Articles of Interest

CFD providers all have very different margin rates some offer margins from 1% others start at 5% but are margin rates really important in a well balanced CFD trading strategy?

CFD providers will vary their margin rates depending on the product over which the CFD is based, for example foreign exchange CFDs are typically offered at around 1% margin, the reason for this is simply because the foreign exchange market is the biggest and most liquid market in the world and the risk of currencies gapping is minimal. On the other hand the margin rates on share CFDs will typically vary between 5% to around 35%, the reason for higher share CFD margin rates is because shares tend to be less liquid than currencies. CFD providers will assess the risk of each share CFD individually and adjust the margin to cover the likelihood of the share gapping in volatile market conditions.

In determining the margin rates on share CFDs, CFD providers will generally look at liquidity of the stock, its market capitalisation and its historical price movements. Based on these three main criteria in addition to a few other factors a margin rate will be determined. It is important to note that some CFD providers may offer CFDs on 100% margin allowing them to provide a greater range of CFDs but providing no real benefit to the client.

Index CFDs offered by many CFD providers are a great way of gaining exposure to the overall market without having to buy futures contracts or a basket of shares. Index CFDs are typically offered on margin rates of 1% to 2%, the margin rate will vary depending on the index being traded. 

So how do CFD margin rates affect you?
Of course the lower the margin rate the better you are able to utilise the money in your CFD trading account thus your return on investment (RIO) will be greater, however as CFDs are leveraged instruments it’s not advisable to utilise the full amount of your deposit as margin, doing so would put you at risk of a margin call or even liquidation.

Typically with a good trading and risk management plan in place most CFD traders will allocate one third of their account balance to meet the margin requirements for their open positions, one third will be allocated to meet the margin requirements on intraday positions or opportunistic trades, the last one third remains on call to meet any additional margin requirements on open positions.

In Conclusion
Yes, CFD margin rates are important however leverage is only one of the many tools in a CFD trader’s arsenal and should be used in conjunction with a proper risk management plan and well balanced portfolio. No matter the amount of leverage you are provided if you do not have a trading strategy in place you will not be a successful trader.

To learn more about CFD margin rates and how to develop a trading plan you can download our free CFD Guide.

Incorporating a proper risk management plan into you CFD trading strategy is the single most important aspect of CFD trading. Risk management involves determining the amount of money that you wish to allocate to each trade to ensure that you are able to continue trading should you sustain a loss on the position.
 
Trading CFDs without a proper risk management strategy can expose you to unnecessary risk. For example, if you allocate a large portion of your trading capital to a trade without a proper risk management strategy, you put all of your trading capital at risk meaning that if you sustain a loss you will no longer be in a position to trade. Losing your entire capital base can force you out of the market and you will not even have the opportunity to recoup your losses.
 
The most common form of risk management is position sizing this is also known as the fixed dollar trade size model. In this example an equal amount of capital is used for each trade.

For example, if you have $100,000 to invest, you need to figure out how much to put into the trade. To figure this out you would simply divide $100,000 by the price of the CFD. If the last traded price of the CFD was $8.50 you would divide this by $100,000 to determine the amount of CFDs you can buy, in this case the number would be 11,764. 

In order to determine the amount of risk involved in the trade you will have to work out how much you can afford to lose if the CFD moves against you and set your stop loss at this point. This is also known as the stop loss distance, which is the distance between the entry and stop loss price.

For example, if your stop loss is $8.00 and entry price was $8.50, this means that your stop loss distance would be $0.50. If you have 10,000 CFDs your risk would be 10,000 multiplied by $0.50 or $5,000. In this case your risk would be $5000, which equates to the amount that you could lose should the trade move against you and you get stopped out. 

It is also important to factor in the cost of commission and any financing charges that you may have been incurred from holding the position overnight.

In the fixed dollar trade size model the number of CFDs that that you buy and sell each time will not always be the same, this is because the stop loss size will vary depending on the risk appetite that you have on the trade.

Another form of risk management is compounding, this means that as your account balance increases, you are able to open larger positions.

For example, if you have a starting balance of $100,000 and you have determined that you can afford to have 10 trades open at any given time. As your account balance grows, you will be able to take on larger trades. This strategy can be used up to a point when your drawdown gets too big for your liking and risk appetite.

It is also important to note that if you are trading a CFD that has liquidity issues, you may get to a point where your trade sizes are too large.

To understand more about CFD trading and how you can manage your risk you can download our free CFD Guide.

Before you start trading Contracts for difference it is important to obtain a few tips from the professionals to make sure that you do not make many of the costly mistakes that newbie traders make. Below are three trading pointers which will help you in your CFD trading success.

1. Manage your Positions
Repeatedly new traders spend a significant amount of time selecting, planning and executing new positions, however they regularly make the mistake of exiting these trades with much less thought. This is unfortunate as it is the exit which will determine whether a trade has been profitable or not.

