All About Guerrilla Trading

 The world of Forex is a fast-paced market based on trends, trading and skill. While there are all kinds of strategies for Forex traders of all skill levels, there are some that are reserved for the more experienced. These types of trading involve an advanced knowledge of the ins and outs of the market to become truly successful. One such type is "guerrilla trading." Read on to learn more about this nimble advanced trading method.



So, what exactly is guerrilla trading? This is a type of trading that requires traders to be nimble and dart in the market and out of the market in short trading sessions to get quick profits while trying to retain minimal risks. Theses sessions tend to be shorter than those of scalpers and day traders. The only systems that have shorter time frames than these systems are high frequency systems.



The goal of a guerrilla trader is to earn low absolute profits for every trade. They must do this while trading multiple times in a session in order to get substantial gain. This gain is then used to justify any short-term trading risks.



There are several characteristics of a guerilla trading system. One is that they have incredibly short trading times that last maybe a few minutes to prevent too large a risk. By keeping profits smaller, they keep risk lower maybe keeping pips between 10 and 20. They try to keep potential losses between 5 and 10 pips. They perform a large number of trades; generally around 20 or 25 in one trading session when the conditions for frenzied trading are ideal. This system relies on technical analysis to time trades and may use 1-minute or tick charts fort pinpointing ideal exit and entry trading points. By keeping low commissions and spreads with the high-volume trading and low returns, this system is limited to major currency pairs that might have larger profits, but lower liquidity. Only experienced traders will truly understand enough to use this type of system by having years of trading under their belt so that they know how survive in the market. This type of rapid-fire trading could cause a novice to lose all of their capital in a couple sessions. Lastly, this system is reliant on calculated risk-taking that uses stop-loss on a trade with just a few pips. If the market is too aggressive or the loss risk is too high, they know when to stay on the sidelines.



Even if you are an experienced Forex trader, guerrilla trading may not be right for you. It takes an individual that can make decisions quick in a fickle market to boost their gains and reduce their losses. You must be emotionally detached from your trades and not regret making any of them. You have to have enough risk capital and know the proper amount to risk in total and individual trades. You must also have years of experience handling your own in high-pressure trading situations.



Guerrilla trading is a great quick trading option for those that have been in the Forex game a long time. While not a system recommended for new traders, it can work well for those seasoned traders that carry certain traits and want to earn quickly while keeping risks lower.

A Managed Forex Account

These are forex accounts that are not traded by you, but by a money manager on your behalf.  This is a similar situation to employing an investment advisor to trade equities and bonds on your behalf.  It is suitable for use if you do not have sufficient knowledge or time to trade yourself.  Many traders do not want to learn the often complex and intricate mechanisms of this large financial market.  Individuals who prefer having a professional manage their funds would prefer this type of account. 



The Advantages of a Managed Forex Account



One of the most important advantages of a managed forex account is that your money is held by your broker and not by your manager.  This gives the money manager the responsibility to do the trades for you, but he or she will not have the authority to withdraw money from your account.



The other advantages linked to this type of account are:

• Large brokerages offer you extensive experience in this market which you have access to.  Your money manager will inspect your portfolio on a regular basis and diversify your investments if necessary.

• You do not need to have experience in the forex market as your manager will be doing your trades.  This provides you with a knowledge base based on practical experience which is to your advantage.

• You will normally receive a daily report on all the positions you currently hold.

• The possibility of showing profits irrespective of the state of the market is increased by using this type of account.

• Through your money manager, you will have access to the market 24 hours of every day.  If you choose to trade personally, there is always the possibility that you may miss out on a profitable trade because you were not online at the time.



Disadvantages of a Managed Forex Account



Since you are not personally managing your account, you may face several risks.  The risk of being scammed is high as you may have chosen to use an untrustworthy broker.  You may be assigned a money manager who is incompetent and this could cause you to lose funds.



Scammers should be quite easy to recognize as they will constantly request deposits from you.  Their main aim is to get as much money out of you as possible.  To avoid this risk, obtain details from your broker as to the manner in which your account will be managed. 



Check if you have been assigned a normal account as the account will then be a personal one and in your name.  This means that all the funding you put in will go to the broker.  If you are assigned to a pooled account, your funds are normally sent directly to the money manager who is responsible for pooling funds received from various clients into an account that he or she controls.



One of the scariest aspects of a managed forex account is that you could lose all your money through incompetence.  To avoid this, you should ensure that you read and understand your contract before you sign on the bottom line.  You must be aware of who will be handling your account and the methods they intend using.