The daily transactions on the Forex, or foreign exchange markets, are so vast that they dwarf the total amount of money invested in stock markets across the globe. With over two trillion dollars in daily volume, the Forex is the most significant of the global monetary marketplaces

Since the introduction of the Euro to the world currency mix, the Forex has seen exponential growth. Add the rise of the Internet, and what had been the exclusive domain of the world's great banks, financial institutions and super wealthy with at least a million dollars to invest became available to small investors who had PCs, Internet connections, and a few thousands of dollars in risk capital.

There is a very wide mix of entities, from individual brokers to corporations to governments, engaged in currency dealing through Forex online trading. And the currency market, because it does not operate form a single physical exchange like the NYSE, is ideal for Forex online trading. There are, of course, cites around the globe with large numbers of Forex brokers, and the advent of Forex online trading has connected all of them electronically. Forex online trading is now conducted around the clock every day of the year.

Forex Pre-Internet
In pre-Internet days, Forex business was conducted over the telephone and the only way in which individual investors could participate was to go to their bank and have a banker place their currency trade, or phone the bank to request that it be placed. For most of its history, the currency market saw very little individual involvement.

But Forex online trading has changed all that. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of individual investors have taken advantage of their around-the-clock online access and, just like larger institutions, are now engaging in Forex online trading twenty-four hours a day. Geography no longer matters, because business hours are always ongoing somewhere in the world.

Forex Trading Today
Forex traders can now have a hands-on role in their investments by continually observing market trends so that they can close their Forex online trading positions when the market turns against them. Forex online trading has also benefited from improvements in encryption technology, making investors feel more secure about having money online.

Forex online trading, in short, has become big business. And every big business will eventually spawn cottage business; Forex online trading is not different. There are now hundreds of websites offering advice and software designed to improve an investor's chance of success in the Forex online trading game.

But you should make sure, before you decide to give your money to any Forex online trading site, that its software is compatible with your PC's operating system. And take the time to comparison shop for commission fees. You'd be surprised to know how widely they can vary among brokers. And above all else, find out how the broker intends to let withdraw your Forex online trading earnings.