Good Morning,
In today’s article, we will be discussing the benefits of having a demonstration (Demo) Account. We will be covering why you should download a demo account, how to go about doing it and setting one up.
We will also briefly touch on the psychological aspects of using a demo account and how it can help you to be prepared for the live market, and approach it with the right mentality, rather than losing your way and abandoning your strategies.
FIRSTLY, WHY NEW TRADERS SHOULD SET UP A TRIAL ACCOUNT
There’s one thing you need to remember, the foreign exchange market is the biggest in the world with a daily volume of over $5 trillion. Trying to trade this market without any practise is asking to throw your money down the drain.
Having a demo account will enable you to get used to certain platforms as well as test out your skills without being punished by the market. It doesn’t take long and within a few minutes, you will have your forex demo account set up.
APPLY FOR YOUR FREE FOREX FOR BEGINNERS COURSE AND FOREX PLATFORM TODAY!
WHAT IS A FOREX DEMO ACCOUNT?
A forex demo account will enable you to trade the markets as a simulation without having to put any of your own capital at risk. It’s completely free and will allow you to use the broker and forex platforms before investing in them.
THE BENEFITS OF A DEMO ACCOUNT
Any experienced trader will tell you to try a demo account first before diving into the market. Having a demo trading platform will allow you to be able to train yourself in trading by practising. As the saying goes practise makes perfect. At Platinum, we would always recommend using a demo whilst training with us on our trading program, this is to ensure you are not making mistakes with your hard-earned cash.
Familiarising yourself with a trading platform is key to being consistent, as having the platform be second nature for you to use will be necessary. You can practise with the different tools and orders before having to use them for real.
The Types of Platforms you can use:
Meta Trader 4
Meta Trader 5
Also, interactive brokers will allow you to trade on demos using their online-based platforms too.
DEALING WITH PSYCHOLOGY
The majority of beginner traders have no idea how large role emotions play when you are trading, and this is why many fail. Using a demo brings you back down to earth as you learn you won’t win every trade and you will make losses too. You will better be able to deal with losses once you’ve spent time honing your skills and emotions on a demo before trading live.
DEVELOPING STRATEGIES
The main reason people use demos is to develop different strategies in their trading portfolio, trying a new strategy on the live market is a big risk, if you make a mistake, real money is on the line. Being able to test them is key, and every trader should take note of this no matter how experienced they are.
FINDING A ROUTINE AROUND YOUR LIFESTYLE
Most retail traders have full-time jobs and finding time for trading can be tricky, this ties into testing strategies but is still important. Having a demo, to begin with will enable you to find the best routine of charting and trading around your full-time job. The forex market is a 24-hour market; therefore, you can test your skills out at all sorts of times of the day. Use a demo to find when works best for you.
THE BEST PRACTICE TO USE A FOREX DEMO ACCOUNT
The biggest thing with a demo account is to trade it just like you would trade a live account. This means having the exact same amount to start with as you would with a live account, this is key. You should set up the trading plan the exact same way with no alterations. You want all the variables to be the same so when it comes to living, it’s a smooth transition.
Focus on which currency pairs you will be trading, the risk at which you will be trading them, the times of the day you will trade and what strategies you will be using.
ENSURE YOU ARE KEEPING TRACK OF TRADES
Having a trading journal will enable you to understand what strategies are working and what type of risk management will provide you with the results you are looking for. As mentioned it should be traded the same way as a live account, therefore if you return 5% on a demo this will give you a realistic return on a live account.
Always be honest with your results as this will help you transition in live trading easier rather than having false expectations.
CONCLUSION
Having a demo trading platform is a no-brainer and every trader should have one as they start out in their journey, even as experienced traders we will use them when testing out new strategies. Trade the demo just like the live account and trust the process! Trading is a marathon, not a sprint!
APPLY FOR YOUR FREE FOREX FOR BEGINNERS COURSE AND FOREX PLATFORM TODAY!
Hopefully, you have enjoyed today’s article. Thanks for reading!
Have a fantastic day!
Nisha Patel
Live from the Platinum Trading Floor.