Forex vs stocks: what you should know

Investing in Assets – A Way to Make Money

Investing is a way to make money from your assets like stocks and shares or foreign currency. 

There are many different types of assets you can invest in, but there is always the good with the bad; each purchase has advantages and disadvantages. 

Some examples of investments include: 

  • Real estate  
  • Oil 
  • Diamonds 
  • Food Items.

Two Different Methods for Making Money

There are two ways that you can earn money from investing in an asset: buying low and selling high or waiting until an asset’s value increases over time. 

These methods would be considered “active” investment strategies, while leaving an asset alone would be a passive approach to investing money. 

The most popular way for making money in the stock market is by buying low and selling high; this is known as “buy and hold”.

Forex vs stocks: What you should know in Japan

When it comes to Forex trading, Japan is one of the most popular countries globally. 

The yen is a primary currency, which means that coins are always available to trade against it. In addition, Japanese traders have access to some of the industry’s best trading platforms and tools. 

However, when it comes to stocks, things are a bit different.

The first thing you need to understand about stocks in Japan is that they are not as liquid as Forex pairs. 

This means that it can be harder to find a buyer or seller in the marketplace when you need one. This is especially true for stocks in small-cap companies, which are not as heavily traded as larger blue chips.

One of the biggest reasons Forex trading is so prevalent in Japan is that it offers tools and assets that allow traders to be active investors. [It] was once hazardous for people to buy and hold stocks. 

For example, if a person bought shares and had them until they expired without selling them, the company could go out of business, and the investor would lose their money. 

That isn’t a risk with Forex because all transactions between two currencies always happen; we can say that there’s no chance to lose your money at any time (because your capital is always at risk in every trade).

In Japan, the stock market is still seen as where people can make money by sitting back and doing nothing. This is primarily because dividends are a big part of Japanese stock investing, and most companies offer healthy payouts. On the other hand, Forex traders typically focus on capital gains rather than dividends.

As you can see, there are pros and cons to investing in both Forex and stocks. It’s essential to understand what each one offers before deciding which one is right for you. 

Advantages of both Forex and Stock Trading

When it comes to trading, you can go a couple of ways: Forex or stocks. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on the country you’re trading in.

Forex trading is the buying and selling of currencies to make a profit. This can be done through a broker or dealer, who will offer you a margin account. 

You can borrow money from the broker to trade more currency pairs with a margin account. The downside of Forex trading is that your losses can be greater than your original investment if the market moves against you.

Forex trading is not available in Japan at this moment. Only through a licensed broker.

Stocks are traded through publicly held companies, which release stores to the public via an exchange. When you trade stocks, you buy and sell fractions of a company’s equity. 

The prices of stocks fluctuate over time because the market uses past performance to indicate what it will be in the future. 

When demand goes up for these shares, their price goes up too – but if there is no demand for them, share prices go down instead. Stocks can also be bought using margin accounts to amplify your returns on investment by borrowing money from your broker or dealer. 

As with Forex trading, losses can be greater than your original investment if the market moves against you.

Stock trading is available in Japan and is regulated by the Financial Services Agency (FSA).

So, what’s the verdict? 

For Forex trading, Japan is not yet open to the public. However, for stocks, Japan offers a regulated platform for stock trading that investors can use to buy and sell shares of publicly traded companies. Look into Saxo Bank US Stocks to start trading.

Depending on your investment goals, it might be worth considering both options and assessing which one would work best for you. 

Forex trading as an emotional experience – why psychology matters 

Do you know what is the essential element without which success in forex is almost impossible? Are you interested in trading like a real professional and make it your long-term career? If so, you have to be aware of one crucial thing, without which no notable and profound success is possible. It’s called “trading psychology”.

As you know, Forex trading refers to foreign exchange trading of two currencies. It’s done via a reputable and regulated forex broker on the most liquid financial market in the world. Forex has gained much popularity over the past few years since it allows every individual to make good money.   

But, what is so special about Forex trading psychology? Why does it matter so much for traders? There are many reasons why psychology is a critical factor in trading, and in this text, we will explain everything in more detail. Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? 

The critical element that keeps traders going for the long haul

Trading psychology represents a specific area that many traders tend to overlook and underestimate, especially at the beginning of their trading career. Nevertheless, seasoned traders have spent years and years in the Forex market, trying to understand how successful traders managed to keep going for the long haul.

The most common answer they got was – trading psychology. It’s no secret that Forex trading psychology is known to be a powerful emotional experience, and one must be in control of it. Otherwise, a trader who loses control of his emotions risks being controlled by them.

It would help if you never ignored trading psychology because mental processes strongly influence trading decisions. 

How exactly are you making Forex trading decisions? 

We will introduce you to two different scenarios of how psychology influences trading decisions. Let’s start with scenario number one, shall we? 

The first scenario 

Say you have £50,000 in your account. You have two options – to keep that amount of money or take your chance. When we say “take a chance”, we mean flipping a coin and choosing the right side. If you choose the right side of the coin, you win double time, which is £100,000. 

What do you think you’ll do in this situation? Would you take the money or give it a shot? This is a 50/50 Odds/Chance.

Let’s see scenario number two.

The second scenario

This scenario is different from the first since you’d have two other options – to pay £50,000 or take a chance. In this case, you throw a coin. In case you lose, you need to pay £100,000. So, what do you plan to do if this happens? Would you like to pay £50,000 or take your chance?

Resume of both scenarios

These scenarios were done as an experiment amongst people, in general. In scenario number 1, the result was that people would take the money in the first scenario, while in the second scenario, the great majority would take a risk.

So, what does it all mean? It means that this experiment is an excellent example of how the majority of people will tend to risk aversion and cutting profits when they possess them. It also shows that they are more likely to take chances in risky situations.

The vast majority of us would easily cut profits very early and let losses run. It is the opposite of what is necessary to do successful trading.

We have two parts of the mind – the intuitive and the deliberate one.

The problem lies in the fact that humans have two aspects of thinking. We all have the intuitive and the deliberate parts of the mind. So, the intuitive one, as the name suggests, is the automatic, effortless, and fast part of the thinking process.

On the other hand, the deliberate part is more rational, logical, and slower. It requires much more mental effort. While doing Forex trading, we want to strengthen the relationship between these two types of minds to be steady for our trading.

Conclusion

If we want to control our trading, we have to be in control of our emotions. It’s essential to understand how our mental processes and emotions affect our Forex trading. Once we get a clearer picture of how to do so, we can hope for a long-term successful trading career.