What is currency trading? This is perhaps one of the most common heard questions, in the light of the recent increase in popularity of foreign exchange trade as a mode of investment. Fuelled by the growth of the internet as a means of telecommunication, the foreign exchange market is the largest in the world, with an estimated daily trade turnover in excess of $3.2 trillion. In any case, what is currency trading all about in the first place? Why the hype? Let this article tell you all about it.

- Buying and Selling Currencies

At the most basic level, currency trading or the trade in foreign exchange, is centered upon the buying and selling of currencies of different countries in the foreign exchange markets. When you participate in trade in the foreign exchange markets, you are in essence using the currency of a particular country to purchase currency belonging to another country.

For instance, when you purchase the Euro, you would have to make your payment using another currency, for example, the American dollar. Should the value of the Euro increase relative to the American dollar after your purchase, you would have earned a profit, as for the same amount of Euros; you would now be able to exchange a greater quantity of the American dollar.

- Anytime, Anywhere

Unlike other forms of investments such as stocks, the foreign exchange market in which currency trading is carried out, is organized as an over-the-counter market. This means that much of the trading takes place via advanced telecommunication networks, linking buyers from different parts of the world to sellers. As a result, trade can take place at any location around the world round the clock, five days a week.

Yet, to participate in trade, you would need to set up a trading account. This is often done via the internet. A foreign exchange account can often be set up over the internet with relative ease. Simply run a search for "foreign exchange brokers" on search engines such as Google and Yahoo, and you would be presented with an endless list of online foreign exchange brokers.

- Choosing an Online Broker

Choose the one that best suits you, and you are now ready to begin trading in foreign exchange. However, it is important that your online broker is someone registered with the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) as a FCM (Futures Commission Merchant). This is to prevent yourself from falling prey to online trading scams that could disappear without a trace with your hard earned savings.

Lastly, it is important to understand that success in foreign exchange trading is by no means a game of luck. Treating the foreign exchange market as a Monte Carlo casino is often the surefire way for failure. It is important for you to increase your financial literacy by reading voraciously on the various investment strategies used by those who have achieved success. Critical analysis and research is above all, necessary before making each trade. Ultimately, you would need these in order for you to make wise investment decisions in order to achieve the returns you desire.