Wednesday, May 13, 2009

What is Forex?

The off-exchange retail foreign currency market ("forex") describes the purchase of a particular currency from an individual or institution and the simultaneous sale of another currency at the equivalent value or current exchange rate. Essentially, the process of exchanging one currency for another is a simple trade based on the current rates of the two currencies involved.

At the core level of the world's need for money exchange is the international traveler. When traveling from the US to England, for example, you will of course need the local currency to pay for transportation, food, and so on. Upon arrival at the airport you will surrender (sell) your US Dollars in order to receive (buy) the equivalent in British Pounds. In this example, you sold the USD and bought the GBP, conversely the forex counter bought the USD and sold the GBP. The prices at which you buy and sell currencies are known as exchange rates. This rate or price fluctuates based on demand and on political and economic events surrounding each country's currency.

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