It is human nature to take profits hastily while the concern of incurring a loss will see the same trader leaving poorly performing positions open in the hope that prices will move in the correct direction and reduce losses or even turn them into profitable trades.

Numerous new traders forget about the old saying “Let your profits run and cut your losses short”. As the proverb states if you have a profitable position, it is best to allow that trade to realize its full potential, as opposed to closing it out at the very first sign of a small return. On the other hand, if you happen to hold a position that is moving against you, it is best to move quickly to exit that position, before the loss becomes too great.

If you're managing your trades properly, your average winning trade should be significantly larger than your average losing trade. Once you have the discipline to buy and sell in this way, you should be able to achieve overall profitability even when only half of your trades are winners. A lot of traders make the mistake of not closing poorly performing positions fast enough. One tool that makes this less complicated is a stop-loss order.

After you have determined a price level that corresponds with the amount of risk that you are prepared to take on a particular trade, a stop-loss order can be placed at this level to automatically close out the trade. This removes the human aspect from the exit, reducing the risk that the emotion of hope will interfere with rational decision making.

It is important to understand that a stop-loss order simply provides a trigger point for the execution of an order. If a sell stop has been placed on a long position, the stop-loss will be activated if the price trades at or beneath the nominated stop level. Occasionally, this may lead to trades being executed a price that is less favorable than the nominated stop-loss price. This is known as slippage.

2. Understand the instrument that you're trading
Being over-the-counter products, there are various differences in the contract specifications of CFDs. If you are thinking of trading these products, it is critical to know what these specifications are.

You must also be aware of the influence that foreign exchange fluctuations might have on your holdings. If the base currency of the CFD rises against the base currency of your account your profits could be eroded by any currency fluctuation or your losses might be made worse.

Most CFD traders trade CFDs based on stocks listed in their home country. The simple reason for this is that traders are more comfortable trading CFDs that they're familiar with. Most traders also benefit from the convenience of trading their home market as it isn't practical to sit up for half the night to trade a Contract for difference over a share listed on an exchange in another part of the world?

In lots of cases it is much better to stick with CFDs based on equities listed on exchanges that you're familiar with as opposed to trading Contracts for difference based on stocks listed on markets you don't fully understand.

3. Use the correct order types
You should treat trading as a serious business. As such, you must take some time to make sure that you thoroughly understand the tools of your business. Many CFD traders miss chances or have been stopped up out of trades at the wrong time just because they placed the wrong kind of order.
                   
At the very least, be certain to become familiar with the following order types:

Market order: This kind of order is utilized to execute a trade at the present market price.

Stop-order: This order type is utilized to exit a trade at a specific price. Stop-orders are placed at a level that's worse than prices presently available in the market. On a long position, the stop-loss order to sell would be located below the present market price. Conversely, on a short position, the stop-loss order to buy would be placed at a level greater than present market prices.

Limit order: A limit order is used to exit a trade. Limit orders are placed at a level that is better than the present market price. When seeking to lock-in profits on an open long position, a limit order to sell would be placed at a level greater than current market prices. If seeking to lock-in profits on a short position, a limit order to buy would be placed at a level underneath current market prices.

You must always understand that as Contracts for difference are leveraged and that buying and selling them can be risky. However if used correctly Contracts for difference will become a valuable tool within your trading arsenal.

To find out more about CFDs you can download our complimentary CFD Guide.

Many amateur CFD traders start trading the hard way without learning from experienced traders who have made all the expensive errors traders make on their path to success. To help you understand the most common errors made by traders and to prevent you from making the same errors with your own money we've outlined a few common mistakes below.

1. Trading for the incorrect reasons
Most people will commence trading with the intention of making a return from day one. However, there are a few people who trade for entertainment. If you are serious about making a profit, it's important that you treat your trading like a business. Those who invest for entertainment will be lucky if they make money, in reality more often than not they will lose.

2. Over-Trading
You should avoid the temptation to over-trade. Over trading is really a risk for those traders that are not following a technique, choosing to sit down on the sidelines until a clear trend emerges is in itself a legitimate strategy. You should avoid the mistake of fully leveraging your positions simply because you've got free equity available. It is also important to make sure that you don't invest with money that you cannot afford to lose.

3. Psychological and Emotional Mistakes
Developing the mind-set that you need to get each trade right is often a dangerous mistake to make if you cannot accept the very fact that you're going to make errors. You may find it hard to close out of a losing position, instead your mind will find ways to persuade itself that the trade will swing around and happen to become profitable. There is a danger that subconsciously you will become blind to evidence that suggests you are wrong.

You have to recognize that you will not get each trade correct and that you don’t need to get each trade correct, this will enable you to deal with your trades effectively. Being in the wrong is something that we frequently feel bad about. We're taught through positive reinforcement that we should feel better about being correct. This repeatedly presents problems when trading.

