Rollovers are unique to the currency markets. Rollovers are transactions where an open position from one settlement date is rolled over to the next settlement date. Rollovers represent the intersection of interest rate markets and forex markets.

Keep this in mind what you are trading is in fact the good old cash. Currency is money after all. So when you talk of money, interest rates naturally come into play. Rollover rates depend on the difference between the interest rates of the two currencies in the pair that you are trading.

When you are long on a currency, it is like having a deposit in a bank account. If you are short, its like take a loan from the bank. Just as you would expect to earn interest on a bank deposit and pay interest on a loan, you should expect an interest gain or an interest expense on holding a currency position over time.

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Crosses enable currency traders to directly target trades to specific individual currencies to take advantage of news or events. The most active traded crosses focus on the three non USD currencies (EUR, JPY, GBP) and are known as the euro crosses, yen crosses and the sterling crosses. The most actively traded cross currency pairs are: EUR/CHF, EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY, AUD/JPY and NZD/JPY.

You may notice that the currencies are combined in a seemingly strange way when you look up at the currency pairs. For instance, if sterling-yen (GBP/JPY) is a yen cross, why it is not being also referred to as yen-sterling (JPY/GBP)? The answer is that those quoting conventions were evolved over the years. These conventions have been designed to reflect traditionally strong currencies versus traditionally weak currencies with the strong currency coming first.

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A whipsaw breakout usually occurs when there is a lack of momentum or the breakout is small and weak. Whipsaw takes place when prices move out of a price range, then back into the price range and then breaks out of the level again, stopping both breakout traders and faders at least once.

Reasonably placed stops can help preserve your capital when the price breakout does not go your way. Some times the price action is so choppy that it is better to stay out of the market. Breakouts all carry some risk of failure.

Successful trading of a reversal breakout obviously means massive profits in the shortest possible time. However, things are not that simple as they seem on the surface. How do you know if a breakout is going to reverse the current trend?

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A breakout typically occurs when the currency price moves beyond the period of consolidation or range trading. Who doesnt want to reap massive profits from a big price move in a short time? This is what breakout trading can provide you.

Even though breakouts are known to be technically unstable, there are times when trading the breakout can be very profitable. When the price moves above or below a support or resistance level whether temporarily or permanently, a breakout occurs.

You will have to take into account many market factors including both the technical and the fundamental analysis in order to trade breakouts with a higher probability of success.

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Suppose you believe that the currency prices will not be able to follow through action in the direction of the breakout. Fading breakouts refers to trading against breakouts. When we believe that breakouts from support and resistance levels to be false and unsustainable we fade breakouts.

Fading breakouts tends to be more effective as a short term strategy. It is not meant to be a long term strategy. False breakouts are also known as fakeouts. False breakouts are a bane for breakout traders but boon for breakout faders.

Support and resistance are seen as the price floor and the price ceiling respectively. Support level attracts the buyers enthusiasm for higher bids and prevents the price from falling further. The resistance level attracts the sellers enthusiasm for shorting. It prevents the price action from advancing higher.

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Lets take the analogy of a cricket team. There are 11 players in each team in the match. All players are talented and super fit. Everyone can throw and catch the ball. Everyone is a hard hitter. However some are more skilled at balling. Others are more skilled at batting. Not many runs will be made and the match will be lost if the baller is going to do the job of the batter. Not knowing what type of a trader you are can make or break your trading career. Determining your trading style is very important right from the beginning.

In general there are three type of trading styles: Position trading, swing trading and day trading. Investing in the currency markets or stock markets is also the same. It depends on your personality makeup what type of trading is best suited to you. You need to know what type of trading style is for you.

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There are 100s of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and HOLDRS covering key industry benchmarks such as the various Standard & Poor (S&P) Indexes, Russell Indexes or the Dow Jones Products. There are other ETFs that cover the other less well known narrow based sectors.

For example, SPY tracks the Standard & Poors S&P 500 Composite Index. It is the largest of the ETFs. You should know the major indexes as an investor that are either key benchmarks or have ETFs tied to them.

Standard & Poor: Standard & Poor (S&P) has been providing independent and objective financial information, analysis and research for nearly 140 years. It is the financial services segment of the McGraw Hill companies.

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Commodities, namely gold and oil, have a strong correlation with currency markets. By understanding the relationship between gold, oil and currency pairs, forex traders can gauge risk, forecast price changes as well as understand exposure.

Gold and oil essentially tend to move based on almost similar fundamental factors that affect currency markets. Four major currencies, the Australian Dollar, the New Zealand Dollar, the Canadian Dollar and the Swiss Franc are considered to be commodity currencies.

The NZD, CAD, AUD, and CHF all have strong connection with gold prices. Natural gold reserves and currency laws in these countries result in almost mirror like movements. The CAD also tends to move with the oil prices.

However, the correlation is not that strong. Each one of these currencies has a correlation with gold and oil and the fundamental reasons of doing so.

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