weakening Yen of Japan is potentially creating opportunities in the forex market for those trading in highly volatile pairs like USDJPY, which could bring exponential returns. Ultimately, any investment decisions should be along the lines of a risk profile and goals.

For investors looking for opportunities in forex trading, partnering with a reliable broker can make things easier. JRFX is an online regulated broker offering a wide range of trading instruments, including currency pairs like USDJPY, CADJPY, GBPJPY, and many others. Zero commissions and competitive spreads, combined with 24/7 customer support, makes JRFX indeed one of the best choices among many for global investors.


The information provided is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. Trading CFDs carries risk, and investors should carefully evaluate their risk tolerance and conduct independent research.