Losing trades may cause emotional distress and prevent you from correctly analysing the market. This can present a risk that you'll start over-trading in order to make back losses or to “get even” with the market. On the flip-side, winning trades can produce feelings of excitement and invincibility. If you make the error of permitting this emotion to take hold, you may find yourself taking unnecessary risk or making stupid errors through carelessness.

You should aim to keep your trading related emotions under control. Wise traders will focus on the downside risk potential of each trade and will make sure that this is within their pre-defined parameters outlined in their trading strategy.

4. Not understanding the suitability of Contracts for difference
Trading CFDs has enhanced the trading possibilities for a great many retail traders. CFDs are an ideal product for traders with a short-term time horizon along with a desire to increase their market exposure on a small amount of capital.

It is important to remember that contracts for difference are not always suitable for long-term traders due to financing expenses which can build up over time. In addition traders who don't supervise their open positions won't find CFDs suitable. You always need to ensure that the amount of money that you allocate to your trading account is an amount that you would be able to afford to loose.

Before you start trading Contracts for difference you ought to be familiar with the negative aspects linked to the product. As with all geared financial products, the risks are going to be higher if you don’t take the time to understand the product.

For traders that understand how CFDs work and learn to minimize their risks, there can be significant benefits from CFD trading. Through the use of leverage plus the convenience of trading, retail traders now have greater opportunities than they have ever had before.

If you would like to learn more about CFD trading and how to develop a trading plan you can download and read our free CFD Guide.

Trading mistakes can be made by even the most experienced professionals. Most mistakes made by traders come about as a result of a lack of preparation, knowledge or discipline. Whilst it is important to learn from your mistakes, it is even better and much less expensive to learn from the mistakes of others.

Below are three of the most common mistakes made by CFD traders:

1. Excessive Leverage
One of the main benefits of CFD trading is the ability to gain exposure to a share, index or foreign exchange contract with a relatively small capital outlay. Rather than paying for the full notional value of the CFD position CFD traders can enter into positions with margins as low as 5% or even less. It is important to note that although a smaller capital outlay is required to open the position the CFD trader is still exposed to the price movement of the share CFD for the full notional value of the position. A CFD trader trading a CFD at 5% margin is leveraging their initial outlay by 20 times, meaning a $5,000 deposit could be used to open a $200,000 CFD position.

As only a fraction of the face-value of the trade is outlaid when trading CFDs a small price change could result in substantial gains but also substantial losses. For example when trading a CFD on a margin of 5%, a price rise of 1% in the underlying market may result in gains of 20%, however, if price fell by 1%, it may result in a loss of 20% of the amount required to open the position.

It is important to remember that leverage is a double-edged sword not only can it work for you but if not managed correctly it can also work against you, often novice trades ignore the fact that if unmanaged leverage can result in substantial losses.

2. Not understanding the impact of trade sizes on your account
Due to the leverage associated with CFD trading, relatively small outlays can result in large moves in your overall account balance.

For example buying 10,000 CFDs priced as $2.40 on a margin of 5% requires an outlay of only $1,200. With an outlay of only $1,200 you can hold a $24,000 CFD position. Should the price of this position move one cent it will have an impact of $100 on the profit or loss on the traders account.

If the price of the this position increased by 12 cents a profit of $1,200 would have been made, However, if the price of the position fell by the same amount a loss of $1,200 would have been made.

The overall impact of any price movement will depend on the traders overall account balance. For a trader with an account balance of $1,500, the aforementioned trade would have had a significant impact on the traders account profit and loss. Should a trader with an account balance of $40,000 open the same position the relative impact would be much less significant.

A loss of $1,200 on a $1,500 account would result in the 80% of the total account balance being lost. However, a loss of $1,200 on a $40,000 account would result in a loss of only 3% of the account balance.

3. Trading in too large parcels
It is important to calculate the exposure your trade size before placing the trade. It is common for novice CFD traders the simply trade the maximum size available to the based on their account balance without considering the amount of market exposure associated with the position.

There are a variety of methods traders can adopt in order to calculate position size. A simply strategy is to determine an acceptable amount of risk capital should the trade go against you and calculate an acceptable position size base on this.

Should you want to restrict losses on any given trade to $200 you would calculate your position size based on your stop-loss price. For example, if the CFD was priced at $1.40 and you stop-loss was at $1.15 your risk amount would be $0.25, to calculate your position size you would simply divide the loss you would be prepared to take by the risk amount. In this case this would be $200 / $0.25 = 800, therefore your position size should be 800 units.

The method outlined above is known as fixed fractional position sizing in which a certain percentage of the overall account balance is risked on each trade. Other methods include allocating a fixed dollar amount to each trade, buying or selling a fixed number of CFDs in each trade or varying the size trades according to the profitability of your account.

Using a position sizing strategy will help you avoid the mistake of placing all of your eggs in one basket.

To find out more about CFD trading you can download our free CFD Guide.