Even if you are new to the foreign exchange arena you almost positively have heard of a forex ea. You may have heard it called a forex robot or expert advisor but they all do the same thing, automate our trading. Just so we are on the same page before we move on, you do need to know that these automated robots are not get rich quick machines.
A forex ea is created by programming a lucrative market strategy into a piece of software. The program is then installed and dragged into your trading platform. This little robot can do a great deal of things depending on the complexity of the programming. Some may just notify you of an upcoming trade opportunity while others can buy and sell for you automatically managing all aspects of the trade.
What makes each of these forex robots unique is in the way they are automated to get in and exit the market. The great thing about a forex ea is that it takes the emotion out of trading. This is typically the downfall of a novice. The forex ea is coded to follow very strict trading guidelines and does not even understand how to trade beyond them. Now depending on your knowledge of the markets this can either be a good thing or a curse.
Where a robot unquestionably excels is in its inherent ability of computing considerable amounts of information and instantaneously making a decision. Human beings while exceptional, are at this time unable to calculate and process that amount of information and respond instantly.
Basically these expert advisors are programmed to watch for different market conditions and indicators and when that criteria is met the bot will either buy or sell and place the trade. Potential issues can come up if your broker catches on to your robotic trading. They are looking to make money too and may discontinue taking your trades.
Now before you go and buy every forex ea out there, make sure you do some research. The internet is full of forex robots and several do live up to their claims, but be cautious as most fall flat. Always remember to try out your new robot on a demo account first before letting it trade with real money.
If you start getting respectable at forex and developing your own strategy there is plenty of information out there on building your own robot. The benefit in programming your own forex ea is once again taking the emotion factor and human error out of the equation. The program would only trade based on the market guidelines that you program into it.
Automating your forex trades is tremendous and can help you but keep in mind no expert advisor will make you wealthy. Know that a robot can only trade based on the data it was programmed with and can quickly become obsolete if strategies adjust. With that said I still think every trader should have an expert advisor in their arsenal.
For more info and reviews on the best forex ea check out http://tradingforexblog.com.